Deniska`s Site Overhaul

October 1st, 2006, 01:42 Posted By: wraggster

Deniska the winner of the first 30 Day Coding Competition and the Neoflash 2006 Apps contest has had a hosted site on DCEmu for a long while now and tonight i have sorted out a seperate News and discussion forum for his ports.

What this means is that from now on all his PSP releases will show up as News on PSP News, which is great all round.

The links to all his releases are fixed too.

Check out all of Deniska`s releases at his site here --> http://deniska.dcemu.co.uk/

Birdman's Font pack V10

October 1st, 2006, 03:53 Posted By: Birdman2078



This time around i dont know if i would even call this a font pack, but a font all-in-one pack. This pack now has everything you need for all of your font needs.

Features:
177 fonts
Registries for 2.0-2.8
X-flash for 1.5
Fonthacker program for 2.0-2.8
Devhook instructions
Ways to fix your own registries so you dont lost any settings.

With these additions this is an all on one pack.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Dragonminded Quits the Scene

October 1st, 2006, 11:07 Posted By: wraggster

Whenever a coder leaves any scene its sad, in this case hes the coder of the rather excellent DSOrganize, obviously theres events beyond this site thats affected his decision:

**** the Scene

I'm flat out tired of this bullshit. There is nothing but rot left in the DS scene. From SC splitting the scene to card makers not releasing drivers and everything inbetween, it is just ****ing ROTTEN. I quit. Good ****ing riddance. I hope you are happy. If you want to complain about this, go see the people in #dsdev and #mellowdsdev on efnet

Classic Nes Wii Controller

October 1st, 2006, 11:12 Posted By: wraggster

Seems that theres gonna be a Nes Wii controller, excellent for gettting the perfect feeling whilst playing NES games via the Virtual Console.

Screen Via Comments

Wii Storage Bags

October 1st, 2006, 11:16 Posted By: wraggster

Some Official Nintendo Wii accessories have been unveiled - The smaller bag is the game and accessory case which holds up to 8 games at a price of £14.99. Then theres the Wii console carry bag which holds the Console and a ton more priced £29.99

Screens Via Comments

One friend codes per Console on the Wii!

October 1st, 2006, 11:18 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo Europe confirmed that only one friend code per console and not per person using the Wii:

Update: Since posting it has come to my attention that you will only get one friend code per Wii and not a friend code per account on the Wii.

"If we chose to, we could allow each family member to have their own account. But that just isn't what Wii is about. To give a very straightforward example, we're aiming at a console for everyone to use, but if we allowed everyone to have their own account, you would need to enter a password to use the console. To switch on Wii and be presented with a screen asking for your user name and password...well for me, that would have been unacceptable. In discussions, pretty much everyone agreed on this point"

News from The Chuckster

October 1st, 2006, 11:24 Posted By: wraggster

Heres what the author of Stella and Doom for the DS posted at his site:

My graphics card has been overheating. I moved some of the PCI cards away from it and took canned air upon it, but the damage has already been done. So that puts an end to my programming for a while because anything graphically intensive (even X Windows) causes it to lock up. I would greatly appreciate help in this way. If you have any extra cards laying around or happen to work for NVidia or ATI and can spare me a card, your help will not go unnoticed, so drop me a line using the Contact link to the left.

I've made some contributions in my spare time to the DS homebrew community, and a lot of people use and appreciate such projects as StellaDS and DS Doom, which I have made free of charge for everyone to enjoy. I've also helped as much people who have had technical problems with my software as I've had time to. Not to mention, I have shared the source code to three of my projects, making my intellectual property available to any budding programmers to look at. Hopefully, the right eyes are reading this (and a lot do .

I also snuck in some time to make a short page for DS Doom that has a few extra DS Doom related stuff (stats, Carmack quote, movie) and points to the actual DS Doom site.

Kraln.com Speaks Out

October 1st, 2006, 11:27 Posted By: wraggster

More DS Scene drama seems to be the topic today, always interesting to watch from a distance but not if your in the middle of it, heres whats said at Kraln.com:

So, there’s this person who is spamming various crud about a ds developer on IRC. The spammer seems to think that somehow, this developer has ‘fragmented’ the ds development community, and pushed many talented people away.

I think whomever this spammer is, needs to realize a few things.

IRC is not where a community lives and dies, especially something like DS homebrew. There are forums, wiki’s, mailing lists etcetera which don’t have anything to deal with irc drama.
Spamming a room of legitimate developers is supposed to accomplish what, again?

