Be3f has discovered a way to run homebrew straight from the PSP Slim and Light's XMB (cross media bar). The theory is simple: Since the new PSP can run UMDs from its menu, converting an Eboot.PBP and all the homebrew data into an ISO/CSO format should allow the unit to run it as well.

To convert the homebrew, you will need both PBP2ISO and UMDGen. First convert the homebrew into an ISO format using the first program, then run the second program to convert it to UMD. After that, you should be able to run the homebrew from the menu. Note though, that some people on the forums have reported that this trick didn't work for them, while others say it works just fine.

Download both programs and see if you can get your homebrew to run from XMB. Be sure to read the included documentation for whatever program you decide to use in order to avoid any problems.

Download: PBP2ISO
Download: UMDGen v2.00

The homebrew scene is about sharing knowledge and learning from each other. Homebrew developer charnold is one great example of this idea. He dropped by QJ.Net PSP Forums today and released the source code of Dungeons 3D Alpha.

He is responsible for PSP Dungeons - one of the greater homebrew 3D games, if not the greatest, for the PlayStation Portable. Now, this game has been modded by a couple of other developers many times before.

The first ones that come to mind are Be3f's Dark Dungeons and Dru Medina's DruMod. Despite this, charnold believes that the community needs more 3D games for the PSP, hence the release of his project's source code. The download below containing the source code of Dungeons 3D Alpha also has the following:

• It comes with a MSVC 2003 workspace
• Can be compiled for windows and for psp (see psp_includes.h)
• You need sdl to compile and run the windows version

It really is good to see charnold doing this. A little reminder to our other developers, don't forget to acknowledge him whenever you use this.

Download: Source code of Dungeons 3D Alpha
View: QJ PSP Development Forum

 

The first public alpha of Be3f's Serious Sam mod for Dungeons v0.7, Serious Dungeons version 0.3, has been received really well by the homebrew community">homebrew community. But he's been quiet for quite some time now. Could it be that his first public alpha is in truth the last?

Of course not! In fact, he's just given us the heads up through our very own forums, and he brings with him his second public alpha for Serious Sam, Serious Dungeons version 0.5. So, what's hip and happening with version 0.5?

• 3 levels with new textures. Now Serious Dungeons features 8 original levels (in the end of the game you finish the story of The First Encounter, so next releases of the Serious Dungeons will probably combine The First & The Second Encounters of the Mental's aliens!)
• music (from SS)
• again, new HUD health icon
• updated (by Charnold) Dungeons 3D Engine v0.7.04

We don't want to get in the way of your enjoyment, so we'll just leave you to download the file. But you, of course, know the drill already (or at least you should by now). Make sure to check out the ReadMe file for installation instructions and other important stuff that you seriously ought to know. And then you can go to our forums to join the discussion thread there. So there, now we can really get out of your way.

Keep it posted here for more Serious Dungeons updates!

Download: Serious Dungeons v0.5
Discuss: PSP Development Forum

 

Lots of people have gone and modded charnold's PSP Dungeons into their personal variants - Frack, Serious, and so forth. This one comes from a different angle. dejkirkby in our forums - a.k.a. VettaCossX-AlphA in The Playground forums - has five of those mods in his PSP, and after switching from one to the other, decided, why not string them all together into one compilation?

(Hey, before anyone complains here, he gives due props and credit to everyone responsible for the original mods, going all the way back up to charnold for starting PSP Dungeons in the first place. Amped down? Proceed...)

The end result is Super Dungeon 32: a compilation of Be3f's Serious Dungeons and Dark Dungeons, Drew Medina's Dru Mod 2, Frack Mod 2 from Frack, and Vetta's own Halo Dungeons, into one 32-level shootout (which puts the 32 in Super 32). It's probably not just a simple compilation: . As Vetta puts it: all the weapons, all the models, all the aliens and enemies you love to pulp - in one game.

