Crystal PSP

Review: Daxter (PSP)

2006-08-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

Review: Daxter [PSP]
Platform: PSPDeveloper: Ready at Dawn Studio
Publisher: Sony

After Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was released for the PlayStation 2, Daxter's name mysteriously disappeared from the two later titles in the trilogy. Perhaps to appease a sulking Daxter, Ready at Dawn Studios, in collaboration with Naughty Dog, has developed Daxter for the PlayStation Portable. The game lives up to its name by presenting the same humor and antics that fans of the series know Jak's furry sidekick for coupled with the solid platforming action we've come to know and love. For its first foray into the industry, Ready at Dawn has not only created one of the most visually stunning PSP games, but also a game with smooth gameplay and an overall level of polish that should please anyone who enjoys playing video games in general.

Daxter takes place in between the first and second Jak games from the console series. The story begins where the Precursor Legacy left off, with Jak and Daxter arriving in Haven city only to have Jak arrested by guards and thrown in prison. Two years later, Daxter is given a job by a local exterminator by the name of Osmo. Throughout the game you'll take up various pest-control missions from Osmo and move through the game's story. The storyline in Daxter isn't quite as strong as that in the console games, but a series of well crafted, and often humorous, cutscences help to establish the existing plot while maintaining the light-hearted nature of the game.

Daxter isn't too lengthy of a title, clocking in at about 8 hours to finish the main story mode, but there is a reasonable amount of replay value to be found in the game. Each of the areas Daxter visits throughout his travels can be revisited and feature plenty of collectable items such as caged bugs to be unlocked for the game's Bug Combat mode, more on that later. As it stands, Daxter's story mode is long enough to require multiple gaming sessions to complete, but not so long as to consume too much of your time. For a handheld title, Daxter feels just about right in terms of its length.

Bug Combat, which can be played competitively through a wi-fi connection, is a Pokemon-esque minigame which pits two rival bugs against one another. Each turn, you choose one of three basic attacks for your bug to use against its opponent. There is an added level of depth to Bug Combat in that you're able to apply various special attacks and power-ups to your bug before the match. If anything, Bug Combat is a simple diversion from Daxter's main mode and could take up a few hours of time should you become involved in what it has to offer.

Aside from Bug Combat, Daxter also features several "dream" sequences which play out as simple minigames. These minigames consist of timing button presses with the appropriate on-screen indicators and are another fun little way to kill time. Each dream parodies a memorable movie moment from films such as Braveheart and The Matrix, all of which should be instantly recognizable. After completing each of the dream minigames Daxter will learn a new move which can be used in the game. This gives the player extra incentive to collect the eggs strewn throughout each environment in order to unlock all of the dream sequences.

By far the most impressive aspect of Daxter and one which should become apparent within the first minutes of gameplay is that there are no visible loading times in the game. As soon as the opening movie has finished you are immediately thrust into the world without any hesitation whatsoever. The lack of loading times in itself is a true testament to the skill and ability of those behind the development of Daxter. Equally impressive is the fact that Daxter takes place in one continuous, streaming world. While you may be transported through portals to reach some of the areas in the game, there is no break in the action. As soon as Daxter jumps through a portal gate, he almost immediately emerges on the other side in a new area. Not even Liberty City Stories, as technically impressive as that game was, could accomplish such a feat.

Visually, Daxter is a treat. The textures are sharp and crisp, the lighting in the game is fantastic, and the level of detail throughout the environments is unbelievable. Daxter himself is immaculately animated. Details such as the character bounce slightly when he jumps on a chair or sofa highlight just how intricate the detail in Daxter is. Most satisfying about the graphical beauty of Daxter is the fact that it does not come at the cost of gameplay. The framerate remains smooth throughout and rarely chokes up, which is even more of a feat considering the lack of load times and the enormity of many of the game's environments.

In terms of control, Daxter handles itself well. Movement feels tight and responsive while jumping, attacking, and crawling should come as second nature to anyone who has played a platformer recently. Camera control is fairly simplistic yet incredibly well designed with the right and left shoulder buttons panning the camera from side to side. While such a system is nothing new to PSP games, Ready at Dawn has perfected the responsiveness and speed of camera movement. As with all great platform games, the camera is paramount to Daxter’s success.