Anyway, I’ve pasted a screenshot from this demo that the spammer has been posting. Real mature. Probably some underage nerd from the netherlands or something doing all this.

Comic Book DS

October 1st, 2006, 11:30 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Paco_777

Hello,
Here is My first DS project : "Comic Book DS".
It's a comic book viewer.

You can already download a sample of a comic book "La Vie de Norman"
A fully fonctionnal V1 should be soon available, allowing everyone to convert their comic books.

More information and download here :
http://gnese.free.fr/NDS/ComicBookDS/

hope you'll like it !

Ps2IRC v0.8 released

October 1st, 2006, 11:45 Posted By: wraggster

ubergeek42 has released a new version of PS2IRC, heres the release details:

v0.8 released
Added colors, and made it display some status changes that it didn't display in earlier versions(kicks/title changes/maybe some others...)

the main feature is the colors for each name, makes it easier to read stuff from the sea of white that is usually there.

I plan on making all the colors customiziable, except for name colors, because they are automatically generated based on the persons name.

im sure some of the colors will end up being really lame, so if you don't like it go to a previous version(aka v7). i plan on adding an global options menu to control the colors, as well as whether or not to show the onscreen keyboard(waste of space if you are using a usb keyboard), and maybe some other things.

ill try and get some new screenshots up showing this color stuff in a little while.

Pair of new Ace Combat trailers

October 1st, 2006, 11:51 Posted By: wraggster

Via PSPfanboy

Ace Combat fans will be excited by the new (highly promotional) preview of the upcoming PSP-exclusive Ace Combat X on IGN. They reveal some of the features, such as the Medal System, Color Variation and Free Mission. The mini games listed include Touch and Go, Mid-Air Refueling Practice and Carrier Touch & Go. While it doesn't sound too exciting to me, I'm sure those of you that were fascinated by planes will be absolutely enthralled.

If you don't really feel like reading about these features, IGN has also posted two new trailers of the game in motion. Graphically, it looks impressive, but it seems like that's a given for most PSP games these days. The game comes out in October.

Super Mini putt - UPDATED RELEASE

October 1st, 2006, 11:56 Posted By: wraggster

PspFanatic has released a new Lua Golf game for the PSP. heres the details:

*UPDATE*
Ok now if you've seen my first release of this homebrew than you obviouslly know that the gfx were horrible. Not anymore. with some help from ikarius the gfx are looking pretty good. I also edit the bg color while playing and I made the hole and ball round instead of square. I also got the ball to move smoother and a bit quicker when you hit it.

Okay this is my VERY first attempt at coding. Its a mini putt game with 8 holes. Its not amazing but it took me a week just to make it so be nice!

Heres the controls
Analog stick- Moves the direction you want the ball to go
X- Hits the ball
Start- Exits game

PSPTex 1.04

October 1st, 2006, 12:01 Posted By: wraggster

New release from hitchhikr

PSPTex is a save plugin for GIMP 2.2.x & 2.3.x allowing to create textures for the PlayStation Portable.

It can save raw RGBA (5650, 5551, 4444 or 8888) & indexed (T4, T8) textures (with 5650, 5551, 4444 or 8888 palette modes support) as well as DXTC (DXT1, DXT3, DXT5) compresssed ones, it supports the PSP textures swizzle mode and can generate mipmaps, it also have a color key feature to handle transparency and can convert grayscale pictures into alpha channel only textures.

v1.04:
- Fixed DXT1 compression and DXT3 fetching issues.
- Added an option to save pictures datas and palettes as source codes.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

PS1P WIP News Update - DCEMU Exclusive - PSOne Emu for PSP Coming Soon

October 1st, 2006, 12:06 Posted By: wraggster

Yesterday i recieved a new update to the progression of the unreleased PS1 Emulator for the PSP called PS1P, heres the news from the Anonymous Coder:

- Fullscreen. Looks just beautiful I cut a small slice at the top & bottom of the PS1 screen to reduce the distortion. Most games look perfectly fine since a real TV would also cut parts of the display.
- Several speed optimizations--should be noticeably faster.
- More compatibility--I can get past the car in FF8 now

Note that the GPU is still in software and there's no dynarec yet either.

No release date is know as of yet but you never know when a release will happen, as before DCEmu is the only place to get this news so if you see some faker posting that its gonna be released at such a time youll know its a lie.