Visit the QJ forums to learn more about it, and to download the mod.

Discuss: PSP Development Forum

The first public alpha of Be3f's Serious Sam: The First Encounter mod for Dungeons has just been released on the QJ forums. Powered by Charnold's Dungeons v0.7 engine, the mod is called Serious Dungeons and is currently at version 0.3.

Here's a list of what you can find in Serious Dungeons v0.3:

• 5 levels with new textures.
• sounds and music from SS.
• 3 enemies (not Serious Sam enemies yet (aliens from Serius), just Q3 monsters. Maybe, you'll see Mental's aliens in future...)
• 2 weapons (Q3 Rocket Launcher & Q3 Railgun model with the new green skin)
• changed balance - enemies have different health (4, 8 and 12) & weapons do different damage (Rocket - 4, Rail - 8). The game is more difficult, then original Dungeons 0.7, but you may select any level from the menu
• some new gfx
• New bootpicture and sound added to the EBOOT
• EBOOTs for the 1.50 firmware

Installation instructions have been put at the Full Article. Remember to check the readme files in the downloadable archive before you proceed to waste a few aliens in Serious Dungeons. If you find any bugs or have a few suggestions to make this game better, click on the "discuss" link below.

Download: [Serious Dungeons v0.3]
Discuss: [Forum release thread]

More screens plus the installation instructions for Serious Dungeons at the Full Article!

For the past couple of weeks, we've had a bit of a trend going on with most homebrews. Seems like everyone's in an FPS-funk lately. With Charnold's PSP Dungeons 3D out on its sixth version, lots of homebrew developers followed suit. We've been getting mods from other developers who've brought their own twist on Charnold's FPS masterpiece.

Be3f is one of those guys. While his last Dungeons game was from way back last September, Charnold's v6 got him working once again. His own take on the said FPS homebrew is now running as Dark Dungeons v1.6, and we can truly say how far he's improved his project.

Here's what's new in v1.6:

• all new v6 features (3D weapons with flying bullets, invisible triggers, 2 new maps...)
• 4 new re-textured levels (2 from Dungeons v6 & 2 built by BlackShark); some old levels were modified; new textures.
• new enemies! I replaced Ranger & Razor with the monsters Klesk & Uriel from Quake 3 :P
• new rail gun model... I mean, old rail gun model... Well, I replaced that strange rail gun model, which I found in the Dungeons, with the original Quake 3 rail gun :P
• some new gfx (new rail trail and original Q3 plasma particle)
• new boot picture added to the EBOOT

Download: [Dark Dungeons v1.6]

This is what makes the homebrew community great. Homebrew developers working to make an already great idea even better. Recently, Charnold released PSP Dungeons v0.4 right here at QJ. That's the great idea.  What made it even better is this Dark Dungeons Mod for Charnold">PSP Dungeons v0.4.

Be3f, who really liked Charnold's game, re-textured it using Quake Retexturing Pak & Quake 3 Arena, and modified some Charnold's textures. The result? PSP Dungeons v0.4 now looks looks more like the original Dungeons.

Before installing Dark Dungeons Mod, Be3f recommends that you delete levels folder in Dungeonsdata dir to save some space on MS. Otherwise the original textures not used by the modded game will still be there. Download everything from Dark_Dungeons archive to your Memory Stick Duo (apply file rewriting).

If your firmware is 1.50, you have to make kxploit for Dungeons on MS, or use nokxploit patcher, or, run the game under IrShell 2.2 since it supports Nokxploit EBOOTs.

Please refer to the readme file before doing anything else.

Be3f also has some notes for Charnold:

Visuals will be much increased, if you disable mipmapping for floor and ceiling (but keep it for walls). Of course, performance will slow down (but will save some RAM ) but textures will be sharper. Atmosphere must be deeper, if you'll set nightmare.wav as in-game ambient!

Download: [Dark Dungeons Mod for PSP Dungeons v0.4]