In terms of difficulty, Daxter isn’t an especially challenging game although things can become a bit tricky in certain spots. Thankfully, checkpoints are placed intelligently throughout each of the levels and prevent the game from ever becoming truly frustrating. There are also several puzzle sequences throughout Daxter. These puzzles usually occur towards the end of the level and must be completed in order for Daxter to unlock a door or disable some sort of device. The puzzles use the same button press system as the dream minigames and will take several attempts to complete, but won't generate frustration on the level of a game like Smart Bomb. All in all Daxter does a good job of keeping the game enjoyable yet challenging for players of all ages.

The voice acting in Daxter is masterful. During the game’s many cutscenes, all of the characters, which should be recognizable from the cast in the Jak series, add a level of immersiveness to the story. As mentioned earlier, Daxter maintains the light heartedness of the game with his many witty remarks. The musical score is also well put together although there isn’t anything especially memorable about the music and you might
not even notice it unless you stop and listen. Daxter is a game designed from the ground up for the PSP and it shows. The handy save anywhere feature allows for gaming on the go while the length of each of Daxter's levels is suitable for a bus ride to school or work. Daxter’s graphics and gameplay are unmatched on the PSP and contribute to what is a truly exceptional game.

Gameplay: [9] Graphics: [10] Audio: [8] Replay: [7] Overall: [90%]

Download PSPRadio v0.38.12

2006-08-24T03:08:00.000-07:00

Raf has released PSPRadio 0.38.12, and it has been patched to work under the DevHook environment on firmware versions 2.+.

As many of you already know, PSPRadio allows you to stream music and listen to Shoutcast servers (WiFi Radio) from the comfort of your PSP.

According to the changelog, these are the changes since PSPRadio 0.38.11:

What's New for PSPRadio v0.38.12:
(sandberg) Core: Implemented a direct VRAM version of Danzeff for use in Links2.
(raf) Core: Now root of /PSP/MUSIC is also used in the local files screen. (It is shown as 'MUSIC')
(mbf) Core: Patched to run under devhook

BUG FIXES:
We have two files available for download: Static and Dynamic. The Dynamic version includes Retawq and Links2 and PSPTris plugins. If a plugin stops responding, you can try L+R+START to take you back to PSPRadio.

Download PSPRadio v0.38.12

Ford Street Racing: Los Angeles coming to PSP!

2006-08-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

There's so many racing games on the PSP, it's not even funny. We can't even remotely guess the exact number anymore. Anyway, it's our job to preview upcoming games. The one in question here is Ford Street Racing: LA Duel. Alright, so the name can use a bit of work, but then, it would be the last of our worries if we're making a game. What matters is gameplay and replayability. And the creators can only hope that they have enough of it.

“Ford Street Racing: LA Duel on PSP is where it belongs, on the move and on the streets. With Wi-Fi multiplayer and even more performance Ford cars to choose from, this is the ultimate Ford Street Racing experience,” commented James Spice, General Manager of Xplosiv, the game's creators. Now that's a big claim, we hope they can fulfill it.

Looking at the name, it's most likely a Ford-only racing game. Now we've always loved Muscle cars, so that's one point. And there's loads of 'em cars, new and old. Here's the complete list:

1962 Thunderbird Sports Roadster – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
1968 Mustang GT
1969 Mustang Boss 302
1970 Capri Mk I RS2600
1970 Mustang Boss 429
1971 Mustang Mach 1 – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
1973 Escort RS2000
1975 Gran Torino Sport
1985 RS200
1987 Sierra RS500
1992 Escort RS Cosworth
1995 GT90 Concept
2000 SVT Cobra R
2002 Focus RS
2004 Bronco Concept – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
2004 Fiesta ST
2004 Mustang GT-R Concept
2004 SVT Lightning
2005 Ford GT
2005 Mustang GT
2005 Shelby GR-1 Concept – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
2005 SVT Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
2005 Thunderbird – EXCLUSIVE to PSP
2007 Shelby GT500

And they got the GT90 concept among that list, one of our favorite cars. Many of you might remember it from Need For Speed 2, about a decade ago...Apart from it, there's a lot of other cool cars in there too.

Now let us run you guys through the features of the game:

- 24 officially licensed Ford vehicles
- 6 exclusive to PSP Team Racing: Race a team of 2 cars switching between them and issuing commands to gain a positional and tactical advantage.
- 7 brand new tracks to the PSP making 37 richly detailed tracks based around the streets of Los Angeles.
- 6 solo and 11 team race game modes.
- Wi-Fi Multiplayer – Solo and Team Wi-Fi multiplayer action featuring Team race.