Anyway i got a new beta to test

CWCHEAT For Mac OS X v0.3.3

October 1st, 2006, 19:45 Posted By: splodger15

This is what Henry had to say:

I’ve got a new update for CWCheat! Here’s what’s new:

• Removed the ‘update cheat.db’ button from the Tools tab. CWCheat
will automatically update the database upon loading an older one.
• Added a new ‘Update cheat.db’ button. This one connects to the
CWCheat Server and retrieves the latest cheat.db file straight from
the source.
• Added menu items.

And coming soon in v0.4:

• Universal Binary release
• Replace the Tools tab with a Submit tab, allowing you to directly
submit cheats to the main cwcheat server.
• Add a preferences window, for things like auto-sorting, auto-
loading, auto updating, etc.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Wiimote retail box unveiled

October 1st, 2006, 20:13 Posted By: wraggster

Well it looks like the Wiimote retail box has been unveiled by who knows how on Flickr via a NeoGAF forum post. We realize it's just an accessory box but are trying to stay consistent with every single unveiling of such an elusive console. If a single Wii is dropped from a shipping pallet come November, rest assured we'll cover it here.

Screenshot Via Comments

Metareview - Cooking Mama (DS)

October 1st, 2006, 20:16 Posted By: wraggster

Via Joystiq

We lost track of Cooking Mama, assuming it would never wash up on shores outside of Japan. We were surprised when it popped up in a recent release list and picked up a copy right away. This quirky cooking simulator features Japanese-heavy dishes, with a lot of deep-frying and uncommon oceanic ingredients. Reviewers have been giving it points for originality, but docking it for longevity:

Yahoo! Games (70/100) - "So while there isn't all that much on the menu, the fast-paced and simple gameplay can't fail to raise a smile, at least for the first few plays. Most will set it aside after that, but it's priced at a decidedly value-conscious $20 -- less than the cost of a good steak."

GameSpot (69/100) - "You might glean a bit of info on what goes into some of these dishes, but this isn't a virtual cookbook. There are no precise recipes to be accessed anywhere in the game. There's also no multiplayer component of any kind, though the advertised four-player wireless icon on the back of the box might lead you to believe otherwise."

IGN (70/100) - "The big question: is any of this fun? Though the entirety of this game is simply doing what you're told as quickly as possible, it's actually an amusing game if you're not expecting much out of it."
Give Cooking Mama a shot, especially if interested in the culture of Japanese food. We don't think it would hold up without the menu of shumai wontons, octopus dumplings, and other unique treats.

iBoy v0.7.5 Pal Test

October 1st, 2006, 20:23 Posted By: wraggster

An update to the Gameboy Emulator for the Ipod with a Pal Test Release:

More info -> http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=144523

NDS: Lego Star Wars 2 Review

October 1st, 2006, 20:26 Posted By: wraggster

WhiteX from Emulation 64 has posted a review of Lego Star Wars 2 for the Nintendo DS:

Heres an excerpt:

Lego Star Wars remounts the Star Wars movies entirely with very funny Lego parts, last year´s Lego Star Wars appeared on Home consoles, GBA and PC platforms with solid graphics and larger than life characterizations, now, the plastic dudes are back for one more round with the first three movies and a rather troublesome DS version.

Presentation/graphics 7

The presentation is very good, there´s a hub zone located on the Tatooine cantina where you can see the little guys doing a lot of funny things, all graphics look polished and both friends and foes are very well drawn on their Lego doll counterparts, the game is full 3D with little to be ashamed of it´s big brothers, aside from the bugs.

Yes, this version shows a lot of unnecessary bugs, mostly graphical, and it is quite hard to overlook them, I mean, you have it all, dissapearing characters, missing scenarios, "ghost walls", garbled graphics, you name it, if it is a graphic bug, it is there.

Music/sound effects 7

All the cool Star Wars songs are here but not with their origina renditions but "video game-ized" versions, not the worst thing in the world but it could have been much cooler, the sound effects are the original ones, so a lightsaber looks and sounds like a lightsaber.

Gameplay 7

it is quite the same of last year´s, you go around beating the empire trooper by trooper using the good guys of the Star Wars universe packed in groups with each having unique features that prove themselves useful on different areas of various stages located around the three movies, you solve some simple puzzles using the force of Jedi characters to make way for a blaster wielding person to use a towing cable to lift themselves up to a control that makes a platform for your Jedi double jump on it, i guess you already got the idea.

Oh! there are ship controlling segments too and they are not the best thing in the world, the ships control is jerky, not very intuitive and the stages are very uninspired with a feeling that you don´t really know what to do, that feeling by the way permeates the "on foot" segments as well.

