Early adopters of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate are entitled to a free item pack, the highlight of which is a component needed to craft one of two Super Mario Bros. costumes.

　　From now until March 15, Ultimate players can visit the "Gift Area" to download a Starter Pack consisting of items like potions, bombs, and traps. To get there, visit your house, speak with the housekeeper, and pick the downloadable content option. Once you're in the Gift Area, you'll be able to download the free Starter Pack.

　　Access to the Gift Area requires that the game be updated to version 1.1. If you're connected to the Internet, you'll be prompted to download this update when starting up the game. Alternatively, you can head directly to the eShop to download it.

　　The Starter Pack's contents, as listed by Capcom's official blog, are as follows:

　　Mega Potion x50Honey x30Mega Dash Juice x15Well-done Steak x30Max Potion x10Lifepowder x20Ancient Potion x5Flash Bomb x30Sonic Bomb x30Pitfall Trap x15Shock Trap x15Super Mushroom x6Of particular note are the Super Mushrooms. With these in hand, you can craft either the Mario or Luigi Palico gear pictured above, each of which requires all six Super Mushrooms to create. (DLC will be released at some point in the future allowing the other costume to be crafted.) Rather than being something your character wears, these outfits can be equipped by your feline companions, saving you the hassle of attempting to dress up a fussy real-world cat as Mario or Luigi.

　　In addition to the Super Mushrooms, the crafting process also requires 3 Large Barrels (purchased for 630z from the Val Habar market) and 1300z (400 for the head, 400 for the body, and 500 for the weapon). You'll also need to have completed the Caravaneer's first two quests.

　　With those requirements met, you then need to head to the Smithy, select "Force Palico Gear," and then craft each of the three pieces: the Invincible Hammer weapon, the Mario or Luigi cap, and the Mario or Luigi overalls. These can then be equipped from the Palico Board located in your house.

　　Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate launched on 3DS just yesterday alongside the New 3DS XL in North America. It's playable on standard 3DS hardware, but puts the New 3DS' c-stick (or the 3DS' Circle Pad Pro, if you own one) to good use as a way of controlling the camera and aiming. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review.