The tracks include the Los Angeles River (Downtown), Downtown Railroad, Pacific Parkway (Santa Monica), Venice Riviera (Venice Beach), Hollywood and Sunset Heights (Sunset Boulevard). The team racing looks something like what Need For Speed: Underground Rivals offered. Nonetheless, it will be interesting. The graphics look like staple fare, just like we've come to expect from the rest of the games. The gameplay is where it will have to score big time.

Screen's coming up later.

TIFF Exploit For 2.71 And 2.80 Firmwares on the Horizon!

2006-08-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

A confirmation, by top PSP homebrew developers, proclaiming that the recent investigations in an exploitation for the PSP, currently possible for firmwares 2.0/2.01, and possibly, in the near future, 2.5, 2.6, 2.70, 2.71, and 2.80 firmwares for PSP has been a success, so far. NOPx86, the one who discovered the initial vulnerability on PC, and the works of Skylark and psp250, who together researched the capabilities of the exploitation on the PSP, alongside the contributions of a dedicated team, including Fanjita (developer of the GTA-based eLoader), have confirmed that there is a lot of possiblility that the TIFF-based exploitation may, in fact, become the next big 'thing' for the PSP homebrew scene, and offer homebrew possibilites for all firmwares 2.0 to 2.80.

Fanjita states: "Alright, time for a brief update with the facts so far. This exploit is definitely genuine, and usable.

It's unclear exactly which firmwares it will be usable on, but so far 2.0 and 2.01 should definitely work. 2.5 and above are significantly harder to research. 2.7+ will take longer still. The signs are that it may go up as far as 2.8, but that's not proven.

Just to put things into perspective, a combined team has spent at least 60 intensive hours working on researching this so far, and we're at the point of being able to confirm that it will work.

It will take longer still to convert it into something that is actually in a demonstrable form, such as Hello World.

Credit so far goes to NOPx86 for discovering the vulnerability and proof of concept on the PC, and Skylark and psp250 for researching it on the PSP. I've helped a bit too, but those guys have done the bulk of the work."

Though the findings are not at the "Hello world" stage, a landmark which defines that an exploitation flawlessly runs unsigned code, there is a lot to expect from the work, and hopefully, in the near future, we should see a lot of additional news be released on the work. Great work guys, it's great to see there are still dedicated developers that are spending hours of hard work (over 60 hours on this project alone, as Fanjita states), to bring homebrew to all.

E3: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

2006-05-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

E3 2006 Hands On Impressions

With Square churning out Final Fantasy titles like they were going out of style recently, Valkyrie Profile may already seem like a distant memory to most people, since it came out for the Playstation in 2000 and was largely ignored. Therefore, it makes a certain amount of sense for Square-Enix to bring the game back to players via the PSP with the upcoming port of the game, titled Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth.

Telling the tale of a valkyrie named Lenneth (obviously), Valkyrie Profile makes good use of Norse mythology and slick artistic direction to bring this adventure title to life on the PSP, though the new game does not take advantage of the superior hardware in any way. Much like Square's tendency to port older SNES Final Fantasy titles to the Nintendo GBA and DS without any graphical upgrades, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is essentially a strict port, at least visually speaking.

The game may not look great by today's standards, but the actual gameplay still holds up, with a rather original story and satisfying combat and puzzle solving elements. Lenneth, servant of Odin, is sent to Midgard to recruit warriors to aid in the "sacred war" between Aesir and Vanir, and in the process players controlling Lenneth will undergo lots of random battles, with a bit of platforming and exploration thrown in. Most of my time with the demo was consumed by story elements, but when I was finally able to get into battle, it was most satisfying. In battle I was able to chain together attacks to create impressive combos, and each character in my party was assigned their own face button making switching between party members easy and efficient. Combat wasn't terribly complex, but it was fun nonetheless.

The overall feel of the game is more in line with Square's older Final Fantasy games, at least in terms of presentation, so any fans of old school RPGs looking for a good PSP title can probably scratch their roleplaying itch later this summer. I will post some more pictures soon!

E3: Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories coming to PSP!

2006-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Following last year's Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Rockstar Leeds is bringing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories to the PSP on October 17, 2006 in North America and October 20 in Europe. Like LCS before it, VCS will be set in familiar territory compressed to fit on the PSP. It will also feature a new storyline with new missions.