OMG PS3 Kiosks Rock

October 1st, 2006, 20:44 Posted By: wraggster

Take a looky at the screenshot of the PS3 Kiosk. its massive.

Screenshot Via Comments

Time may be right for new Nintendo console

October 1st, 2006, 20:52 Posted By: wraggster

Via MSNBC

Over the years, the industry has shown a knack for granting no more than two consoles a fighting chance at any given time. Atari and Intellivision were doing fine in the early 1980s until ColecoVision crashed the party. Then you had Nintendo and Sega own the next few console generations, easily vanquishing systems like 3DO and Atari's Jaguar.

The elasticity of that theory was stretched when Microsoft rolled out its Xbox in 2001. At that point, Sony owned the market with its PlayStation and had introduced the PlayStation 2 a year earlier. Nintendo was the distant silver medallist in the process of upgrading its gamers to the GameCube platform.

Microsoft's introduction came at Nintendo's expense as Sony was able to own two-thirds of the global market. However, with Microsoft and Nintendo running neck and neck domestically, the industry was able to absorb all three players as legitimate standards. Game publishers were left with little choice but to service all three systems, even though both Microsoft and Nintendo made sure that they had their own proprietary "must have" franchises to keep their owners loyal.

Four years ago, I suggested that Nintendo drop out of the console race and stick to its handheld and software strongholds. I don't see it that way anymore. In fact, even though Nintendo is taking some pretty risky chances in launching a revolutionary system, I think the climate couldn't be better for Nintendo.

However, before digging into the prospects of Nintendo, it's important to explore why the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are vulnerable.

I'm one unhappy camper when it comes to my Xbox 360. I had to ship it out to McAllen, Texas, two weeks ago when I got the dreaded "three red flashing lights" hardware failure error.

It's a common flaw. Microsoft even has an entire page devoted to it, and it's also one of the prompts on its customer service line. I've owned just about every major console since I was old enough to earn an allowance, and this is the first one that went bonkers on me within the first year of ownership. Thanks to what I see as a pretty skimpy warranty -- and my boneheaded ways for not looking into an extended warranty -- I'm out $139 plus shipping. I still don't know if I'll be getting my original unlucky machine back or some other refurbished reject, but at this point, my faith in Microsoft is about as buggy as my 360.

Naturally, I reserve the right to change my mind once Halo 3 hits stores next year. Until then, I'll just gripe about seeing red (literally) and feeling gypped after overpaying for software titles that don't offer a whole lot more than their sixth-generation versions.

Then we have the PS3. The company has teased gamers with product delays. Now, a problem with its Blu-ray drive finds the company nearly halving the number of units it expects to have on the market in time for this year's holiday selling season. The price tag -- at $499 to $599 -- is also steep given the limited resources of younger gamers.

More Info

Super Card Rumble Screens

October 1st, 2006, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster

3 Screenshots of the Supercard Rumble Flash cart have been released and yes it a flash cart that has the rumble feature:

Does Rumble interest you ?

Screens Via Comments

Amuz DS 01/10/2006 Release

October 1st, 2006, 21:07 Posted By: wraggster

franck569 has updated his homebrew game for the DS:

Heres what he posted:

Hello,

The game is now really playable, one bug persist but its playable. 4 level are added ( add more is really simple and quick, i will do it more later, after fix the bug ) the score and combo are added
new graphics, more simple but generate by the game, dont store in the rom

If you loose, you return to the level 1, if you finish the 4 level, you return to the first but without loose you score. I will add a system for upload your score, and check the score of other player.

( i have cheat for the screen of level 2, so the score is not really ok )

todo list :

- one bug to fix

- score upload system

Dsftp 2.21 Updated

October 1st, 2006, 21:12 Posted By: wraggster

bjoerngiesler has updated his FTP app for the DS, heres whats new:

Changes:
Fixed Wifi allocation bug. Do not use 2.2 anymore! Use this instead!

Stupid bug fixed that broke GBAMP support
Booting now verified on SuperCard and GBAMP
CDUP support
More bugfixes

DSCrawl v1.0 by Sasq

October 1st, 2006, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster

Sasq has released the first non beta of his homebrew game for the DS, heres the release info:

This is port of Linley's Dungeon Crawl to Nintendo DS. Dungeon Crawl is a rogue-like (similar to Nethack, Angband etc). It has close to 400 monster types and over 200 spells.

This is not just a straight port. Some effort has been made to make this port playable on a portable console - formatting the output into windows, designing an input system with shortcuts that is quick to use etc. I have personally played it many hours and I think the controls are pretty comfortable.

