Another shell program has made its way to the PlayStation Portable, courtesy of homebrew developer Trom_US. From the get go, many of you will surely recognize the interface this program uses, as well as the very appropriate name that it sports.
WinShell v5.03 includes several functions which is based on its Windows XP namesake. However, the developer mentioned that many of these features are still disable, but will eventually be implemented in future updates.
Speaking of which, the latest build of the app includes one such update. These update releases will function as add-ons containing the various features which have yet to be activated. Suffice to say, please make sure to install the main application into your PSP before transferring any of the files from the update.
For more information on how to install WinShell as well as its different features, you can visit the developer's thread on the QJ.NET PSP Development forum. If you have any questions regarding the homebrew app, please make sure to leave your feedback there.
To give you a better idea of how WinShell works, here's a video featuring the app in action:
Here's a fairly simple homebrew game from littlevish that reads your mind. The Magic Number is coded in LUA and basically tells you which number you are thinking of.
David Blaine magic much, eh? It sounds pretty interesting enough for me as I'm all for those mind tricks and whatnot. It may seem boring playing it by yourself, but you're sure to get an audience with kids. As littlevish notes, "little kikds seem to be particularly impressed by this trick."
Not hard to imagine why. If you even wanna go so far as tricking your nieces and nephews, or that kid you're babysitting, you can even bet with them that you can figure out what number they're thinking of. Yeah, that would be mean, but the look on their face when you get it right would sure be priceless, yes?
K nium has released his fifth homebrew for the PSP, Air Hockey PSP v1.0. There are five levels in all in this release, and he's added in AIs, if our understanding of the translation is correct.
Since Air Hockey is a game inherently meant to be enjoyed with somebody else, it's good that he's made it possible for two people to play on the same PSP. Also, since he's created this as an entry to the scenebeta homebrew contest, it certainly was considerate of him to put in English and Spanish versions, too.
Here's some product description for you folks:
A new game remove the old saved game before.
The saved game is make automatically at the time of the passage of new level.
there are 5 levels (Version 1.0).
the first persone who have 7 points win the game.
Instructions are in the readme, so be sure to check that out. Enjoy!
With the exception of two Mature-rating games, the selection for this week of July 6 to 12 is one of pure wholesomeness. But don't think just because there won't be as much blood spilling and guns ablazin' you guys won't have the same amount of fun.
You can play detective as the classic character, Nancy Drew in The Phantom of Venice, or play God creating your own nimble empire in Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. Code Lyoko on the PSP is also sure to give you a fill for that insatiable craving for adventure.
Still a tad too wholesome for you? Alright, alright. Have your dose of manly action with the PC release of Devil May Cry 4 on the PC, as well as... Unreal Tournament III - Heroism takes on two faces as you engage in battle against the Necris invasion both for the defense of humanity and for the revenge of the slaughter of your clan. Midway Entertainment ups the ante in this shooter title as it displays in full glory the power of their much-raved about Unreal Engine 3. With over two dozen weapons and vehicles upgradeable, as well as multiple game modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, all-new Warfare mode among others), there's certainly reason for you not to enjoy this blastfest.
Xbox 360 - July 7, 2008
ESRB Mature
US 59.99
Midway Entertainment
Beijing Olympics 2008 - Because God made the world; everything else was made in China. The Olympic torch will be landing in Beijing, China next month so what better way to anticipate its arrival than with a video game especially made in its honor?
Beijing Olympics 2008 is the official video game of this year's Olympic Games and it promises to give you that vibe of athletic excellence straight to your own living rooms via your own favored next-gen consoles. Take part in history as you compete in 35 events against other players online for that coveted gold and take that tour of the famed man-made wonder Beijing National Stadium (the "Bird Nest").
Carnival Games - With gas prices skyrocketing nowadays, it isn't actually surprising that people choose to stay home instead for a bout of fun. Well then Carnival Games from 2K Play just might help you out in that aspect as it brings in all the fun you can have in a carnival wherever you may be.
The games have been specifically built and designed from the ground up to maximally utilize the unique control mechanisms of the DS handheld. Alley Ball, Frog Leap and Dunk Tank are sure to get you pounding away at your touchscreens, while RC Raceway and Clown Hammer will definitely keep you busy at idle times. Cotton candy not included, though.
Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity - Did you ever wish for a day when you stumble upon a hidden world of adventure along with your friends? Beats any old school day, huh? Well Jeremy, Odd, Ulrich and Yumi seems to have gotten that wish, if ever they did ask for it.
Good thing is, you'll be coming along for a ride in this adventure/RPG, spaceshooting gameplay title, Code Lyoko. But it won't be a stroll in the park as you'll be up against evil forces. You won't be just tourists here as you have to guide the four ordinary students in doing something extraordinary by helping out "Aelita", the virtual humanoid creature in putting a stop to the rogue computer XANA's latest attack on their real world.
PSP - July 15, 2008
ESRB Everyone
US 29.99
American Game Factory
Devil May Cry 4 - Nero's completing his tour of gaming platforms with the release of Devil May Cry 4 on PC. There's a new combat system to look out for in the form of the Devil Bringer, as he comes to grips with his newfound power. Long-held personal truths will be challenged, and it is up to you to help Nero and Dante determine their fates as their paths collide.
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon - Wonder how it's like to lose your memory with every toll of the bell up at the clocktower? Sounds a tad too tragic, right? Now try imagining that in a whole town. Yup, that's the challenge Chocobo and Cid have to contend with as they try to retrieve everyone's memories through the dungeons that Rafaello made. Sure to make this action RPG more enjoyable and challenging are the unexpected twists and ever-changing dungeons to up that difficulty level a bit more. It's a different kind of treasure hunt, that's for sure.
Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice -The nosy teenage detective is definitely rising up the ranks early as she's already been asked for help by no less than the Italian Police. There's somebody threatening to steal Venice's priceless artifacts and she better uncover the identity of this wanna-be looter ASAP or else risk losing the heritage of Venice.
Being in a foreign land means doing things their way so Nancy must be adaptive enough to learn the language, familiarize herself with navigation (oh, the romantic gondolas!) and keeping that keen detective eye on the look out for the thief before he or she slips past Nancy's grasps.
PC - July 8, 2008
ESRB Everyone
US 19.99
Her Interactive
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution - Empire-building isn't all the rage now in this modern times, but that doesn't mean you can't experience it anyway. Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is precisely here to allow you to experience building world powers from scratch. 16 civilizations await your leadership to bring them to victory. Not to worry though, you have maps to guide you in strategically putting up your bases. There's also a multiplayer mode which will certainly raise the stakes as you compete with other players for world domination. Glory can be yours and all you need is just a good sense of strategy online.
Wonder World Amusement Park - If you're really into carnival games and Carnival Games on your DS just isn't enough, then you might as well check out this game from Majesco. Not only can you play a 3D world of games along with 30 different mini-games, you can also create and personalize your own avatars through your game winnings. No stuffed toys for you to lug around, just your badge of creativity splashed across your own avatar's forehead.
Stifpsp of Team Vortex has released a new skin for TetriAbetes, dragula96's homebrew version of Tetris. From what we can see, nothing was really changed in the program itself save for the skin, but if you want to give your game a new look you should give it a try.
This skin gives the game the face of Grand Theft Auto IV,Niko Bellic. You'd better keep those lines clear or else Niko's gonna drown in overflowing bricks! Well no, he just stays there, but that would actually be a cool mod to see.
In case you were wondering, the latest version of TetriAbetes is v1.43, and can be downloaded after this link.
Many have come to wonder if the PSP is a dying platform. After all, we haven't seen that many games this year (although we have seen some great ones like Patapon and God of War: Chains of Olympus), and we haven't heard of that many games announced to appear this year in E3. Even the homebrew scene isn't as noisy as it was before.
So is the PSP a dying platform? Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing, John Koller, begs to differ. I'm predisposed to agree with his sentiments. Koller says that PSP sales are still "red hot." In fact, sales have gone up 87 since the Slim's launch last September. If it's the line-up of games that you're worried about, though, don't worry, Koller also says that:
Our worldwide studio team is actively developing titles for that platform and we've been on a road show amongst every, major third-party publisher [...] and have been talking to them about really how to publish on the PSP, and the level of excitement is really palpable.