"The success of Liberty City Stories on the PSP system was nothing short of spectacular," said Rockstar Games' Sam Houser. "We are excited to once again give our audience a fresh experience in one of their favorite locales in the Grand Theft Auto series, Vice City."

We all new this would happen eventually considering that this is the next step in the Grand Theft Auto series. Is GTA:SAS (San Andreas Stories) just around the corner too!

Controversially, Grand Theft Auto: LCS was the biggest game ever for the psp, well at least as far as homebrew and hacking is concerned. Lets hope that this installment of GTA will prove to behold another homebrew breakthrough.

Monkey 64 v2.0 Source

2006-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

PSMonkey has just released the source for Monkey 64, his Nintendo 64 emulator for PSP. This should allow additional developers to take a look at exactly how PSMonkey managed to code this emulator from the ground up, as well as proove to all the 'haters' that he did infact code this himself, and it was not a port or copy of Daedalus.

This is what PSMonkey had to say about it:

"Ok, I ment to post this sooner but was holding off so I can clean up the commenting. Since some people are so hell bent on proving daedalus did everything or I just fully stole every line of code from pj64, I desided to just post anways and if they need suport they can go f*** them selfs.Anyways here is the source. If any coders need serious suport or have questions. Feel free to contact me via PMs or on my forums."

Well, overall this is only good news to psp dev's across the world. If you think you have what it takes to help PSMonkey I believe you download PSMonkey's 64 v2.0 Source Code here.

If you would like anymore information or would like to contact PSMonkey, please visit his site here.

UK PSP Release Dates Updated!

2006-05-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

Updated UK PSP Release List for May 2006

5th Me & My Katamari (Namco Europe)
12th Monster Hunter: Freedom (Capcom Europe)
19th Pac-Man World 3 (Electronic Arts)
31st TalkMan (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
31st Ape Escape Portable (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)

These release dates are brought to you by Crystal PSP. Where you can find psp previews, reviews and downloads all for free. Only at Crystal PSP.

Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Crytal PSP Download Free Games For PSP 2006 Homebrew Fanjita Preview Games Review Games Forums only at Crystal PSP. Sony PS3 E3 2006 2007 Coming

Star Wars Iris stormtroopers, pilot droids, infrantry droids, security droids, and ATST skins Released!

2006-04-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

Star Wars trilogy psp Iris character/weapons model pack has just been released by PSP Demon. This pack includes skins for stormtroopers, pilot droids, infrantry droids, security droids, and ATST.

To use just drag 'n drop them into the "Players folder" in the Iris folder on your psp's memory stick, and enjoy!

Download the Star Wars Iris Character Model Pack from here (2.57MB)

PSP Cheat Hacker v0.11

2006-04-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

The latest version of PSP Cheat Hacker has just been released by Nekokabu. This cheat device allows you to use various cheats on a variety of games such as GTA:LCS.

New in v0.11:
- RunUMD and Game Loader support/improvements.
- Many bugs fixed

Download PSP Cheat Hacker v0.11 from PSP3D (197kB).

King Kong (PSP): Download Now!

2006-02-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

We have just got a PSP download of King Kong for the PSP. (Review coming shortly) People please remember that this only works on PSP with version v1.5 or v2.0 (but you will neeed to downgrade first). Download Here!

King Kong (PSP) Information

Working very closely with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films, Ubisoft''s Montpellier studio (Beyond Good & Evil) and its Montreal stuadio (Splinter Cell) are together creating a game that will reflect the visual interpretation, character dynamics and dramatic narrative of Jackson''s epic take on the classic King Kong story.

If any or all of this sounds a little weird to you then please post in the forums or leave a comment. Search the rest of the site for help and advice.

We will be getting more PSP downloads as they become available.

Download King Kong for the PSP here!

New Sony PSP 2GB Mem Sticks

2006-02-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Sony has launched a new 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Pack for its PSP games console in an attempt to highlight the machines multimedia elements such as the ability to play music, view images and watch movies rather than just treat the console as a games machine.

The pack, which comes without a PSP, features a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card and a USB cable to allow easy transfer of data between a PC and the console.

The availability of the 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo promotion pack for the
PSP will vary from country to country and those not wishing to go the whole hog, so to speak, will be able to opt for capacities ranging between 256Mb and 1Gb.

