I dusted off the old Wii today, and got started a bit on Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri. The series is hugely popular in Japan, and Tim Buckley had a series of humorous comics depicting the gameplay recently (Monster Hunter Guide).
So far the game has been pretty fun, and the graphics have been nice. I've killed herbivores, insects, and carnivores. I've also mined for iron ore, dug up herbs, and caught insects in a net. I have not played enough to get to the underwater hunting yet.
I'll have to wait and see if the lack of real story will be boon or bust for me, but so far it feels a bit like a Phantasy Star crossed with MMO gathering / crafting.
If you like action combat and don't mind a steep learning curve, this might be worth a look.
http://www.crashmstr.net/geeklog/article.php?story=20100502203425305