Did You Know You Can Play The Original Monster Hunter Stories on Mobile?

With everyone finally realising just how cute the term "monstie" is and the release of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin just around the corner, anyone who hasn't played the original doesn't have long to catch up on the story. Thankfully, you don't need to dig out your Nintendo 3DS to do so. There's a much easier way to experience the original before the release of the sequel: by playing the Monster Hunter Stories mobile port on iOS or Android.

Is the Monster Hunter Stories Mobile Port Any Good?

Even without the dual-screen setup of the Nintendo 3DS, the game's simplistic movement and combat means the iOS and Android ports play almost exactly the same as the 3DS original while looking (and feeling) far better to boot.

With a 320 x 240 resolution primary display, the Monster Hunter Stories 3DS version wasn't the best looking game in the world. It was great for the Nintendo 3DS hardware, but that device is over 10 years old now. Modern devices absolutely crush it in terms of graphical horsepower.

Put it this way: Genshin Impact is a prime example of what mobile gaming devices are capable of these days. There's no way that open-world adventure would work on a Nintendo 3DS (in fact, it's proving hard to develop for the Nintendo Switch) meaning the iOS and Android ports are capable of looking far better than the original when played on semi-modern hardware with a high-resolution display.

Is Monster Hunter Stories Free on Mobile?

Not right now, no. Although Capcom has dropped the price of Monster Hunter Stories on iOS and Android to around £5 in the past (and offered it for free not too long ago) the game is back to its full price of £19.99 as of the time of writing.

It's possible it'll be discounted again before the release of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin as a promotional offer, but we wouldn't count on it.

What's the Difference Between Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories: The Adventure Begins?

If you search for Monster Hunter Stories on your device's app store right now, you'll probably see two results from Capcom: Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories: The Adventure Begins. The former being paid and the latter being free. So what's the difference?

Though the store page and title does a bad job of explaining it, the free game Monster Hunter Stories: The Adventure Begins is just that--the beginning of the adventure. It's a demo. It's a great way to try before you buy, so to speak, and a useful tool to ensure the game can run on your device.