Released by homebrew coder and Team 280 member jbskator, PSP Black Jack is everything you'd expect a blackjack game would be, although with version 1.5, a new visual facelift was given to the homebrew game. The game was coded in Lua (and in French), although you'd be happy to find that it does come with an Eboot for easy execution.

Although the game's pretty small, it does look, feel and seem complete in a technical sense. And if you're familiar with the French game's rules, the race to 21 should be as easy as pressing a button. Stay or hit - that's your call, but if you bust, you definitely won't be served with the English-friendly "You Win!" screen.

The file doesn't come with a readme, but the installation is pretty straightforward. If you don't know what you're doing - or if this would be your first time to dip into homebrew - head on over to QJ.NET's PSP forums for help in installing this game. And no, cash and chips aren't included.

  

Download: PSP Black Jack v1.5

First, we're announcing that team 280 had a name change - they now go by the moniker Team XK. Second, Team XK's theketchupman is letting everybody know that their "PRX that launches Recovery Mode or even EBOOT" (dubbed the PRX Launcher for short) has just received an update, and should now be available for downloading.

As a refresher: This PRX basically allows you to launch an EBOOT program - which comes in handy in case you need to launch an EBOOT from the XMB Icon. Here's the changelog:

Update Version 0.3f

• Added two more plugins (htmlviewer = browser, and camera).
• Flash the plugin(s) into flash0:/VSH/NODULE.

Update Version 0.3

• Now, you can launch from every folder you want (you can for example launch an eboot in ms0:/PSP/SYSTEM ). It cant (for the moment) load anything from flash0 / flash1...
• There's only the four PRX (premo, license, update, lftv). Flash it with the generic flasher, or via recovery. Config files are still the same (premo.txt, license.txt, update.txt and lftv.txt in PSP/SYSTEM).

Just make sure to read up on their forum thread to get the full details on how this app works, and remember that it was built to run on 3.03OE and 3.10OE. As always, we remind you to be careful - homebrews like these are handy, but always run the risk of bricking your PSP if not handled properly. For now, we'll have to wait for any further updates.

Download: [PRX Launcher v.03f]
Discuss: [Forum release thread]

Now here's another simple yet really nifty homebrew app for your PSPs -- Team 280's Network Update Homebrew Launcher.

What this app does can be summed up in this sole sentence: it allows you to launch homebrew goodies right from your XMB via the Network Update function. We already have tons of similar apps in our arsenal but as the old adage goes, the more the merrier, so bring it on XMB hackers! Harhar.

Just a few notes: "there is an update_plugin.prx that you must flash with the auto flasher included in the download the package or flashing manualy. You must put the eboot from homebrew you whant to launch in the GOTORECOV folder, you easy can change the pad inside the prx."

Check out this vid posted by undertaxxx at YouTube so you can see how the Network Update Homebrew Launcher works.

Download: [Network Update Homebrew Launcher]

Homebrew dev Team 280 is back and they brought with them a nice, nifty app that can prove to be useful to us all. Well, the program doesn't have an official name, but it is a prx that launches the recovery mode or even an EBOOT.

Included in the download is the rockddr program which launches the recovery mode. The prx that calls rockddr. An easy flasher was included so that you can flash the prx into Network Update or Location Free Player. The program is rather easy to install but before you do, make sure that you are using 3.03 OE or 3.10 OE.

Before we proceed, we believe that an application like this deserves a name, don't you think so? Calling Team 280, calling Team 280...

TheKetchupMan, a member of Team 280, mentioned that it is theoretically possible that this runs as well with 3.02 OE. With that said, here's what you should do and a couple of reminders from Team 280:

• Unzip to the root of your PSP.
• Launch the Update Flash to flash the PRX to the Network Update.
• DO NOT move the GAME / GOTORECOV folder. Otherwise, the prx will not work.
• You need to be in 1.5 kernel.
• We may probably done a self prx (which does not need the rockddr prog) if we can.

Lastly, Team 280 said that this program has been tested for a while now and is pretty much stable. But then again, there's always that small chance of bricking. As always, you are at your own risk whenever you use homebrew.

Download: [PRX that launches Recovery Mode/EBOOT]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

No French jokes here, folks. Only a lot of gaming goodness. The French homebrew group known as Team 280 released the latest version of Mastermind, now called Mastermind v1.0 . From the 0.5 version that used TIFF, to new graphics and support for 1.00, 1.5 and 2.xx firmwares in the pre-1.0 versions (can we call it 0.75?), you can now call Team 280's Mastermind a dual-language puzzler for the PSP.

As with any game of Mastermind, your job is to figure out the hidden combination of colors by a process of trial and error. In Mastermind 1.0, you have ten tries to figure out the combination and the program will respond as to whether your assumptions are right or wrong. Guess right and you get points for a running score total. Best of all, they have English and French interfaces for this version, so you don't have to wonder what the interface is talking about.

Here's Team 280 directions on playing the game on your PSP:

Combination Inputs:

• Cross: put a red
• Circle: put a green
• Triangle: put a blue
• Square : put a brown

Home : Exit
Sound : Stop or play music
Start : Help Menu

A white light shows you that one color is well-placed, while a black light shows that one color is not well-placed.

There are currently two versions of the game out: a 1.00 & 2.xx version using Kriek eLoader, and a 1.5 version. Feel free to pick up the one that suits your needs, and make sure to give Team 280 props on a fun game and Cloos for some sweet Mastermind music. Just make sure you know what you're doing so you don't brick your PSP, and feel free to check the discussion thread linked below if you want to ask any questions. Enjoy!

Download: [Mastermind v1.0 (1.00 and 2.xx version using Kriek eLoader)]
Download: [Mastermind v1.0 (FW 1.5 edition)]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

Once again, Team 280's theketchupman (aka ketchup) passed by our QJ forums recently and hooked us up with updates on their team's homebrew game, Mastermind. He comes to us bearing both good and not so pleasant news, let's start with the bad tidbit first. He mentions that Team 280 decided to stop developing TIFF homebrews, so that Mastermind v0.5 TIFF homebrew game we talked about two days ago may be their last TIFF creation.

Now, the good news. The team has decided to broaden their horizons as they are all set to develop 1.0 and 1.5 homebrew since it can be played with the new eLoader. Part of the good news is a version of their Mastermind game for 1.00, 1.5 and 2.xx users, amped with more graphics and a lively music to boot.

In the future, the Team 280 guys made up of  jbskator, xpierrex, Cloos and ketchup, will be coming out with an English version of their game as this one that you're about to try out is purely French. Great job and good luck to all your future plans, we hope to hear from you soon, guys!

Download: [Mastermind for FW1.50 PSP]
Download: [Mastermind for FW1.00 and 2.xx PSP]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

theketchupman stopped by our forums to talked about this TIFF homebrew game by French homebrew coding team, Team 280. The game is called Mastermind and it's now in version 0.5. How do you play the game? Well, basically, you have to find a four-color combination and you 10 chances/tries to accomplish that. The right column of the game will show just how well you're doing - a white dot shows that one color is well placed while a black dot will tell you that one color isn't well positioned.

From the looks of it, it may be a port of Mastermind - a two-player board game wherein one player becomes the codemaker and the other becomes the codebreaker. For now, the game is in French but you can expect an English version to come along our way in the coming days. Here are the game's controls:

• cross : put a red, circle : put a green, triangle : put a blue and square : put a brown
• home : exit
• sound : stop / play music
• start : help (in french)

Team 280 is made up of programmers jbskator, xpierrex, and ketchup. Manning the graphic designing portion is Cloos. We hope to hear from you soon guys!

Download: [Mastermind v0.5]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]