Divineo China have posted that they are taking preorders for the R4 *ENGLISH* Nintendo DS Slot 1 Flashcart:

More details:

retail price : $ 44.95

Overview of the product

The R4DS Cartridge is a DS SLOT-1 flash cart. This amazing little device matches the original DS cart size. It is a complete solution with no need to purchase any additional components or deal with any messy software and truly a easy media
enhancer for DS and DS Lite.

Specifications & extra information

Features :

- Original DS cart sized device;
- Drag and drop files, NO software required;
- Play in SLOT-1 without Passcard or Flashme;
- Supports TF(MicroSD) capacity up to 4GB(32Gbit);
- Supports DS sleep mode;
- Supports FAT16/32 File System;
- Supports Screen touch sensitive;
- Compatible clean Rom, homebrew & moonshell;
- Compatible all version of DS;
- Intuitively upgradeable custom operating system.

Preorder at Divineo China ...

Via PSPFanboy

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Via IGN

Sega and Sony have been flooding the Japanese game market with Bleach adaptations since last year. And we're talking quite the devastating flood. Over a period of less than two years, the popular anime series has seen 9 unique games (that's 2 DS, 1 GameCube, 2 PS2 and 4 PSP).

With Sega's latest adaptation, Bleach Wii Hakujin Kiramkeu Rondo, the Wii gets in on the party, just two weeks following launch. And guess what? Sega has made the completely unexpected and surprising choice of turning the anime into a one-on-one fighter!

Bleach Wii has all the things you'd expect from an anime fighter. Let's see... there's the large cast of fighters, with at least 14 characters pulled from the anime. There's the story mode, with voiced dialogue sequences between bouts. There's the arcade mode, where you fight 8 matches as the character of your choice. For multiplayer, there's a versus mode, which also includes options for Player versus CPU and CPU versus CPU. And, of course, the expected training and gallery modes.

Sega has added a few things to the formula. First up are 20+ second load times prior to a fight. Actually, this itself might have been influenced by the lengthy load times found in the first PSP adaptation.

The Wii version also attempts to separate itself from the rest of the pack with its full support of the Wiimote. The controller is used for directly slashing your sword. By slashing up to down, left to right and thrusting into the screen, you can, in theory, make your in-game counterpart perform the equivalent motion. You'll have to ignore the fact that you're viewing the action from the side rather than in the first person. You'll also have to use your imagination when playing as the four characters who don't use weapons.

Outside of these direct controls, things get a bit more complicated. Unblockable versions of all the moves can be performed by holding down the B button as you slash, or you can hold down A and swing away for individual special attacks. You move your character with the nunchuck analogue pad, guard with Z and dash by holding down C. To slip into one of those super mega powerful alternative universe modes that are always featured in these games, you shake the nunchuck once your power meter has been filled up.

With all the button pressing and extraneous shaking going on, one has to question if Bleach really manages to deliver the feel of actually fighting with a sword, or if the motion-based controls are just a gimmick tacked on to a fighting system that could have been done just as well with standard controls. The answer is neither of the above. Bleach does a pretty terrible job of reading your Wiimote motions. I couldn't get my characters to do the slashes I wanted, resulting in non-stop thrusting. Standard controls would have been more preferable.

But then, I suppose, Bleach Wii would've been just another anime-based fighting game. ...

via ign

Today The Game Factory, publishers of many a licensed title, announced it is bringing the fighting game Legend of the Dragon to Nintendo's Wii. Based on the children's TV show, Legend of the Dragon for the Wii will be the Factory's first release on Nintendo's new console.

"We are delighted to be publishing for the Nintendo Wii," said Henrik Mathiasen, Game Factory's President. "While the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 next-gen consoles have really captured the imagination of the more mature gamer, at Game Factory we're really excited about the potential impact Nintendo's Wii will have on the children's market, as this is obviously our forte."


Concept art for Legend of the Dragon.