The 2Gb version will be available at an estimated end-user price of ￡ £100 in the UK.

GPS on PSP (In Japan)

2006-02-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

GPS For PSP? Not yet but Sony will be offering Mapping software for the PSP

Contributed by Scott B.
Thursday, 02 February 2006
I remember months back all those rumors of a GPS for the psp. Well it may yet be a reality. Sony is releasing mapping software on UMD for it's japanese user base. Could this be the first step? Sony will offer the software in Japan on April 20th for 3,990 yen. More information about this software is available on sony's website Here A google translation Here

PSIX: Download Now!

2006-02-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

The long awaited PSIX has been finally released! A 'lite' version has been made for public use, and it looks absolutely stunning. Great job to the Fluff for this outstanding release, it fully showcases the PSP's capabilities, and offers a great GUI for everyday tasks.

[Click to see enlarged image]

Check out the flash demo to try it out now:
https://psixonline.com/psixdemo/index.html

To get PSIX Pro membership ($9.99), which gives you access to private PSIX forums, the latest updates and advancements, and more, go here:
https://psixonline.com/order.php

Only works with 1.0/1.5 (due to kernal firmware access), sorry 2.0+ folks!

Download PSIX Lite from PSP 3D here.

PSP: N64 Emulator (Rom's Needed)

2006-02-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dubbed Nincest 64, this is a major step forward but still runs quite slow at around 1.5 frames per second. The source is also included so hopefully we will see some better optimized versions emerging soon (as at this point it only runs a few homebrew demos), but big props to Marius Dumitrean (http://nemo.dcemu.co.uk) for this good release, we've been looking out for this for a long time!

The author, Marius Dumitrean, states:
"This is the first n64 emulator ported to the psp. It only runs 2 PD/Homebrew demos (stars & fire) which are included with the release."

Installation:
1) Copy the "n64" Folder to the root of the memory stick.
..) Example "G:\" (replace G: with your psp drive letter)
2) Copy the files from the folder containing your psp version number
..) Example, 1.0 users will go into 1.0 folder and copy the psp directory to the root of the memory stick.
3) Run the software

Be sure to read the readme for more important information.

Download the N64 Emulator here.

Penguin Scramble v1.1 Eboot Version: Download

2006-02-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

PSP 3D forum moderator, Percival, has just finished work on the release of Penguin Scramble v1.1 EBOOT Edition. It's a fun little game to play around with on the go, plays much like the popular helicopter/tunnel flash-based game on the net. Great work!

New features in v1.1 EBOOT Edition:
-Sound added.
-EBOOT format (compatible with all firmwares, via loader for 2.0+).
-Screenshots in PNG format.
-Background, character, and buttons now PNG files. These images can be replaced for modding.
-Fixed slowdowns.
-Removed anything related to "quit game", it does not work yet with the eLoader.

For installation instructions, be sure to read the readme file included.

Download it from PSP 3D here.

How to fix dead pixels!

2006-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a very simple guide on Digg.com that actually works! It is meant for computer LCD Monitors, but it also works with the PSP. I am not sure if this fixes lit (white) pixels, but it should. The PSP will require a bit more pressure because of the protective screen overlay.

Turn off your PSP (or computer LCD monitor if you want to fix a pixel on it).
Get yourself a damp cloth, so that you don't scratch your screen.
Apply pressure to the area where the dead pixel is. Do not put pressure anywhere else, as this may make more dead pixels.
While applying pressure, turn on your PSP ( or computer and screen).
Remove pressure and the dead pixel should be gone. This works as the oil has not spread into each little pixel. This oil is used with the backlight on your monitor, allowing different amounts of light through which give off different colours.

Source: http://wiki.ehow.com/.
More proof that it works.

Post your results in the forums!

Super Mini Mario v2: Eboot Version Out!

2006-02-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

The latest version of Super Mini Mario has been released by the knowledgable PSP 3D forum member, Arguru. This is by far the best and most commendable homebrew project that I have seen in a long time. Keep in mind that this was coded from the ground up, it's not a port. The custom level editor included is absolutely outstanding. There is a plethora of new features in V2, great job Arguru!

