Not a lot of game franchises can take two genres, meld them seamlessly and come up with something that isn't fertilizer. Even fewer can use the same core model repeatedly and come up with stellar success in terms of media and consumer reception. The Ratchet & Clank series combines elements from a platform game and a shooting title to form a respected brand that gamers just eat up each and every time a new installment comes out.

In February of 2007, the Sony PlayStation Portable received its first taste of the Ratchet & Clank series with High Impact Games' Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. High Impact is a group of expats from Insomniac that still has some of the key members responsible for the success of earlier iterations. The game was scrutinized with excitement and it passed all tests with flying colors.

No rest even if you're not wicked

The lovable tandem's new adventure starts off with Ratchet and Clank getting some time off the battlefield with some rest and relaxation. The heroic lombax and his trusty robot sidekick bask in the sun for a while until a strange girl named Luna approaches them and asks Ratchet for a small favor.

As it turns out, the odd-looking Luna is a huge fan of our robot-busting hero and wants him to pose in his trademark stances for an extemporaneous photo-op. Being the nice guy that he is, Ratchet gives in. A series of events unfold while Ratchet roughs up some robot hide for Luna which leads to the alien girl's abduction. Ratchet and Clank decide that vacation time is over and the two set off to save the girl.

That's not to say that this is a Mario-style plot where you simply have to go through multiple castles to eventually save the hostaged damsel. Fans of the Ratchet & Clank series will not have their expectations dampened as the game features an elaborate succession of plot twists that eventually leads to a huge unfolding that will have you chasing ancient artifacts and encountering a genius race known as the Technomites.

Old and new characters will be present to spice up the game's storytelling sequences. Favorites such as Captain Quark will do cameos with style as they supply excellent humor that nicely complements the script's pop-culture references. Notice that there's no single character who's badly voiced, allowing the comedy to be driven home as well as it should be. Making the dialogue even more immersive is the fact that character expressions are in perfect sync with what they're saying thanks to the dandy visuals that we'll be discussing next.

We're not certain if you've heard about this one already before but a couple of the many projects of homebrew developer kgsws are PSP Doom and PSP Heretic. It's needless to say that these are PlayStation Portable adaptations of the FPS classics Doom and Heretic.

Currently, PSP Doom is at version 0.6 while PSP Heretic is at v0.7. kgsws mentioned , and we agree, that the best feature this has to offer is the multiplayer ad hoc for two players. The coder also added a four player support but that hasn't been tested as of yet. The following changes have occurred since the last versions.

PSP Doom v 0.6 and PSP Heretic v0.7:

• Sound Volume: its value is controlled by distance of its source.
• Puff Bug (engine bug): puff does not appear when projectile (bullet, not rocket etc) hits two-sided wall under sky.
• Weapon selecting: old weapons selecting was making multiplayer out of sync (and heretic does not have any switcher)
• Sky colormap (engine bug?): when in GOD mode (no cheat) everything except sky was in different color

PSP Heretic v0.7:

• Added weapon switching
• Fixed sound bug of imp (that red fling monster)
• Added cheat menu in singleplayer
• Added CPU settings in options

Download: PSP Doom v0.6
Download: PSP Heretic v0.7

There's this application called PSPVC (PlayStation Portable Video Converter) created by homebrew developer fif1973. Now, we found another program of the same nature and even has a somewhat similar name over at Italian PSP-dedicated site PSP-Ita.

The homebrew is called PSP Video Converter and was developed by Nick Swardh. Currently in version 1.2, PSP Video Converter is a transcoder that lets users convert various types of videos to a format the PSP supports. The current features of this version include:

• Adding the possibility to use of the "Presets" and eventually to create itself some of own.
• Adding the option in order to make an esteem of the scenes filmato in order to increase the accuracy of codifies end.
• Qualified the option for settare the algorithm of codifies "Trellis" (optimization of the request)
• Qualified the option for settare the algorithm of codifies "Macroblocks" (Improves the jam and the quality video)
• Qualified the option for settare the amount of the B-frames (Improves the jam)
• Added the filter for the correction of the colors for rows MPEG.
• Agginta the function of "Crop Car" for ritaglio automatic rifle of the black areas of the video.
• Added a filter of "Deblock" for miglirare the visual yield of a video much blocchettoso
• Added the filter for the removal of it disturbs video "Noise Removal".
• Adding the function "Random Screenshot" in order to carry out one diapositiva to use like preview of the video.
• Improved the function of Delay/Sync Audio.