3D Shmup v0.0.2

October 1st, 2006, 21:27 Posted By: wraggster

Darkmath has updated his 3D space shooter for the Nintendo DS, looks like hes added new backgrounds too.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Demineur Updated

October 1st, 2006, 21:48 Posted By: wraggster

Beda has released a new version of a rather nice looking puzzle game? for the Nintendo DS:

Screens, Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Gmenu2x V0.7 Released

October 1st, 2006, 22:04 Posted By: wraggster

Ryo posted a new release of his Replacement Menu for the GP2X, heres whats new:

GMenu2X always returns to last section/game/selector used (until shutdown)
New params magic value: [selFullPath] which equals [selPath][selFile][selExt]
Params magic values ([selFile] & Co.) are now automatically escaped, so quotes are not needed (and may cause problems)
Added support for an optional alias file for the selector that display the full name of roms.
Fixed bug with links with special characters.
Removed some unneeded savings.
Number of rows and columns on the links page configurable.
Various little fixes and tweaks

Gemdrop2x

October 1st, 2006, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Techfreak:

Gemdrop2x is a quick port of Gemdropx 0.9 by Bill Kendrick.
It's not the greatest game of it's kind but it's special for me because it's my first port for GP2X.

Thanks to GnoStiC for his continuous support and all other guys from gp2xtr.com and gp32x.com boards for their interests on GP2X.

Your aim is to put three or more gems from same kind in a row and remove them.
If the gems reach to the bottom of the screen, game will be over.

Please refer to "Read Me" file for controls and game play info.

PSP Obsession

October 1st, 2006, 22:26 Posted By: wraggster

DreaDNoughT has posted a game that he did but never released, one where you run around and dodge the PSPs .

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

BUG v1.0

October 1st, 2006, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster

Psp-maniac has posted a new game for the PSP, heres the info:

BUG v1.0 readme
this game was created by PSP-Maniac (me) and was just a demo game for using founctions but im gonna release it anyway i dont think ill update it but you never now.
[controls]
down : push hand down.
right : move hand right.
left : move hand left.
select : restart.
start : exit
objective : crush the bug hahahahahaha.

Wraggys GP2X Wishlist

October 1st, 2006, 22:47 Posted By: wraggster

I dont know about you but i would dearly love to see a future revision of the GP2X to feature a Touch Screen and also a rechargeble internal battery.

Do you agree or disagree or have your own views on whats needed, let us know via Comments

Which DS Accessories Do You wish for Mostly ?

October 1st, 2006, 22:58 Posted By: wraggster

IM sure like all DS fans we want more accessories for our DS or DS Lite, personally id like to see a TV Hook up which may come with the Wii ? who knows.

But what would be the killer accessory for you ?

The rebirth of Gamecube Homebrew

October 1st, 2006, 23:00 Posted By: wraggster

For what is a powerful console, the Gamecube has a severely lacking homebrew and emulation scene, what can we do and the homebrew community as a whole to make it better and entice new developers to join the Gamecube scene ?

Answers Via Comments

1Seg digital TV tuner on SD - Can this be utilised for GP2X ?

October 2nd, 2006, 09:40 Posted By: wraggster

Via akihabaranews

Zentek announced they should start selling in 2007 a 1Seg digital TV tuner on a SD card, for PC and PDA. This SD card (measuring 24x55x2.1mm) will support Windows XP, Windows CE, and Linux.

Screen Via Comments

Makes you wonder if this could somehow be made to work on GP2X ?

Zune vs. iPod

October 2nd, 2006, 09:43 Posted By: wraggster

We're kind of surprised it took this long to get the two of 'em side by side, but here they are. The Zune is, of course larger, but it's kinda weird how much more exaggerated those size differences are when you're really eyeing the extremely-curved corners of the iPod. Ok, we're done, go ahead, get it all out.

Screens Via Comments

Download: Riviera PSP movie

October 2nd, 2006, 09:47 Posted By: wraggster

Via Insert Credit:

Sting has put up a promotional video for their third iteration of Riviera: The Promised Land. It's on amazon, and the direct link is here. It lets you see the resized graphics and nicer portraits - and to be honest the battle effects do look nicer. But it also shows you the pitiful voice acting, and reminds you it's just the same game as before. Personally I think Sting's time would be better spent on something new...the GBA remake made sense, as not many people played the WSC version, but I think a PSP remake is overkill. I guess the GBA version did sell out quickly though... regardless, the official site is here.

