Welcome to a world where heroes are green and good conquers evil...by outlining the field.

Or so how the world looks like from Legacy, a homebrew by sg57 and an official entry to NEO Summer Coding Contest. The characters look like spiders alright. Some of the main features of this game includes built in MP3 player for great music, however there are no game sounds.

There is also some sort of a replay that slows down the gameplay at the end of a stage and an option that inverts the playing field, therefore making it a bit exciting, to say the least. Here are the controls for the game:

• X -- Mirror Mode Toggle (on/off)
• O -- Pause/Resume Song
• [] -- Stop Song
• / -- Toggle Repeat
• D-Pad -- Control Movement
• L/R Triggers -- Seek Forward/Backward
• Start -- Pause
• Select -- Exit

As it is, Legacy is already a good, well-thought game. But of course, we can always improve on what we have. We uploaded sg57's game so that in that way, it will be available for suggestions and improvements.

Download: [Legacy]

Thanks to an entry that was submitted to the NeoFlash Summer Coding competition, Meltdown v0.5 is now be available for PSP owners everywhere.

Authored by Jeffrey Soldan (a.k.a. Drakonite), the game is expected to be reminiscent of the puzzle game Bejeweled. The goal of Meltdown is to drag rows and columns of reactor cores (yes, those circles on the screen) and group them by color in order to destroy them.

To play the game, you can move the cursor around the screen using either the d-pad or the analog stick. Once you have found a point where you wish to move rows or columns, just hold X and then while holding, move the d-pad or analog stick either vertically or horizontally, depending on the best way which you see fit to group cores of the same color in threes or more.

In the readme file included in the download, the author wishes to thank adresd, Bryan, John_K, MrMr[iCE], Optimax, Skitchen, TyRaNiD, and [vEX].

Download: [Meltdown v0.5 for the PSP]

Grimfate126">Grimfate126 has been under some stress lately, as the corruption of his memory card messed with his work. It's a good thing he had a backup of sorts and so he's come up with version 0.7 of Assault Beta. One of the things we've been waiting for has also arrived with the release of 0.7. He's finally installed the granddaddy of all weapons of mass destruction: The Fart.Amazing how it doesn't explode when in contact with flamethrower bursts.

In any case, here is the changelog for this version:

ASSAULT BETA v0.7

--this the the fourth release of assault.

Change Log:

-- changed the array "FlameInfo" to use 2 sub-sets, instead of creating 2 arrays. save some memory.
-- added flame ANIMATIONS! :) (thx to Feldor) it looks HoT!!
-- new title screen (thx to Feldor) ALSO looks HoT!!
-- added ur favorite weapon - the FART. (seriously) it was pretty easy, so i was like might as well.
-- credits updated. i made the edges transparent and shortened to size of the font to save memory. (note: they look kind of ugly rite now, ill make the look better in the next release.)

To-Do

• wireless - server problem. youresam is gonna work on it after neo-flash coding comp.
• overload and raipd fire - damn, i totally forgot about this. :p will be the first thing i do for the next release.
• limited ammo - thats rite, no more "i cant shoot 1000000 bullets without running out!! YAY!!"
• new map - Mr.Game is working on a map with BACKGROUND ANIMATIONS!! OMFG!!
• color-collisons- meaning the maps will become fully customizable.
  

How to play:

• player 1 moves with d-pad, changes weapon by pressing analog stick "up". shoot by pressing L
• player 2 mover with X, square, O, and triangle. shoot by pressing R

In the credits: press UP or DOWN to scroll fast.

Now download it, have fun, and don't forget to thank Grimfate and his friends (check the credits!), okay? Enjoy!

Download: [Assault Beta v0.7]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

We have a new GBA emulator on hand to add to our collection, thanks to the programming efforts of Exophase. He's new to the scene: the program's pretty young (Exophase's been working on it for about three months now), a start-from-scratch emulator and only a beta.

And it's already making eyes pop out, jaws drop open, and believers out of our QJ PSP homebrew forum readers. Exophase's designing gpSP with a premium on emulation speed and optimization. And even in this early stage he's hit the holy grail! Users simply cannot believe that their favorite GBA games will run at full speed, with the sound quality they've come to expect from a good-quality GBA game. It's even faster than the previous GBA-PSP emulator we've featured.

So far, gpSP v0.5 only emulates the core GBA system, and does not emulate the special hardware available on a number of GBA cartridges. This version will take 16Mb-sized GBA ROMS (he's working on the capability to play the larger files).

There are a few caveats. Not all games will be compatible with this release; future updates will improve on the compatibility issue. Also, there are some games that will run slowly unless idle loops are taken care of; this is done through a supplied ROM database (game_config.txt) and on a per-game basis. As of this release there are a few games on the database; future releases will have more games added.

A very impressive effort for a bolt from the blue. Exophase, you have our kudos. Keep it up!

Instructions (from the readme.txt):

• Provided is an EBOOT.PBP which will run as is on a 1.0 firmware PSP or custom firmware that can run unsigned EBOOTs. On 1.5 firmwares you must use a kxploit tool to run it (try SeiPSPtool). On 2.0 firmwares and higher further exploits must be used (see http://pspupdates.qj.net/ for more information). Note that this emulator has not been tested on any firmware version besides 1.5, and it's very possible that it doesn't run well, or at all on higher versions. Therefore I strongly recommend you downgrade if possible, and use Devhook to run games that require > 1.5 version firmwares.
• Be sure to include in the same directory as the EBOOT.PBP file the game_config.txt file included and the gba_bios.bin file which you must provide yourself.

