Thanks to Brakken for this news.

SuperCard has released the v1.54 Firmware and v2.44 Patcher software for both the Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital Cards (SD) version of their very popular GameBoy Advance / Nintendo DS Development/Backup unit.

New features:

Improved GBA/GBASP/GBM compatibility.
Added NDS RESET function, can reset to SC main menu when pressing L+R+X+A in the game. Some games are unstable when using this RESET function, such as 0223-_Animal_Crossing_Wild_World, SuperCard Team will continue make it perfect.
Fixed 0174 - Tony Hawks American Sk8land halt bug.
Important: NDS Owner, please update the New firmware in GBA mode

Download via comments: ...

Source - PDRoms

pensoffsky has released PeP Viewer v0.5 to the public. It's basicly a picture viewer for the Playstation Portable featuring those things:

bmp, jpeg, png, ... support
adjustable scrollspeed for the analogstick & digipad
bookmark system
music player for .ogg files

Download via comments: ...

I’ve been looking through Joystiq’s archives quite thoroughly lately, and no matter how many articles I see speculating on future hardware—including ones not even remotely announced—I can’t seem to find anything relating to the next iteration of the Game Boy, aside from one tiny piece from July ‘04 confirming that, yes, Nintendo is working on it, maybe possibly perhaps. This got me to thinking: how will Nintendo market a traditional handheld after the undeniable success of their nonconformist third pillar? Obviously differentiation is key, as high hardware sales translate into higher software sales, which are the crux of a publishing giant such as Nintendo. How will the Game Boy Evolution differentiate itself from the DS and all of its subsequent progeny? Nintendo isn’t talking—yet—so we’ll opt for the next best thing: rampant speculation!



The GBE will be released six months to a year after the launch of the Revolution. Considering a best-case scenario, Japanese gamers could be playing the Evolution as early as next December. Why, you ask? For much the same reason as the near-coinciding launch of the GBA and GCN…
The Revolution will connect with the Game Boy Evolution, but not with the Nintendo DS. Aside from the usual benefits of a controller with a built-in screen, classic Nintendo titles can be downloaded onto the GBE’s internal memory for nostalgia on the go. And speaking of nostalgia…
Unlike the DS and the GBM, which are only equipped to play Game Boy Advance cartridges, the GBE will allow you to play your entire back catalog of Game Boy titles, thus preserving the longevity of the Game Boy brand. Obviously it won’t accept DS cartridges, despite the fact that…
The GBE will store game data on DS-esque flash memory cards, rather than an optical storage medium such as the PSP’s UMDs, thus eliminating the need for separate memory cards and battery-intensive lasers. And while we’re talking comparisons to the PSP…
The Game Boy Evolution will feature full 3D capabilities, though the hardware will only exhibit a marginal increase over the PSP’s graphics. Nintendo’s never felt the need to sell their consoles as the most graphically superior (see Game Boy vs. Game Gear), relying instead on the overall experience as the system’s unique selling point. But before we get away from the graphical aspects there’s one last thing worth mentioning…
The GBE’s screen resolution will be drastically increased over the GBA’s, though all the while retaining a similar aspect ratio. Despite consumer demand, the screen will not be backlit.
...until the GBE SP.

Not only will the GBE allow you to play all of your classic Game Boy games, it will allow you to play all of your multiplayer Game Boy games wirelessly, including games not built especially with the GBA wireless adaptor in mind. By the way, how’s this for a seamless segue into the next bullet point…
The Game Boy Evolution will be the hottest gift of 1991 with the addition of X and Y face buttons, as well as a quasi-analog d-pad which will register variable pressure in up to eight directions. Oh, but that’s not all…
The GBE will include gyroscopic technology which will allow games such as Wario Ware: Twisted to ship without external gyro packs, as well as augmenting some of the motion-sensitive capabilities of the Revolution’s controller when used in its stead. The unit will also feature a built-in rumble, which leads us to our next point…
Without sufficient progress in battery storage technology, the battery life for the Game Boy Evolution will be the lowest of any Nintendo handheld to date, though to make up for this fact the GBE’s rechargeable battery will be detachable. Thanks to a mandatory sleep mode requirement akin to that of the DS, as well as thanks to a small rechargeable internal battery, battery packs will be hot-swappable with minimal interruption of gameplay. And finally…
The unit will sport a clamshell design reminiscient of the GBA SP, though slightly larger and with more ergonomically designed shoulder buttons. It will also be available in an stunning variety of colors and themes, unless you live in Germany, France, Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, any country both beginning and ending in a vowel, every third nation whose flag incorporates a cross, or pretty much anywhere where the native language is not Japanese.
There, happy? That should be more than enough to tide the Game Boy faithful over until E3 2006. Anything we overlooked? Let us know! Until then, happy speculation. ...

A Nintendo executive has started hinting that the company wants World Of Warcraft-style massively multiplayer online games to appear on its next-gen console, Revolution.

"I hope [MMOs] are really explored on this system. That's a genre, from the home console standpoint, that really hasn't been explored very well," Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, told CNN recently.

And while Reggie was daydreaming so publicly about getting the big N on the net, his boss was also talking to CNN about pushing Ninty into areas where it doesn't normally venture – first-person shooters.

"I was a developer for many years before my current role, but I've never been a very good gamer," confided Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. He continued, "I've never been able to control a first-person shooter, but as soon as I used the Revolution controller, I found it very easy to control the game. So, I think that's a genre that's particularly well suited for the controller".