New features in V2:
- Depth field background (customizable).
- New water effect.
- Mario can swin in water.
- Half of the existant coins in a level must be collected to activate goal door.
- Enemies will die when falling in lava or spikes.
- In-game music, sound fx to come very soon.
- Status display (Score, Lives, Coins collected, level loading, etc).
- Better 'game over' sequence.
- Full 60FPS / 333Mhz use.
- Other misc improvements.
- Message when finishing all levels (then restarts).

Installation notes:
- Tested in Firmware 2.60 / GTA EU successfully.
- Extract the folder within archive in MS0:/PSP/GAME/SMM (all game files must be placed there), otherwise, wont work.
- The loader will moan about 'Suspicious Hard Path found in "MS0:/PSP/GAME/SMM/SMM_LEVEL_XXX.TXT'. Dont panic, is expected, as the program loads the level files from a fixed file folder.
- After game loads, it should make 2 white2black fade outs, then will put a message of "Loading Data", wich should take about 15 seconds as it's parsing the music file.
- Sometimes PSP just freeze / reset when trying to load the eboot after it's selected in fanjita's loader, it's expected and happens with other eboot's aswell.

Download here.

GTA Cheat Device 0.8b Download

2006-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Edison Carter has released a new version of the GTA Cheat Device. It's been a while since an update has been made to the cheat device, but as usual, Edison Carter never fails to deliver. Without this, all the homebrew we currently have on 2.01/2.5/2.6 would be impossible.

Remember to check out PSP 3D's in-game GTA video database for some insanely funny GTA footage.

New features in 0.8b release:
-Teleport to player target (the player-set red marker on the map).
-Video recorder optimizations.

Download here:
US: CheatDevice08bUS.zip
UK: CheatDevice08bUK.zip

PSP X MAG: Issue 5 Download

2006-02-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

The PSP X Magazine staff, creators of the most-read PSP-formatted magazine out there, have released the fifth issue of their magazine. This issue amounts to 100 pages and features the following:

-Exclusive Team17 interview
-The latest news from the homebrew world (including eLoader)
-Over 10 game reviews
-Cool accesory and gear info
-Game previews
-And more!

To install, simply copy the images (unzip first) into your /PSP/PHOTO/ folder.

Download it here: PSP X MAG Issue 5.

Alternatively, you can view the mag online (PSP-optimized site) at http://online.pspxmag.com.

Super MiniMario Alpha For All Firmware Released!

2006-02-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Super MiniMario has just been released by the creator of MiniMario and PSP 3D forum member, Arguru. If ya haven't already checked out MiniMario for 2.01+, definitely check Super MiniMario out. This is by far the most polished homebrew game I have seen that was specifically made for 2.0+, and if anything, the best homebrew game I have seen period. This is not a port, it's a purely hand-coded version of Super Mario. And most probably the greatest thing about this game is that it is fully customizable and modable. You can make your own levels, change character looks, everything. Loads of fun. And plus it works on 2.6 too, so since this doesn't use the EBOOT loading method, we can all enjoy Super MiniMario!

Here's some of the outstanding features this game offers:
- Full level map modding (using a simple text editor).
- Levels can be grouped to make a pack/game (smm_level_001.txt, smm_level_002.txt, etc). <- All the details about this are in smm_level_001.txt file included.
- Maps can be up to 1024x64 tiles (a psp game-screen is 30x16).
- Up to 128 enemies per level.
- 4 way scroll, breakable bricks, etc.

Download it now from PSP 3D here.

RSS: Webnab v0.2 Out!

2006-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Danzel has released another RSS reader, which far surpasses mine. His is called Webnab. It basically allows you to read the news of any site with an RSS feed, on the PSP.

"Its now a general RSS/Atom feed reader, and its pretty hot.
You can change what feeds it uses and customize the gfx, check out the README!

Changelog:
0.2
zomg, quite polished looking almost.
Graphics.
Many Many Many Many Many Many….. improvements on the parser and special chars conversion.
Rss reader, Atom reader (probally both are a bit buggy :P)"

Well done Danzel!

Download it from PSP 3D here.

PSP Homebrew on v2.01+

2006-02-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

The most anticipated 'homebrew-of-all-homebrews' for 2.01/2.5 firmware PSPs has been released, in its initial BETA form. Fanjita (fanjita.org) and Ditlew have completed work on the eLoader (also known as an EBOOT Loader), and have released it to the public for stability/compatibility testing. This is the biggest news yet for the 2.01/2.5 scene, and we are all proud of Fanjita and Ditlew's work, moving the 2.01+ scene along from the start to the present (lets not forget Edison Carter, big ups to him too!). Remember, this eLoader works through the GTA hack, so you'll need GTA in order to use it! Be sure to read the readme.txt file included in the download package for detailed setup instructions and more!