Nick Swardh also noted that PSP video Converter is only compatible with PSP units running on custom firmware 3.30 or higher and that Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 is also required.

Download: PSP Video Converter v1.2
Download: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0

Homebrew developer for the PSP, winnydows, has released an updated version of his video converter application XviD4PSP. Let's say that you just got a PSP and this app intrigues you but you don't know what in the world it does, we'll hook you up with some info.

Basically, this is a program that converts videos for your PSP, iPod and PC. For you to maximize this app, you should have Windows Vista or Windows XP SP2 intalled, and Microsoft Framework 3.0 ffdshow build by clsid. To avoid redundancy, you could always refer to our earlier coverage of this app or to winnydows' website which you can access via the link below. With all that said, here is the lengthy changelog for version 4.046.

Changelog:

• For compatibility with non standard windows themes all text dialogs forced set to black an white.
• In help menu changed links to home page and support, added links to Donate and Check updates.
• In Corrector form added more input framrates - 15.000, 24.000, 30.000.
• Decoder selection now sticky.
• Files for formats MP4 PSP 2.80 and iPod with framerate 23.976 now converted to 24.000 - it fix sync lost on PSP and iPod.
• Files for iPod with framerate 23.976 now converted to 24.000, not to 29.970.
• Now if framerate changed not very much used more fast and quality convertion mode - Assume. Else used ConvertFPS.
• Fixed manual D2V import on systems with Windows Vista.
• Added check for InputPath = OutputPath.
• To menu settings added links for ffdshow settings - Video decoder configuration, Audio decoder configuration, VFW configuration.
• Added AVS script checker. No more messages "Unsupported format: [DIB]". Now script error will be added to log.
• Now if you don`t have selected codec installed, problem will be found in log and will recomend solution.
• In main installer added Framwork installation check.
• In main installer added few AviSynth versions.
• Now XviD not used for decoding YV12 any more and may be removed from system. For decoding YV12 now used Helux YUV.
• XviD removed from main installer.
• Helux YUV added to main installer.
• Mencoder updated to 21682.
• Updated patches for Athlon and Pentium III.
• Now for AVI and DIVX files AVISource default decoder. It fix gray flicks.
• Now for all files anilized Delay information. It fix lost sync after encoding files with internal Delay set.
• Now files decoded over directshow without framerate information. May fix sync lost on exotic files.
• To Settings form added option "Fix gray flicks" - let fix gray flicks with DirectShow decoding. Option trim 20 first frames.
• Maximum bitrate for PMP formats enhanced to 256.
• x264 updated to 614.

Download: [XviD4PSP version 4.046]

PSP coder trex6662k5 has once again added more modifications and fixes to his mod of Jonny2002's XBMC Remote Interface. Here's a rundown of what's new in v0.7:

• Index.lua is now system.lua in system folder
• Thumbnail path is now no longer fixed
• Fixed a mistype which caused the script to crash when adding a folder to playlist
• Removed that annoying sound that played everytime you pressed a direction key
• Button to play DVD (option to automatically switch to remotecontrol after pressing)
• Button to restart XBMC (By using new left shoulder button modifier)
• Fixed the play timer so it gives you a very slightly inaccurate position of musicvideo
• Fixed the issue with getcurrentlyplaying with a Time of nil
• Left shoulder button modifier
• holding the left shoulder button in combination with others will trigger alternative actions
• Currently (holding left trigger)
• Left and Right (Previous and Next, (for music, videos or picutures))
• Up and down (on shutdown button will cycle though 2 available options, restart or shutdown xbox)
• Cross (sync with the xbox)
• Static writing which were drawn at runtime
• Writing which remained from V0.2 in the remote control screen
• Writing at the top of the main screens
• Have now been moved to the background PNGs
• A mild performance increase
• neatened code (well in my eyes anyways) and reorganised functions and made less use of variables
• A mild performance increase
• Reduced the length of the now playing scroller which caused most lag and timeouts if it were too long
• A HUGE performance increase

Since a few people ran into some problems installing this when QJ last posted about it, here's how you do it:

Copy the "XBMC RI 0.7" folder to :/PSP/GAME. Now, the XBMC Remote Interface Mod v0.7 archive contains three folders: the first one is the "XBMC RI 0.7" while the other two are folders containing EBOOTs for firmware version 1.0 and 1.5 respectively. Depending on your PSP's firmware, copy the appropriate folder to the same folder you copied "XBMC RI 0.7" to. It may complain about overwriting files due to same folder name but it will copy the required EBOOT over. XBMC's web interface must also be enabled for the app to work.