The Legend of the Dragon story is set against the backdrop of ancient China and follows the Golden Dragon -- a title given to the warrior chosen to fight the evil Zodiac Master, Woo Yin. Each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs has its own temple protected by a guardian, each with powers unique to their zodiac symbol. Woo Yin plans to capture these powers and take control of China.

Ang Leung has been chosen as the new Golden Dragon over his twin sister Ling. But the surprise and humiliation of this decision is too much for Ling and she quickly defects to the dark side. As the Shadow Dragon, she will fight against her brother in a bid for revenge.

Gamers can choose to play as one of 19 characters, each with their own techniques and strengths. All characters wear wristbands that enable them to transform into mystical warriors. Once transformed, characters take on the likenesses and superhuman powers of the zodiac creature they represent. A spell-casting system blends RPG elements with arcade-style gameplay.

The Game Factory has not yet disclosed how the game will make use of the Wiimote. Legend of the Dragon is currently set for a Q2 2007 release. ...

Via IGN

It seems most articles on the Full Auto series starts with this simple fact: gamers love speed and destruction. And that's because it's entirely true. No gamer can resist the allure of exotic cars and obscene firepower. Real or not, it's just one of those things. So that's why games like Full Auto seem like real no-brainers in the games industry. Still, even games with massive appeal can still screw up a little.

Look at what happened with the original Full Auto. It was decent fun, but it lagged in a few areas that would have made it a better game. The second game, Full Auto 2: Battlines, addressed most of these issues and easily topped its predecessor because of it. That's why it's a very good reason the first Full Auto game to appear on the PSP is based off Battlelines, and not the original 360 version. Having said that, Battlelines on PSP differs from the PS3 version in various ways. To show IGN exactly how, Sega dropped by the offices with an early build of the game. Being unfinished, it did seem a little rough, though it clearly has enormous potential as a portable product.


Most of this potential comes from the fact Battlelines on PSP has its heart in the right place, namely fast-paced demolition. That part hasn't changed a bit. Players still jump inside exotic cars and destroy everything from roadside mailboxes to skyscrapers, and everything in between. Only it's a little different on the PSP than it is on PS3. That is to say, environments still crumble the same way only now it's far easier to do. The PSP has a smaller screen after all, and it's harder to launch missiles or a hail of gunfire at narrow support structures without a little help. As such, whenever players race past something that's massively destructible, like a bridge, railway or building, the targeting reticule changes color. Players can then lock on to these sources and take them down. This system seems to work well and it really makes sense. There's no point in having collapsible buildings when it's too hard to collapse them.

When it comes to car selection, players will score 15 different models, nine of which are new to the PSP. Each car has a selection of unique skins, decals and colors. There are well over 100 of each type to choose from, though this number hasn't been finalized. Customizable items are still rewards for beating missions, though the garage menu has changed considerably. And just like a majority of the cars, the skins and decals are new. The only thing cooler than scoring a tricked-out ride is decking it out with crazy weapons. Battlelines on PSP has 18 weapons to choose from, 10 of which are completely new, including the Mortar, M16, M60, Aircraft Gun and Heat-Seeking missiles. That's not a shabby list by any stretch. Plus, it's possible to place weapons on the sides of vehicles now, not just the front and back. Now that's just crazy talk.


As far as game modes go, players still get a choice between a single-player campaign and a number of quick skirmish modes. The single-player mode has some 50 events to compete in, each of which has multiple paths, objectives and destructible areas. Players can expect no less than three new districts, which translates to six all-new tracks. Also, the arena matches from the PS3 version of Battlelines make a return, which should make just about everyone happy.

Then there's collection of multiplayer modes. There are ad-hoc versions of the arena deathmatches, as well as some all-new modes like Head-On and Down & Back. Unfortunately, the builds Sega brought were too early to experiment with any of the multiplayer modes, but it all sounds groovy regardless. Add to all of this a set of licensed songs by Stone Sour, Sum 41 and We Are Scientists, and it's one nice lil' package.

Check back often for more on Full Auto 2: Battlines on PSP.

Screens Via Comments ...