The PS3’s worst enemy

October 2nd, 2006, 09:54 Posted By: wraggster

Via the software pirate

Sony’s had a lot of problems stirring up excitement with the PS3. Manufacturing problems, launch shortages, high prices, lackluster launch titles (Metal Gear Solid 4 isn’t worthy a $660 investment) are just a few of the issues that have made gamers pretty nervous about getting Sony’s Grey Goose of a console. Fundamentally, none of these are the biggest problems the PS3 has to face. The PS3’s biggest problem hit me earlier today, when I was playing on my PS2.

The Playstation 3’s biggest problem is the Playstation 2.

Look at the release lineup for the PS2. Final Fantasy 12, God of War 2, Godhand, Phantasy Star Universe, and so on. Just this month we got the must-have Okami and the obscure-but-great Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. These games are fun, they look beautiful, and they are adding more and more life to Sony’s battered workhorse of a platform. They might not look quite as good as Xbox 360 or upcoming PS3 titles, but they’re good enough to make the average gamer consider keeping their old system around for a few more months.

Sony hasn’t yet made a convincing argument that the PS3 is a worthy replacement to the PS2 yet. Yes, it can output to 1080p. Yes, it will have better online and storage abilities. But these are all features Sony has told us, not shown us.

Nintendo demonstrated just how the Virtual Console is going to work, what titles will be available, and what it’s going to cost us. We know we’re going to see some great classics on top of the various ports and exclusives in the Wii’s release lineup. Beyond that, we’ve seen the Wiimote in action, and though it could use some tightening up, there’s a whole lot of potential there. Sure, there’s still the Gamecube, but the Gamecube’s lineup is already dwindling, and it looks like Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario will be the last big names to hit the system.

Microsoft gave Xbox 360 XBLA, a great reason for fanboys to keep their systems on without a bunch of release titles. When Oblivion’s feeling tired, owners can tap into Street Fighter II, Geometry Wars, and loads of other classic and remix games through Live Arcade. The original Xbox did have Live, but the 360 added countless features and an interface that’s exponentially better than the original. The Xbox is still seeing its share of games coming out, but the 360 has already proven itself with a nice selection of exclusives and the unexpected greatness of XBLA.

The Playstation 3 has a lot of promises, Sony hasn’t actually shown us many of them. We know the technical merits. Metal Gear Solid 4 looks great, Assassin’s Creed looks great, White Knight looks freaking amazing. But beyond that… what does the system have to offer? Technically it should be at the top of the heap. Fastest, most graphical bells and whistles, HDMI output, 1080p support, all of those nifty features. But beyond that what do the system have? Sony hastily added a lot of “features” like the SIXAXIS tilt controller and some form of XBLA/VC downloadable game support, but we haven’t really seen them in action. Microsoft has proven the Xbox 360 to be a worthy successor to the Xbox. Nintendo has actually shown us what the Wii is capable of doing. Sony hasn’t done much more but promise technical superiority and demonstrate that the PS3 dwarfs Ken Kutaragi’s head.

Besides pretty graphics, the PS3 doesn’t look like it’s going to be that much better than the PS2. In the long run it might, but for now all Sony is offering is a bunch of lofty promises and a release list for the Playstation 2 will probably have more than one frugal gamer waiting a few months for a PS3 price drop and a few better titles. Unless they have a top-of-the-line high-def TV that can take HDMI and show 1080p, the PS3’s most impressive graphics abilities will probably be lost on most. Without an amazing and obscenely expensive display to go with the obscenely expensive console, the PS3 will be little more than a PS2 with Xbox 360 graphics.

Okami and Valkyrie Profile are out now. God of War 2, Godhand, Final Fantasy 12, and lots of other tasty titles are in the pipe. It’s still a good time to be a PS2 owner, and that makes it a bad time to sell the PS3.

Snake2x v1.1

October 2nd, 2006, 10:02 Posted By: wraggster

Schan has released a very fast paced Snake Game for the Gp2x.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

EXI Shoot v1.0

October 2nd, 2006, 10:05 Posted By: wraggster

***Emul has released what looks to be a rather nice looking Space Invadors Clone for the GP2X.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

The GPS games: more details revealed

October 2nd, 2006, 10:12 Posted By: wraggster

News from PSPFanboy

The upcoming camera and GPS peripherals have been getting a lot of attention, most notably because they have the ability to extend the PSP's already impressive capability set, and interface with games in new, original ways. One of the more creative examples we mentioned earlier was Hot Shot Golf's communication with GPS that transforms the game into a personal golf assistant when you're actually on one of Japan's golf courses. According to IT Media, this can become the "golf tool of the new age." This will certainly bring in a very unique audience to the world of gaming: golfers, who might pick up a PSP just to get all the golf data they could ever want. (But we wonder, how many people will actually use this functionality? And: will it work on US golf courses?)

