User blog comment:Lord Loss/Discussion of the Week: Pseudowyverns/@comment-1758220-20121114021150

Alright, let's get this over with then:

Tigrex: I must have left half a dozen reviews of our good friend over the years, but here goes another. I'll keep it short. Tigrex IS a flagship monster. One of the best examples. He feels like a rival from the moment he ambushes you on the Popo tongue quest. He's tenacious, hits like a train, and never ceases to strike fear into my heart when the eyes go red and he performs the infamous back-hop.

Tigrex Subspecies: A fine subspecies, as is the norm in 3rd gen. His colour scheme is dull, but nicer than you'd assume. His rampage charge and supersonic roar attacks add a bit of extra hazard to the battle. Never understood why you can only fight him in the sandy plains in one quest, which he shares with the regular Tigrex.

Nargacuga: A sly, agile killer. The mixture of design elements from jungle cats to birds of prey leaves Nargacuga feeling like an apex hunter. A fast-paced and extremely fun battle. Points for an epic roar as well.

Nargacuga Subspecies: First thing's first. Why that colour scheme? Solid green with a red tail tip? What? The less-than-generaous amount of new gameplay with this one disappoints me. I thought we were in a golden age of subspecies, and one of the most beloved monsters in the series deserves better.

Nargacuga Rare Species: Is it just me or does anyone else have a tough time discerning the colour scheme of this one? Is he blue? Silver? Anyway, the yellow chest is kind of weird, and the invisibility gimmick is kind of dumb too. I'm told he inflicts poison, which is pretty cool I guess.

Barioth: A favourite of many from the original 3rd gen set. I like Barioth, he's got a lot going for him. I like that he's both armoured and furry, and the layer of fur somehow looks really thick and insulatory. I think we all knew this monster would be cool the moment we saw him in the 2nd trailer for MH3.

Barioth Subspecies: I'm a little tired of Capcom simply taking monsters that live in a hot/cold environment and just putting the subspecies in the opposite environment. Anyway, he's pretty alrigt, I guess. His main schtik is that he creates a pillar of swirling sand that is literally the most annoying thing ever. Other than that, the colour scheme is striking and ulike a lot of people, I really like the bright red face.

Gigginox: Really cool design, but I hate the fight. The trick second head on his tail is a cool evolutionary idea, as is the bioluminescene. His battle is clunky and tedious to me, and I always find it a major chore to farm him for any length of time.

Gigginox Subspecies: This is a good subspecies, one of 3rd gen's most underappreciated if you ask me. The yellow to red rage mechanic is nice, and the change of status infliction was a good idea. The new pin attack is cool, makes the battle feel a little bit more unique.

Pariapuria: I <3 Pariapuria (Can you tell?). While others are quick to bash him for being too easy and slow, and not even having a rage mechanic, all I see is an adorable, exotic looking canyon dweller. He, like most Frontier pseudowyverns, has a unique moveset and an interesting dynamic with the meat consumption.

Dyragaua: Best rage transition in the series, bar none. Again, unique moveset, interesting habitat range, and a really sick roar animation. The colour sceme is really nice too. Mellow with a hint of violence.

Akantor: He's huge, violent, and badass-looking. He can drop a Gravios with one bite, and the damn thing has even weaponized sound. Cool stuff all around, though he needs to be placed in maps that have actual breathing room (He's still a bit cluttered in MHP3rd).

Ukanlos: The yin and yang between this guy and Akantor is nice. Akantor is jagged, Ukanlos is rounded. Akantor is fire, Ukanlos is ice. He's always fought at an interesteing arena (Polar Zone is GORGEOUS), and he can seriously put the hurt on in MHFU, being one of the most powerful monsters of the 2nd generation.

Odeibatorasu: Can't say too much about him. Cool gameplay dynamic, really odd design. The pillars of sand are cool, and his more fast-paced battle is refreshing for one of these big guys. But he looks like a Hawaiian tiki mixed with a red Blastoise.