Via IGN

The Afterburner series turned aspiring flight jocks into killer aces. It offered a level of destruction and speed that no game before it could match. So it comes as no surprise that Afterburner is every bit as classic as Sonic or Mario. Even today, with the likes of Ace Combat tearing up the skies, gamers still long for the days where a single heroic pilot could dismantle waves of enemy fighters and turn the tide of a losing war. And do it all using a single game token, no less.

Well, there's no need for tokens this time, since the latest chapter in the Afterburner saga will appear on the Sony PSP. It's called Afterburner: Black Falcon, and it's coming from developer Planet Moon, the team responsible for Infected and Giants. Afterburner is an interesting follow-up, to say the least. Sega recently dropped by the IGN office to show it off, and it's looking pretty sharp. More than anything, though, it definitely plays like an Afterburner game. There's no real-world physics, for starters. Players still rocket through the skies at obscene speeds blowing up everything in sight. Plus, the camera perspective and controls still retain the ease-of-use and responsiveness of older titles. Good thing, since it's hard to act like the Rambo of the skies with sloppy control.

Black Falcon introduces some interesting elements, too. Players can choose one of three characters at the start of the game, each of which has a unique personality. Not only that, the missions throughout the single-player campaign depending on character selection. It's not really clear if these characters change all missions, but Sega reps have said that each has their own special assignments, which is still a nifty incentive to play the game twice. Black Falcon will also include some 19 officially licensed planes, all of which a player can modify. The final build should include several weapons, paint jobs and yes, afterburners. Various engine components will appear as well, all of which improve maneuverability and make planes fly faster. Players can actually purchase these upgrades with cash earned through the single-player campaign.

In terms of story, players are tasked with the retrieval of 13 stolen planes. They're all high-tech and experimental, and each stolen plane makes up a boss fight in the game. After disabling each aircraft, players can then take them. It's a pretty straightforward setup. In addition to the major boss fights, Black Falcon also has a series of mini-bosses trying to stop would-be heroes from completing their mission. One such boss encounter has players battling a strange white aircraft resembling a super-streamlined passenger jet. It sticks to a player's six, of course, and really doesn't let up. Fortunately, each hero plane, including the F-14 Tomcat, F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor, are more than up to the task. Each one can perform a bunch of cool maneuvers such as barrel rolls, loops and speed boosts. And they're all pretty simple to execute using the PSP's face buttons and analog stick.

The lone analog stick actually controls the movement of the plane, as would be expected, and the camera sits behind the plane. The face buttons control the afterburners and whatever weapons the plane happens to carry, where the shoulder buttons manage the maneuvers. Again, it's a nice set of moves and they all perform well during combat. Good thing, too, since in addition to bosses and mini-bosses, the game also has numerous targets on land, sea and blazing through the air. The demo showed everything from tanks and battleships, to missile batteries and enemy jets. Locking on to targets is relatively simple - just "paint" each target by moving the reticule over them and let the missiles fly. That's all there is to it.

Fortunately, Black Falcon also has a collection of wireless multiplayer modes. The first lets a player progress through the single-player campaign with a friend, using the PSP's ad-hoc functionality. At this point it seems only some of the campaign missions will be available for co-op, but this may change. There are also numerous competitive multiplayer modes, too. Players can expect classic dogfights and air duels, as well as team-based matches. The sad part is no one at IGN could try these modes out, since the game has a ways to go before it ships. But it all sounds groovy regardless.

Screens Via Comments ...

via pegasus2000

Visilab Research Center of University of Messina has released
the first release of Nanodesktop distribution.

You can find it here:

http://visilab.unime.it/~filippo/Nan...p_PSP_PSPE.htm ...

Via Chubigans

What a week it’s been eh? Lots to discuss on the firmware front, so let’s jump right to it!

