Ever wonder how Capcom makes their monsters sound so unsettlingly unique? As it turns out, every monster roar, screech, and squelch in Monster Hunter Wilds was made from scratch using ‘specialized instruments.’ Capcom’s in-house sound team, CAP’STONE, has pulled back the curtain on a few of those custom-built DIY contraptions designed to nail one very specific noise. This time, the team is exploring how to craft the sound effects for Nu Udra and Rompompolo.
To get Nu Udra‘s slimy, squeaky tentacle sounds just right, the team built something called ‘Jyuumoningu.’ This instrument is a ceramic urn wrapped with plastic cling film. The team then rubbed a microphone against the stretched-out plastic to get this uncannily distinct squeak for when the Black Flame writhing around on screen.
(Click to expand)
(Click to expand)
The instrument’s name itself appears to be a pun. Jyuumon means ‘spell’ or ‘incantation’ in Japanese, while ‘ingu’ is the katakana pronunciation for the English ‘-ing.’ Mash them together, and you get something like ‘spelling,’ or ‘incantation-ing.’ Like someone’s continuously chanting a curse. A fitting name, honestly, for a monster that looks like it crawled out of a fiery nightmare.
Meanwhile, Rompompolo got its honking from a tool nicknamed ‘Getsuyoubi no Asa’ (Monday Morning). This one is a particularly unique and rather amusing DIY tool. A foot-operated air pump is attached to a container connected to a rubber glove and what seems to be a vacuum cleaner pipe. Each time the pump is stomped, the pipe honks out that Rompopolo’s distinct trumpet-like call.
Want to see and hear them for yourself? CAP’STONE has put together a YouTube video comparing the raw sounds to their in-game counterparts, and it’s worth the watch.
It’s honestly not that surprising when you think about it. Monster Hunter Wilds‘ rosters barely resemble anything in the real-world animal kingdom. No doubt most of their sounds couldn’t come from anywhere ordinary and require creative ‘problem-solving’ to produce them.
