User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Appreciation Week: Jade Barroth/@comment-1758220-20130501071409

 JADE BARROTH 

 Concept:  Remember back when the idea of switching up a monster's environment to something wholly unexpected was a creative idea for a subspecies? Thank goodness Jade Barroth was one of the first. I remember being suitably impressed at the ingenuity Capcom displayed in this regard when J. Barroth was first revealed. Swapping mud for snow allows the developers to keep the same basic hazards intact but switch up the playing field so drastically that it opens the doors for design and gameplay to follow. Although conceptually it is the weaker of the two ice subspecies in the game, it really is a great fit, and one of the better opportunities for a subspecies in the series. 9/10

 Design:  One of the reasons I really like the idea of a subspecies is because it allows you to see a monster with a brand new coat of paint. You get to see what a monster would have looked like if it were designed around different circumstances. In the case of Jade Barroth, the monotonous browns and greys of the vanilla species are eschewed in favour of eye-catching shades of blue, green, and yellow. I don't know what they've been putting in Capcom's coffee lately, but they have been absolutely nailing the colour schemes of the subspecies in 3rd generation, even moreso than the stellar ones in Unite. Here, the colours are fitting without being stereotypical. How easy would it have been for them to just make it grey and white like a glacier and call it a day? Instead, they pulled from all over the cool colour spectrum, allowing the palette of the design to both pop against the plain white Tundra, and remain calming and reserved at the same time. There are a few little touches here and there that make this design really work. One of these is the enlarged crest, which both serves a plaisible biological function and allows this variant to be more up front and intimidating than its counterpart. In addition, the little patches of frost here and there make the body look weathered and blasted by the harsh environment, and they really sell the hearty nature of this beast very well. The design of a subspecies shoud always surpass that of the common, and Jade Barroth succeeds with flying colours. 9/10

 Sound:  The same as the common species, and uses base Tundra theme. N/A

 Gameplay:  You know what else is important for a subspecies to have? All-new moves. And this is where Jade Barroth really succeeds. This is not an equal trait among subspecies, even at 3rd gen. Some simply copy/paste the moveset of the common species and throw in a new combo here and there. But not Jade Barroth! This subspecies has two enhanced moves, and one all-new one, which doesn't sound like much on paper, but when experienced in combat, it makes a world of difference. The U-Turn charge is far more interesting and dangerous than the boring straight shot of the original, and is legitimately difficult to keep up with. The double crown-slam forces the player to remain cautious around the creature's face, and punishes sloppiness or over-eager attackers with the Snowman ailment. Finally, the ice-toss gives the Barroth some ranged attacks beyond the simple and easy to see coming mud/snow shake. Not to mention, the G-Rank version deals double ice blight with a tail sweep that visibly tosses snow around. It's nice to see Capcom try and make an otherwise entry-level monster into a real challenge, and I believe they've done all they needed to in this regard. 9/10

 Equipment:  Jade Barroth yields some extremely powerful ice-type weapons. These really come in handy against powerful monsters such as Zinogre or Black Diablos. They are comparable in damage to the Barioth set, but their relative ease of creation is the real seller. The armour set is decent for early mid-level at high rank, but you may be better suited with the Barioth set if you're looking for gear with heavy ice resistance. 8/10

 Overall:  If there's one thing 3rd gen succeded at definitively, it's subspecies. Jade Barroth is one of the best examples of this, featuring a thoughtful, detailed new design, revamped, challenging gameplay mechanics and the potential for killer ice weapons, all designed around a premise for a redesign that fits perfectly. Give us more like this, Capcom! 9/10