Monster hunter is a large series. If anything, best game to welcome new players would be Monster Hunter World, since it is meant to be welcoming newer players. Monster hunter rise too but the controls might be too complicated for newcomers.
You dont really need to play the old gen since they are there as fun games with nostalgia like pokemon. And you dont need to know anything about the old gen since every new game is a new story, new hunter, and a new set of monsters with the occasional returning ones.
And dont worry too much about others opinions on games per generation. Just have fun with the new ones since that is how games are suppose to be. :)
- Roda -