Yea, of course. Most Monster Hunter games are completely self-contained and can be played solo offline or local co-op (also offline). The older games do not adjust their difficulty when attempting guild quests since those are usually intended for co-op play, so the monsters' health and damage numbers might exceed your current level. But if you're not interested in those, pretty much every Monster Hunter game - including the 3DS titles like 3/4 Ultimate and Generations - has its own offline story mode and plenty of quests to play through.

If you have a friend to play with, local co-op is heaps of fun. Back when the series was reserved to the PSP, that's how I got my hundreds of hours clocked in.

If you do end up trying out any of the 3DS Monster Hunter titles and do not have a New 3DS, do get a Circle Pad Pro if you haven't already. It's essentially a grip for the 3DS that makes the handheld bulkier and adds a much-needed second joystick for camera movement.

Cheers!