I think in talking to [third-party publishers], and seeing some of the gameplay and even talking about some of the franchises that they're going to bring over, it's a good time to be a PSP owner.
[...] Starting at the back half of this year and continuing into next year, we're going to see a very good lineup of quality franchise titles coming over to the PSP that are really unique. You're not going to see many ports anymore, and I think that's good.
We're going to see a lot more integration with PlayStation 3, particularly as the install base of the PS3 continues to grow [...] The integration that is going to occur there is part and parcel of the strategy that the console is the living room hub and really where your entertainment flows.
Then, your PSP is your digital living room on the go, and being able to access your PS3 in a wide variety of ways is really a key part of our overall branding strategy. That's going to be something that you're going to see expanded on in future firmware updates and other things.
Welcome to another episode of QJ.NET's PSP Weekend Warrior! This week sees quite a bit of action in the wake of Team M33's custom firmware release, with developers busily upgrading their homebrews to meet up to the CFW's specs. Methinks there was a consensus to get all the work in before Independence Day hit.
On the gaming side of matters, Square Enix's Dissidia: Final Fantasy updates with another progress report (courtesy of Tetsuya Nomura) even as the region readies for some updates from some other high-profile titles. Sony's also in the spotlight once again regarding a new handheld that's recently been approved by the U.S. patent office.
Keeping up with the Joneses: The race to update to CFW 4.01 M33
There's a general clamor within the development community to keep pace with Team M33's recently released custom firmware 4.01. This week in particular sees an influx of updates for some of our favorite homebrews, with a general sentiment to optimize compatibility with the new release from Team M33.
So, what's next for Dark AleX in light of his recent custom firmware release? Another project he has in the works is a handy plugin that lets gamers create savestates for some of their favorite titles. It's still highly experimental, but very promising.
Got an itch to play your favorite tunes? Not to worry - this week sees the release of a new build for caliabor's MP3 ME Player, which features a decidedly old-school DOS/ANSI backdrop. Sakya's own LightMP3 player also gets an upgrade and now features multi-language support. Both apps are just the thing for audiophiles trying to get the most mileage out of their PSP's battery.
You don't need a big budget to create big games for the PSP. Such is the point being made by charnold's release for a new PSP Dungeon: Assault Run build. This 3D FPS carries some new improvements that should ensure smoother and faster gun battles. If you're more into old-school blasting, there's also Zack's Wolfenstein 3D port for both the Slim and Phat.
For PSP Slim owners, one particularly interesting homebrew to look out for is FuSa. This application enables the Slim to hook up to your TV using using any kind of video cable - be it composite, component, svideo, or d-terminal. While a new build isn't out just yet, developer And_MaN did release details on the new SpeeDBoosteR that's expected go along with the next FuSa release.
Purely awesome or possibly misleading. Fellow blogger Victor B. couldn't have phrased it better regarding the of possibility of Devil May Cry arriving on the PSP. So will Capcom indeed be challenging the likes of Kratos and Zack with some of Dante's trademark style? We hope so, if only to hear more of the dude's crazy one-liners. Yea to bullet mattresses!
Not that Dante's the only one that's grabbed the spotlight. While Sega's Phantasy Star Portable is all set to launch by July 31, a demo is going to be released in the weeks before that. Capcom gives Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G some DLC loving for this week in the form of new challenges. ARC System's Guilty Gear XX Accent Core finally gets a launch date too, and guess what, it's within this month!
Sony has recently been granted a patent for a new mystery touchscreen handheld. What's this new gadget exactly? We're not sure, but persistent rumors from months past indicate that it may have something to do with a PSP-style phone that's been the topic of many a discussion.
In more official news, IT security firm Sophos recently announced that the pages for SingStar and God of War on Sony's official PlayStation site have been the subject of a hacking incident. Consider this a reminder of how important it is to keep your anti-virus software constantly updated.
We're pretty interested in Sony's recent patent filing. It can mean anything at this point of course, though the notion of seeing a new PSP with real cellphone capabilities is a pretty cool idea. The touch pad, on the other hand, sounds pretty dicey. If experience with iPhone emulators tell us anything, it's that Sony may want to keep to the traditional controls if they're serious about the handheld being a gaming platform.
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