Monster Hunter Rise is due to be released for the Nintendo Switch in a few weeks, and Capcom still hasn't announced any Nintendo-themed content, even though previous entries in the series featured outfits and items based on first-party franchises.
The Monster Hunter series first became popular in Japan due to the PSP, as the portable nature of the system let people play with friends and strangers in public. Capcom moved the series to the Nintendo 3DS, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Monster Hunter Generations featured tons of Nintendo content. These included costumes and weapons based on Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario and Luigi, Samus from Metroid, Prince Marth from Fire Emblem, and Isabelle from Animal Crossing. Monster Hunter World moved the series to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox systems, but Capcom still had crossover events and items. These included first-party Capcom franchises (like Mega Man), third-party games (like The Witcher 3), and even the Monster Hunter movie.
The Monster Hunter franchise is returning to Nintendo systems, and Capcom has revealed some of the features of the game. Capcom has advertised the ability to ride monsters and control them in battle, the Wirebug item that lets players jump around like Spider-Man, and the new canine Palamute mounts. What Capcom hasn't discussed is crossover content. Capcom heavily promoted the Nintendo content in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate before launch, but players haven't heard anything about similar content in Monster Hunter Rise. The game has been featured in Nintendo Directs, and it has received numerous news updates since it was first revealed, but Capcom hasn't tried to hype up the game with a crossover announcement.
Why Monster Hunter Rise May Not Have A Crossover
One possible reason for the lack of Nintendo crossovers might have been uncovered in a recent Capcom leak. It's possible that Capcom could be bringing Monster Hunter Rise to PC, where it wouldn't be able to use any of the Nintendo content. Capcom might still use first/third-party crossovers in Monster Hunter Rise, but the days of battling Rathalos while dressed like Link might be over. Nintendo already featured Monster Hunter's most iconic creature as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but it could be unwilling to let Nintendo content appear in Monster Hunter Rise if it's going to appear on another platform.
It's a shame that players might not see any Nintendo crossovers in Monster Hunter Rise, as there are still franchises that could use some costumes and weapons. It would be great to see Kid Icarus Dual Blades, a Duck Hunt Palamute costume, an Inkling Palico outfit, or the house uniforms from Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Players would even settle for the items from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate/Generations Ultimate returning. Capcom still has a couple more weeks to announce crossover content for Monster Hunter Rise, but nothing was mentioned during today's digital event, and that was the perfect time to do it. It would be nice to fight alongside Palico's dressed like Isabelle and Mario again, but it's looking like that might not happen on this hunt.
Monster Hunter Rise will be released for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021.