Of course, Hot Shots Golf isn't the only game using PSP's GPS feature. Read on to see how other software is taking advantage of the device.

The PSP's widescreen is noted as a significant advantage for GPS users: you can simply see more of the map at once. The automatic route guidance (featured in many modern cars) will tell you how to get to a location, and can be used both in the car, and when walking on foot.

Homestar allows you to use the GPS system to see the stars up in the night sky. I don't really understand this screen from the software, but I'm sure fans of constellations and star-gazing will be able to decipher some sort of meaningful data out of this. Once again, it appears the PSP is being used to attract non-gamers to get the system.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops allows you to randomly generate new characters based on the wi-fi points you access during multiplayer play. However, it appears that there may be more functionality added for GPS users. It appears that you'll be sent on a treasure hunt, which tracks your location via GPS. (Of course, someone proficient in Japanese can try to translate and find more info!) I'm glad that MGS is using the GPS feature, but so far, it appears very, very gimmicky (but Kojima does love using gimmicks).

PSP Insider Issue 1

October 2nd, 2006, 10:17 Posted By: wraggster

PSP Insider have released a new mag for the PSP, heres the details:

Some of you have had a few hints dropped about us working on a magazine, and we have finally finished Issue 1!

We have been working on it for quite a while to make sure we can get it as good as we can, and trying to make it look as good as possible, so we are proud to present the first issue!

We do not just cover the subject of PSP, we also produce articles on the lastest consoles, such as the upcoming Nintendo Wii, in the hope to make it appeal a bit to everyone.

To download it it, go to the link below, and drag the folder into the PSP/PHOTO folder on your PSP.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8U4R7UYK

PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor Videos

October 2nd, 2006, 10:26 Posted By: wraggster

I broke the news last week about the PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor and it really caught on, so much that everyone followed my lead, well now theres 2 videos on Youtube of the device in action supposedly.

Heres the links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK5ifRCUEKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNE8KXAO-go

Heres More info about it just in case you missed my first article.



Product Features of SONY PSP PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor

This product is special manufacture and mainly use with PSP console.
Support any kinds of SD/MINI SD/MMC memory stick.
Double extend your PSP console memory capacity.
Compatible with 2-pieces of SD/MINI SD/MMC/Memory stick and convert use in PSP.
Easy set up and use.



More Description of SONY PSP PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor

PSP Memory Expansion Adapter lets your SD/mini SD and MMC card connect to PSP and you can use them for save-data such as photos

THe Memory Converter retails for USD 16.77 and can be brought from SuccessHK.

Im gonna try and review one asap

The Complete Guide to Whats Needed for Homebrew on Each Console

October 2nd, 2006, 14:33 Posted By: wraggster

Whilst on my sickbed (damn cold) i thought about whats needed for homebrew on each console from a newcomer/newbie point of view, basically only the minimal amount needed to run homebrew on all the consoles we cover with links to related sites and the products needed.

Check out our The Complete Guide to Whats Needed for Homebrew on Each Console.

PSPaperboy V1.0 alpha

October 2nd, 2006, 14:41 Posted By: lamo_PSP_king

ive released this game early to see what the general reaction is from everyone as to whether its worth continuing or not. its took me two days to make and is my first ever attempt at making an lua game so plz keep that in mind. its no were near finished as im working by myself on this. if i make a new version then im hoping to include
1. five new levels
2. dogs, go karts ai and collisions
3. better animations
4. more sound and
5. overall better gameplay with gamesave

hope you enjoy it

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Updating Download section (cfiles)

October 2nd, 2006, 16:23 Posted By: Darksaviour69

I currently updateing to a newer version of cfiles for the Download section. I was hoping it would go smoothly, but I having a few problems ( images and login is not working). Also the its set back to the default layout ( don't worry i have the old version backup) but most importantly you can still download in its current form.

Please bear with me till i get it sorted.

Sonic Rivals (PSP) Shots

October 2nd, 2006, 17:17 Posted By: wraggster

Just released to the press have been 7 bits of character card artwork for the upcoming PSP game.

Screens Via Comments

Montana leaves its tag in Sony's award-winning B-Boy

October 2nd, 2006, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster

Hive, the wholly owned strategic communications subsidiary of leading independent in-game advertising specialist IGA Worldwide, has developed a product placement campaign for Montana, the spray can of choice for graffiti artists, in Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s hotly tipped breakdancing release B-Boy.