Check out the list of compatible EBOOTs on Fanjita's site here. It will be updated as more and more EBOOTs are loaded and results sent to Fanjita. So everyone try all of your favorite EBOOTs, and see if they work!

Although 2.6 is not supported yet, and might take a while longer to get working as the system calls are completely jumbled up compared to 2.01/2.5, there always is hope for you all, so stay patient as developers continue to work on it.

Download the 2.01/2.5 EBOOT Loader BETA from PSP 3D here.

Forums Are Up!

2006-02-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say that the forums are up and running, to access the forums click the link to the right or if you can't wait that long click here.

Enjoy the forums you can pretty much tlk about anything in them but be nice and no dab language, also you don't have to register to post, but you will miss out on extra features. I will soon add some more areas to the forums to make it easier to post.

Have Fun!

Lua: PSP Programming Tutorials

2006-02-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yeldarb has released a new compliment to his PSP Programming Tutorials (http://scriptscribbler.com/psp/). Along with the C Programming Language tutorials that he has been working on, he has now added a Lua tutorial series as well.

The first two lessons (http://scriptscribbler.com/psp/lua/lesson01.htm) and (http://scriptscribbler.com/psp/lua/lesson02.htm) have been published. They are based off of whitehawk’s old Lua tutorials, but have been completely rewritten and revamped. The first lesson runs you through creating your first script. The second goes more in depth into programming structures and covers everything from displaying images, to playing sound, to taking user input. They are geared towards beginning programmers and are written at a level that should be comprehendible to all. With the new 2.60 EBOOT Loader, this should be a valuable resource for 2.60 users looking to make their entrance onto the scene.

PSP Documentation Released!

2006-02-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

Groepaz from the ps2dev forums has released "Yet Another PSP Documentation" which is a very well written document containing a breakdown of every thing from the PSP's software to its hardware. The documentation, if far from complete, is the first document released that has compiled all our knowlege of the PSP into one place. Great work!

Download Here!

Review: Liberty City Stories

2006-01-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Review (PSP)

To call Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories the most highly anticipated PSP game yet is a complete understatement. Based in the same city as Grand Theft Auto III, Liberty City stories provides a sense of nostalgia for those of us who played GTA III to death, while keeping things fresh with innovative new challenges, vehicles, and characters.

Presentation
Presentation has always been a strength of the GTA series, and as expected, the presentation quality in Liberty City Stories is excellent. The voice-work, music, character design, and the overall look and feel of the menus and load screens come together in a cohesive whole that will no doubt go down as a masterpiece of handheld gaming. It is an entire, living, breathing entity, and it fits in your pocket.

Graphics
Wow. That’s pretty much what everyone says the first time they pick up GTA: LCS. The amount of detail, the particle effects, the textures — basically, if you notice any differences in GTA III and LCS, you’ll probably think that LCS is the better looking of the two. Vehicles look particularly shiny, and draw distances while driving are better than expected. Plus, it runs smoothly at 30 fps, which is very impressive for this large an environment being played on a portable device.

Gameplay
When Grand Theft Auto III was released, it featured gameplay that was downright revolutionary. Although the gameplay in LCS more or less mirrors that of previous GTAs, we consider it to be revolutionary in the respect that it has never been done on a handheld. All the free-roaming fun is here: stealing cars, insane stunts, rampages, street races, and hidden packages are present, allowing the player to do what they want when they want — which is the hallmark of the GTA series. Although some of the advancements shown in Vice City and San Andreas are absent, for a debut effort Rockstar Leeds has done an amazing job. Gameplay in this iteration is fairly consistent with previous GTA’s, especially III. The camera bug where the camera can get stuck behind buildings is back, but that is a small sacrifice to make when considering there is no right analog stick.

Controls
The controls for LCS were a big point of worry for a lot of folks, given that dual analog sticks have been utilized on the console versions, but they’ve actually translated to the PSP’s single analog setup quite well. There are some small targeting problems, but overall the system works pretty well — and certainly well enough to keep from being detrimental to the overall experience.