Click on the download link below to download this great homebrew application. Also, don't forget to post your comments, bug reports, thank yous, suggestions, or help requests on the QJ forums by going to this release's official QJ forum thread. Let's show some support for trex6662k5. Like my fellow blogger Gino said, "Spread the love, guys."

Download: [XBMC Remote Interface v0.7 Mod]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

 

As a part of Namco Bandai's current campaign to keep the gaming community as updated as possible about their games, they have released new info about Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception for the PSP, including new game features and a bunch of other stuff (including screens) that PSP users can look forward to in the game. Let us go through them as quick as we can.

Medal System - the same system introduced in ACE2 and carried over to ACE5 and ZERO will again be making an appearance in ACE-X. How it works: every time a pilot fulfills specific game conditions, he/she will receive a medal to recognize this achievement. Such conditions/achievements include surpassing the target number of enemies brought down and providing damage control for a mission. There are 36 obtainable medals all in all, and will also be available in multiplayer mode.

Free Mission Mode - allows you to replay completed missions, enabling you to challenge yourself to gain a higher score or finish a mission in a shorter time. The points earned in a free mission are usable in Campaign Mode, making it easier for players to save up and buy a plane. The details of the mission and its conditions are also customizable, you can strengthen enemy weapons or have the enemy's reserves appear, etc.

Color Variation - ACE-X wouldn't give justice to the ACE series if it didn't have the color customizing options that the series is known for, so for ACE-X, Namco will also allow players to choose between four types of color options on all planes, from the camouflage design to the more eye-catching colors.

More screens and game details await in the full article version.

Winnydows has once again updated his amazing Xvid4PSP video conversion tool for Windows PCs. Not only does this program convert ordinary PC video files into a format playable on your PSP (PMP, AVC or MP4), but it can also convert ordinary video files into another format also playable on your PC, making it popular for PSP owners and regular PC users alike.  It can input AVI, DIVX, and WMV formats and convert them to PMP 2.01, PMP AVC, AVI, MP4 (AVC), and MP4 (PSP AVC). As long as you have AviSynth v2.56a and the .NET Framework 2.0 installed, you're good to go! Here's the changelog for the last two releases, version 4.0.12 only adds a small bugfix:

4.012 changes:

• Fixed import files with non standard framerate.

4.011 changes:

• Now use direct lame.exe and neroAacEnc.exe encoding, without besweet making the encoding of audio much faster.
• Audio encoding now uses CBR encoding mode. ABR and VBR cause lost sync on DVD encoding.
• Added VirtualDubMod.
• Removed VirtualDub. All calls to VirtualDub are now fully replaced by VirtualDubMod.
• Added apps menu. You can launch VirtualDubMod, DGIndex, Media Player Classic, makeAVIS programs from this menu.
• Changed work with progress bar. Now progress showed for audio encoding too. Also enhanced muxing progress.
• Again fixed autocrop. Also adds three times speedup.
• Rewritten work with MediaInfo.dll.
• Added Normalize on Preview option. If box not checked volume normalize not used on preview, resulting in a quicker preview.
• ForceFilm options added for DVD and MPG types. Convert fps 29.970 > 23.976 - Forced Film option in DGindex.
• Fixed second pressing on Preview button for DVD and MPG types.
• Removed EnsureVBRMP3Sync() function. Made more bad than good.
• Added Samplerate option. Convert sample rate of sound. Also samplerate not changed if already valid.
• Added audio codec option. Now just information, but later will have DirectStrim.
• Many small fixes.
• Preview form very changed.
• Fixed MP4 import.

As you can see, this is a feature-packed release, which makes it even better for you. Due to all of these improvements and features, the download size is 16Mb, but believe me, it's worth the update.

Thanks for the tip Winnydows!

Download: [Xvid4PSP v4.0.12]