Available on PlayStation2 and PSP, B-Boy has been developed by FreeStyleGames, one of the UK’s leading independent studios, and has already picked up major accolades at this year’s E3 show including ‘Best Music Game’ (PSP and PS2) and ‘Most Innovative Game’ (PSP).

The game has been created in collaboration with DJ Hooch and international hip-hop legend ‘Crazy Legs’ from the Rock Steady Crew, who also features as in-game host.

With the success of the game riding on its authenticity, Hive worked closely with Montana to ensure that the brand’s product and values were incorporated sympathetically into the game environment.

“B-Boy represented a great opportunity for us to reach our target audience via an innovative advertising platform,” said Ruedi Glatz, CEO at Montana. “In this instance not only are there obvious synergies between our brand and the game but we felt that the method itself speaks volumes about our values – by using in-game advertising now we’re reinforcing our brand as innovative, forward-thinking and challenging mainstream thinking.”

In real life the spray paint specialist sponsors a graffiti team of five internationally renowned artists, known as the MONTANA WRITER TEAM. Original artwork by Montana’s team has been included in the game environment to further enhance its authenticity. The spray cans appear throughout the game helping to recreate a realistic hip-hop environment.

“This is a great example of a best practice in-game advertising campaign - Montana's spray cans are incorporated seamlessly into the game – and testament to Hive's experience and in-depth understanding of the gaming world," said Chris Lee, commercial director at FreeStyleGames. “Not only do well-executed product placement campaigns such as this one help the advertiser to reach an increasingly fragmented audience, they enhance the gamer's experience through a genuine and authentic representation of real world brands.”

“Working with both the games developer and the advertiser, we’re the guardians not only of the brands we represent but perhaps more importantly the gamer’s experience,” said Rachel Normal, MD at Hive. “It is critical that prospective players from the hip-hop community view the game as a sympathetic representation of their world, otherwise people simply won’t play. We’ve really enjoyed getting under the skin of B-boy culture to develop this campaign to ensure that the visuals enhance rather than disrupt the game play.”

B-Boy is due to be launched on October 6, 2006 on PlayStation2 and PSP.

[PSP]Touch Screen in PSP's Future?

October 2nd, 2006, 18:47 Posted By: F9zDark

With the DS and its hugely successful touch screen, it seems only obvious that Sony may want to jump on this bandwagon. Er did I say Sony? Let me start over:

With the DS and its hugely successful touch screen, it seems only obvious that the homebrew/hacking community would bring a product to light that may be able to do just that.

While perusing the website for 0x89 found here @ http://0x89.org it came to my attention of a news update from harleyg.

Apparently harleyg and his team are working on a prototype touch screen for the PSP, which as the concept images indicate, is USB and mounts to the top of the PSP via the two screw holes on the sides of the USB port.

This brings forth many questions, most notably, how will this unit work? It seems obvious to me that the unit will work with 0x89, but mind you, details are sketchy at the moment.

Check out the news and concepts for yourself @ http://0x89.org/index2.php

Update

There was a FAQ released on the 0x89 forums about the PSP Touch Screen, it can be found here:

http://0x89.org/forum/index.php?topic=17.0

New report supports use of games in classroom

October 2nd, 2006, 19:58 Posted By: wraggster

Via Gamesindustry

A new report conducted by research firm Futurelab and supported by Electronic Arts suggests that commercial computer games could act as effective learning tools in the classroom.

The report, which is titled Teaching With Games, argues that games can be used to motivate and engage students, and to improve computer skills, strategic thinking and problem solving.

However, the report also highlights technical obstacles which prevent teachers from using games in their lessons - suggesting that new approaches are needed when it comes to licensing and copy protection so that games can be run on school networks.

"We have long recognised the potential of interactive computer games to stimulate the learning process... [The report] has shown that commercial computer games have the potential to support education, which has raised the bar for ongoing collaboration between the industry and education sectors," commented EA's Gerhard Florin.

The Teaching With Games initiative, which is also supported by Microsoft and Take-Two, was established in August 2005. Two Ipsos MORI polls were published, focusing on students' and teachers' attitudes to games in the classroom, and 12 case studies were conducted using The Sims 2, Knights of Honour and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.

Who else says we should play games at work or school

Zune to use Microsoft Points

October 2nd, 2006, 19:59 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's portable media player, Zune, will accept Microsoft Points as currency in exchange for music downloads.

Already