To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Monster Hunter has teamed up with Digimon to create one of the most exciting pieces of official Monster Hunter merchandise yet: Monster Hunter-themed Digimon Virtual Pets. This crossover collaboration is a perfect match, unlike the upcoming Monster Hunter-themed Fender Telecaster electric guitar, which, while looking awesome, seems a bit out of place. There are two Monster Hunter V-Pet Color devices available, each themed after iconic Monster Hunter monsters: a red device inspired by Rathalos and a blue one featuring Zinogre. These monsters also have unique variants that merge them with classic Digimon characters, such as Rathalos combining with Greymon to form RathalosGreymon and Zinogre with Garurumon to create ZinoGarurumon. These special forms can be unlocked through the pet-raising mini-games and battles on the device.
Players can collect and level up over 30 other monsters in the game, including Monster Hunter creatures like Mizutsune, Rajaang, Nargacuga, Tigrex, Gore Magala, and Khezu. Similar to other V-Pet Color devices, these measure about 1.75 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide and come equipped with full-color mini LCD screens, buttons, and speakers. You can preorder the Monster Hunter V-Pets for $100 each at Big Bad Toy Store, with preorders expected to open soon at other retailers. Both models are set to release next February.
These gadgets are quite expensive—the V-Pets with full-color displays cost significantly more than the regular V-Pets with low-pixel LCDs. They are also relatively scarce in North America. On Amazon, you can purchase a Japanese import V-Pet with a full-color screen for $105 from resellers (originally priced at $70 at launch). For those unfamiliar with V-Pet devices, these electronic, pet-raising keychain games were the starting point for the Digimon series. Today, Digimon is best known for its anime, trading card game, and video game adaptations, but it began in the late '90s with the Digital Monster line of virtual pets. Later rebranded as Digimon V-Pets, these keychain toys were launched shortly after Bandai's other popular virtual pet, Tamagotchi. Unlike Tamagotchi, which involves raising a small alien creature, V-Pet monsters are raised for battle—both in the game and against other players.
If you're interested in raising a monster for battle without spending $100, you can find modern versions of the original V-Pets for less than $15 on Amazon. Bandai has also revitalized Tamagotchi with numerous crossovers featuring popular franchises. Monster Hunter Wilds, the next game in Capcom's popular action-RPG franchise, is scheduled for release on February 28, 2025. For more details on the various editions and preorder bonuses, check out GameSpot's preorder guide.