Which, if you can get past the fact that the head of one of the world's largest software companies is bobbins with a pad, again hints that Nintendo is looking to make another move into almost uncharted territory with Revolution.

All we need now is for someone to say 'realistic racing game' and the whole gaming world will probably burst into flames, and then fall over. But don't rule it out because, as Reggie says, "It's fair to say that we have a number of things that we will begin unveiling leading up to next year's E3".

Nintendo will release Revolution in 2006 ...

Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Kaz Hirai has dismissed claims that Xbox 360's significant headstart on the PlayStation 3 will give it a serious advantage in the console battle, arguing that content is far more important.

Speaking in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine in the USA, Hirai pointed out that Sony has never been first to market with any of its consoles - the PlayStation being preceded by the Saturn, and the PlayStation 2 by the Dreamcast.

"People, especially people up north on the West Coast, seem to put a lot of credence on being out before the other consoles," he said, in a clear reference to Seattle-based Microsoft's oft-repeated view that PS2's headstart over the Xbox gave it an unassailable advantage.

"If you take a look at when our competitors came out in the market, we had upward of 3 to 5 million PS2 units when our competitors came out with a platform," he continued. "Consumers adopted our platform because [they like our content] and not because we were first to market."

"First to market, from what we can tell, has never been an advantage," he concluded.

Hirai went on to argue that the availability of a complete PlayStation family of products - encompassing both the hugely successful PlayStation 2 and the handheld PlayStation Portable consoles as well as the next-generation PlayStation 3 - would seriously bolster the company's position in the market.

He also downplayed talk over the technical advantage being on PlayStation 3's side - while being careful to indicate that he believes this to be true.

"The technological advantage is almost a given," he said, "but by itself, it doesn't mean very much. What kind of software do you have to help drive that technological innovation? We've proven over the past 10 years with three products that we can deliver, whether it's first-party of third-party support."

One other topic of interest touched upon in OPM's interview is the question of the PlayStation 3 controller - a prototype for which was shown off at E3, to a highly mixed response, with some commentators ridiculing the "boomerang" shape of the controller and calling for a return to the popular Dual Shock design.

"We've gone through two consoles with essentially the same controller design, and it's time for a fresh approach," Hirai commented. "We're going to look at the form factor, but at the same time we want it to feel familiar. It's difficult to balance the two. It's a work in progress. We certainly want to make sure that when you hold it in your hands that you've come home to something familiar." ...

Chris Morris over at CNN Money got his hands on the Nintendo’s Revolution controller and took it for a spin. Even though it was a near final prototype, he seemed to like, especially noting that it gave him a whole new edge in console FPS action, which was never a strong point of his. That experience is shared by Nintendo’s own president, Satoru Iwata, stating: “I’ve never been able to control a first-person shooter, but as soon as I used the Revolution controller, I found it very easy to control the game.” The truth comes out! Iwata expects the controller to become the standard for video games, and that it could bridge the gap between gamers and non gamers. The article goes on to predict a next year launch that mirrors that of Sony’s PS3, but all will be divulged in May before E3. Luckily Nintendo promises to keep information flowing on the Revolution leading up to the launch — whenever that might be.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/15/comm...aming/?cnn=yes ...

Divineo China posted this news:

We have added another type of PSP to TV adapter. This model by Blaze is less efficient than the original PSP2TV, and you can't connect a dual shock controller, but it is cheap and requires no installation (it does not void your warranty). A great alternative for people less familiar with technical installation



The PSP TV Adapter lets you hook up your PSP to your home television (NTSC and PAL) via Composite or S-Video and Stereo connectors. This adapter requires no modification of your PSP console. This new peripheral takesa completely different approach and clips on top of your PSP screen, with two screws to fit at the back of the handheld (in these two holes you can see on the top of the UMD drive). Some sort of pyramid grows from the base, with a precision lens and mirror system at the top, capturing the image and light, in a similar way a scanner or camera would. It then converts it into a video signal that is sent through video leads going from the adapter to your TV set.

Its selling for $49, more info at Divineo China ...

Yet another new commercial PSP Game released:



Pinball Hall of Fame is a compilation of 10 Gottlieb’s greatest pinball machines spanning the 60 years of arcade pinball’s golden age. Recreated in a 3D environment, the gameplay visuals and sound effects are so authentic; it will take the player back in time to when pinball machines ruled the arcades! The mix of tables will include Aces High, Central Park, Big Shot, Genie, Black Hole, Victory and more!

More info here --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...8&lsaid=219793 ...

The New PSP Releases keep on coming:



This portable version of the Japanese flight sim features full-3D planes that include the Boeing 777-200, Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 757-400. You can fly from a cockpit view, either from the perspective of the captain or the first officer, from a behind the jet view, or from a clear view with no obstructions except for the required readouts. Jet De Go! on PSP features four modes: Flight Mode, Trial Mode, Replay Mode and Flight Guide. Flight Mode and Trial Mode both involve flying different planes, but Trial Mode allows you to select your plane and airport freely and attempt to make your flight in a fixed time. Replay Mode lets you view replays of your flights, selecting your favorite camera angle. The Flight Guide mode gives you a look at cool little facts about your favorite planes.

More information here --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...8&lsaid=219793 ...