Phil Harrison recently gave a speech at the Three Speech event in London the other day, and dropped some hints as what’s to come in the 2.0 firmware update in March. Among the somewhat vague hints include (italicized words are straight from the source, with speculation by me in brackets):

Multi-tasking- included will be audio/video conferencing while browsing the XMB and its features/ gameplay. (It wasn’t a stretch to assume this would come sooner rather than later. The PS3 can already multitask to an extent...you can play music while viewing photos, press the PS button and the XMB would display over it...heck, even videos can run in the background...and Sony will just have to tie a few loose ends to get it fully multi-tasking. I really hope this includes downloads for the PS Store as well...)
New XMB display options (consider this a confirmation of wallpapers and themes!)
New animations for audio playback. (I think there’s only one random one right now, so it’s nice to have a few new options)
New photo album options. (Not sure if this means new ways of displaying pics or more options for the current choices)
Playstation Store auto resume. (Thank goodness. Currently if you lose your download midway, you have to start all over again.)
PSP Remote Play advanced access option- allows for remote access to your PS3 anywhere in the world via hotspot. (Awesome. I didn’t think we’d get this so soon! The only concern I have about this is how the PS3 is accessed currently...you need to leave your PS3 on and tuned to Remote Play before you can access it. This just won’t work if, say, you’re leaving on a two week trip and forgot to set up your PS3 before you go. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.)

There was talk of a TiVo-like service for the PS3 in the later fall, but Sony has gone on to say they don’t have any promises on that one. It sounds a bit less likely that it will happen, but there’s still that chance. From the original site:

“The Tivo functionality in Q3 2007. Seems it’s certainly technically possible to do that with PS3, but they’re not making any guarantees about if or when they’d add that functionality.”


***

So the other day I decided to check out Syphon Filter on the Playstation Store (PS1 downloadable). I was hopelessly lost in SF: Dark Mirror for the PSP, so I thought it would be nice to go back and see how it all began. More importantly, this is one of the games that utilized the L2 and R2 buttons fully...and now it was time to see how the PSP handled without those buttons.

Let’s refresh your memory a bit on the four different types of control methods the PSP emulation menu offers:

(all face buttons (triangle, square and such) are mapped to the PSP’s own.)
Type One: L and R function as L1 and R1, with the analog stick left and right being L2 and R2. Up on the analog stick is L2+R2.
Type Two: L and R function as L2 and R2, with the stick being L1, R1 and upwards for L1+R1.
Type Three: L and R function as L1 and R1. Pressing and holding Up on the analog stick while pressing L simulates L2, Up+R=R2, and the analog stick Down is L2+R2.
Type Four: The digital pad is mapped to the analog stick. The L and R buttons function as L1 and R1, with left and right on the digital pad being L2 and R2. Up on the digital pad is L2+R2.

With all that in mind, let’s see what the original controls for Syphon Filter PS1 were:

Circle: Roll
Triangle: Climbs, Action button, Reload
X: Crouch
Square: Fire
R1: Target Lock
L1: Zoom/Aim
R2 & L2: Strafe left/right

As you can see...we could have a problem here.

The Big Test

First off...Syphon Filter hasn’t aged as well as Crash. While Crash Bandicoot looks great even today, SF looks a bit dated with it’s blocky environments and even more blocky enemies. The FMV audio sounds VERY compressed, and I’m going to assume that was a product of the original game since the file size is still pretty considerable. I could be wrong.

The game didn’t suffer from black bars on the top and bottom like Crash did, which was nice...and the levels load very fast. There’s even a brightness option in the main menu.

So, I jumped right in with Type One controls. Gabe turns like a semi truck...he kind of leans into it and isn’t all that graceful. So when I needed to take out some enemies on the other corner of a building, I needed to strafe. So my hand moved to the analog stick, and I fired up the gun as I transitioned back to the digital pad, then to the stick to dodge some bullets.

This was not going to work. At all.

Alright, time for Type Two. The strafing was done via the shoulder buttons, and it felt MUCH more natural. I was finally comfortable with the controls and was able to take out the enemies, with lots more approaching. I got out my sniper rifle and prepared to fire.

Once again, no dice. In order to zoom in with the sniper rifle, you needed to hold down left on the analog stick, use the ...

The coder behind the Command And Conquer DS Clone Project has posted an 2nd Test Version, heres what he says:


Download and Screenshot Via Comments - Test Away and Give as much details as possible ...