User blog comment:BannedLagiacrus/Monster Appreciation Week: Gammoth/@comment-5020152-20161111023037

GAMMOTH (aka POPODROME)

Other Fun Nicknames: Manny

 Concept : One of the four flagship beasts of MH Generations, Gammoth is meant to represent the 2nd generation of Monster Hunter. She is one of the most immense monsters in the series, a giant pachyderm that trudges across the Snowy Mountains without rime or reason. She’s the most independent of the Elite Four, not giving a crap about anyone else unless they get on her nerves. How does Capcom come up with this stuff? 8/10

 Design : She’s a freaking woolly mammoth. That alone puts Popodrome on my good side, but there’s more to it than that. The first thing you’re going to notice about this pachyderm is her shovel-shaped tusks and armored head plate – the head plate in particular definitely makes Gammoth look scarier. She’s also got some cool armor plating on her legs, a fluffy tail, and some spikes on her trunk. Oh yeah, and she’s REALLY, REALLY BIG. Duramboros has nothing on this son of a Gunlance. All in all, most of the Popodrome’s features are small things that don’t really distinguish her from regular mammoths, aside from the head plate. However, I think Gammoth’s color scheme is what really makes her something special. Just look at it! The lovely shades of navy blue, combined with the little bits of red and white here and there… I don’t know why, but that combination of colors is simply fantastic in my eyes. Design-wise, Gammoth is probably my least favorite of the Elite Four, but “least favorite” is a very misleading term when this monster is still so dang awesome. 8/10

 Sounds : Nothing really noteworthy, just some rumbles and growls as she stomps about the frozen wasteland. Her roar is pretty impressive – the classic elephant trumpeting sound! And the big girl’s theme is just as awesome as the others of the Elite Four, in its own way of course. It’s slow and dramatic, before reaching a crescendo of pure triumph and glory. You can just imagine Gammoth marching along through the snow and ice, to the awe of all the smaller monsters, as this music plays in the background. A perfect fit for the biggest herbivore in all of Monster Hunter! 10/10

 Gameplay : Just as you’d expect for a mammoth monster, Popodrome is very slow and ponderous, but his attacks are backed up by a lot of muscle. Her favorite attacks are butting you with her head and squishing you into a pancake under her feet. However, Gammoth also has a few elemental moves, such as spraying icy wind out of her trunk or lifting a snowball out of the ground to smash you. She also has a pin attack in which she grabs you with his trunk and starts repeatedly smashing you into the ground, and can suck you in close before stomping you. Gammoth’s deadliest move, though, is a massive stomp in which the snow on her legs explodes on impact – and she can cover her legs with more of it the next time she gets enraged. I first thought the battle with Gammoth would be dull and boring, but surprisingly, she’s now my favorite of the Elite Four in terms of gameplay! The battle is like David versus Goliath, with the tiny hunter with the toothpick struggling to withstand an onslaught of colossal attacks. When this great beast topples over with a dramatic bellow to the tune of the epic victory music, it provides a rush of satisfaction I never thought I’d feel. 10/10

 New Stuff : N/A

 Equipment : Gammoth’s weapons use the Ice element. The armor set provides two interesting skills called “Herbology” and “Polar Hunter”, which increase the recovery potential of Herbs and increase your raw attack and physical defense in cold areas, respectively. The equipment is mostly made up of bony knobs and plates, but also sports parts of the lovely red-and-blue pelt that the Popodrome has. Now, I like weapons with good sharpness, and Gammoth weapons certainly don’t look like the sharpest out there, but I certainly enjoy trying them out. 8/10

 Personality : Monster Hunter Generations does a phenomenal job of characterizing its four flagship monsters. The Popodrome is shown to be a monster that does what she wants and doesn’t pay others any mind. Whereas other monsters will attack you out of defense of their territory, for food, or even for fun, Gammoth never makes the first move, preferring to keep to herself. In the game’s intro, she plods along at her own pace, only stopping when she’s hit by the Tigrex she inadvertently woke up. In her ecology cinematic, she’s disturbed by a pack of Blangos searching for shelter, but barely gives them any attention as she continues on his own path. With this in mind, my interpretation of Gammoth is a free spirit who doesn’t get involved in any sort of conflict, unless she’s forced to put up with someone else’s bullsh*t – like that Tigrex she puts in its place, for example. If the monsters of Monster Hunter had some kind of community structure, Popodrome would be… I don’t know, the Lone Ranger or something. 10/10

 Summary : Gammoth is certainly an interesting addition to the ever-growing roster of monsters. Another herbivore amongst a generally carnivore-dominated series is always welcome, and there aren’t many pachyderms in the world of Monster Hunter. Aside from that, Gammoth’s moveset is pretty interesting, fighting her is a surprising amount of fun, and her theme is pretty fantastic. LONG LIVE THE POPODROME. Overall 9/10