I literally broke my wii from playing MH3 too much. I also learned to calculate damage, though I forgot the formula by now.
I can't wait for the 3DS MH games to actually get released outside japan (fuck you capcom, stop restricting one of your best franchises to japan).
What I love about MH is the monster design, and the way skill is rewarded. Every monster has a wide range of attacks, and every monster has a way of telling what they're about to do. With every new monster you encounter, you'll fail at first, then start learning it's habits and do better the next time.
For instance, (most) monsters that have a tail swipe move will always use that move twice in a row.
I can't think of anything in MH that's cheap or unavoidable. If you fail in any way, it's always your own fault.