Vehicles
The rides in GTA III are kind of a mix-and-match bunch of vehicles found throughout III, Vice City, and San Andreas. The car physics model seems to be a bit quirky — the back end on some old favorites, the sentinel for example, slides out from behind you a little too often. It should also be mentioned that the analog nub takes a little getting used to, but it is quite comfortable once you get the hang of it. Apart from that, the controls are similar to the console versions, the unique stunts are still there, and the entire driving experience is still just as fun.

Music
Another familiar facet of the GTA universe is the soundtrack. Played while driving vehicles, GTA: LCS comes packed with an excellent soundtrack, though perhaps of more importance was the surprise addition of custom soundtracks. Utilizing the free Rockstar Custom Tracks program, gamers can convert their own music into tracks that can then be used in the game, in replacement of the radio stations. Although we were bummed that you can’t just access the music you already have on your Memory Stick, it is still a really cool feature.

Sound Effects and Vocals
All of the sounds that make Liberty City come alive are back again, as is some excellent voice-work. All of the different characters are just as alive and opinionated as expected, and really help to drive the player’s interest in the plot. All the shots, beatings, and wrecks sound great either through headphones or the PSP’s built-in speakers. Solid, all around.

Multiplayer
Although we wish it had been infrastructure instead of ad-hoc in nature, the wireless multiplayer is truly something to behold. This is the first GTA where the Multiplayer options are entire games unto themselves, and the fact that the entire world is open during these matches — complete with pedestrians and traffic — is absolutely great.

Overall
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories really is a “must have” game for any PSP owner, and we’re betting a lot of folks out there will buy PSPs just to play this game. The missions of the main story are fun, don’t fall into the trap of becoming mundane, and also offer players quite a challenge — there are still certain missions which are sure to drive players slightly crazy. You won’t find a PSP game out there with as much to do, as much possible playtime, and as much attitude as GTA: LCS. An instant classic.

Pros: GTA in your pocket — all the mayhem, attitude, and exciting gameplay that you expect from the series.

Cons: No infrastructure multiplayer, camera can be quirky at times.

My Rating: 94%

Weekly UMD Update

2006-01-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

Several movies were released in UMD format for the PSP this week. Among the new titles are:

+ Alien Vs. Predator
+ Austin Powers
+ Behind Enemy Lines
+ The Cave
+ The Day After Tomorrow
+ The Doors
+ Dumb And Dumber (Unrated)
+ Elektra+ Evil Dead 2
+ Fight Club
+ Friday
+ Garfield
+ Godsend
+ The Gospel
+ Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
+ Made
+ Rush Hour
+ Rush Hour 2
+ SNL: The Best Of Will Ferrell - Volume 2
+ Scarface
+ Speed
+ Wedding Crashers

Quake II on PSP!

2006-01-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

The classic first-person shooter Quake II is being ported to the PSP. Since older Quake games are available under a free software license, this port is legal — but it requires a homebrew-ready PSP. Controls for the game use both the on-board buttons and the buttons on the PSP’s remote. The first public version does not have a specific release date, only “some days later” than January 1.

Here are the main controls for the psp:

Watch this space for the release date and full download soon!

You can download the a psp formatted mp4 movie of Quake II running on PSP here!

Latest News

2006-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Here you will find the latest news from the psp world.

Latest Stories

UMD: Buy One get one free!
Deep Discount DVD has launched a buy... more

Download PSP movies at 29MP4
9HD Network has launched the... more

Can't find what your looking for? Visit Archive

UMD: Buy One get one free!

2006-01-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

Deep Discount DVD has launched a buy one, get one free sale on its inventory of UMD movies for the PSP. Prices range from $14.27 to $21.54. My reccomendations include:

- Ghostbusters
- Hellboy
- Once Upon A Time In Mexico
- Black Hawk Down
- Big Daddy
- Joe Dirt
- Resident Evil

Download PSP movies at 29MP4

2006-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

9HD Network has launched the 29MP4 Video Store, the first full-length feature film and video download store for the PSP. During the initial beta launch, over a dozen films are available at $2.99 each, with a ramp up to over 200 movies and videos planned by mid-2006. The 29MP4 Video Store allows users to browse and purchase MP4 PSP-formatted films and videos that are then downloaded and stored on either a PC or Mac for later transfer and playback on the PSP.

New blog alas

2006-01-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new psp only blog. I am going to get psp formatted movies on my site of dvd's, games, funny clips and other things...

Hope you like the new design.