As this is a beta, both Exophase and we here at QJ will be very grateful for your comments on this program, both here and at our forums. The standard warnings about uploading executables to your PSP still apply, and don't forget to read the file's readme.txt for complete details.

Controls:
At the ROM selection screen:

• Up/down: navigate current selection window.
• Left/right: switch between file window and directory window.
• Circle/start: select current entry.
• Square: go one directory up.

In game:

• Up/down/left/right: GBA d-pad
• Circle: GBA A button
• Cross: GBA B button
• Square/start: GBA start button
• Select: GBA select button
• Triangle: Adjust frameskip

In frameskip adjustment:

• Hold down triangle to keep up, press up/down to increase/decrease frameskip, respectively

Download: [gpSP v0.5 (beta) GBA emulator for the PSP binary file]
Download: [gpSP v0.5 (beta) GBA emulator for the PSP source file]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]

You might easily mistake it with the DS homebrew Earth Invaders given that they are made by the same person, but, Earth Invaders 0: Before the Attack is a homebrew made for the PSP and is smealum's entry to the Neoflash Summer Coding Contest.

He apologizes for not yet coming out with a polished version of the game because he unfortunately lost a lot of his initial work when the source file of the game got corrupted. Good thing he's a regular Mr. Brightside and sees this as an opportunity to make improvements in the game. Our main concern, and I think everyone will agree, is to have enemies that aren't our clones. Also, while playing the game, we fell through the obstacles and never surfaced - literally. We were actually waiting for the game to end, since we assumed that we've already died, but it's just not doing that. However, even if it's still unfinished, there are already a lot of things that you can do. Over here at QJ, we got a kick out of watching Gotenks get his Ki back. The opening sequence is also worth a mention.

Here's more of smealum's post about his entry:

That's why i'm presenting to you this incomplete version, i would like advices and i'd also like to know what things you like, don't like, or would like to have in the next version.

Also, none of the graphics (except the menu and the video....that i didn't finish actually, this is only a test video i made to test my "video player"....) are by me, i took the sprites from Dragon Ball : Hyper Dimension (SNES, 1994). You'll notice that the enemies look a little bit like you....  Undecided It won't be like this in the real version. Also, the "story mode" in this version is only the map browser...

You'll also notice a map creator, which isn't in its final version either - though it already works pretty well.

Download: [Earth Invaders 0: Before the Attack]
Download: [Earth Invaders 0 Map Editor]

Here's another homebrew that our scouts have zoned in on within the Halls of QJ, and it's got irony written all over it. DreaDNoughT has just updated his Mario Don't Drop the PSP game to version 2 and we're all once again called upon to take the role of clumsy li'l Mario tasked with the very unlikely mission - save as many PSPs as he can.

To make it more challenging, this version now has falling bombs to avoid (level 2), a Nintendo DS you have to jump over (level 3), a different falling speed for each of the earth-bound PSPs, and Mario now has the ability to jump (Mario ain't Mario if he can't jump). Aside from these, DreaDNoughT also included Pause options and a simple yet handy menu where you can turn off the music and the analog stick.

Like the first version, you can still use either the D-pad or analog stick to move Mario; to make him jump press X button. DreaDNoughT plans to add mushrooms and stars in his future releases. He also want to give thanks to Kevin (kid101skater/darkdev) for providing him with the game's graphics and music.

While this homebrew doesn't exactly tip the scales of awesomeness, it still made an impact on us as we're left thinking...why on earth would Mario want to save PSPs when he's working for his creator's handheld - NDS?! We can only think of one answer to that lingering mystery - in this game, PSP stands for Pretty Special Princess!

Download: [Mario Don't Drop the PSp v.2]

Making an appearance at Friday's Comic-Con, Sony decided it's time for some PSP history lessons (but I prefer to call it PSP glorification time) with their presentation dubbed as PSP University. Some PSP facts, future functionality, upcoming releases, and "shouldn't have been mentioned"-s were featured in the presentation.

Here's what you should know about the PSP by now:

• Currently, there are 120 games available for Sony's handheld and the number will be increasing to over 200 by the end of 2006.
• There are now over 350 UMD movies and TV shows available and despite talks of UMD sales declining, Sony Pictures and Fox still have UMD products in the works.
• PSP is about a million units ahead of Nintendo DS in terms of U.S. sales (with a Sony representative admitting that DS Lite had a particularly strong debut showing).
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is the most successful PSP title to date, followed by Madden NFL 06 and then SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo.

On show in the presentation are:

• Trailers for upcoming games Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, U.S. Navy S.E.A.L.S. Fireteam Bravo 2, and Gangs of London.
• Movie trailers of UMD Napoleon Dynamite and Office Space.

A serving of Sony handheld's future functionality and upcoming releases:

• PSP serving as some kind of remote control for PS3 is Sony's answer to the fans' "most wanted feature" which is PSP functionality with the next-gen console. The next most wanted feature - PlayStation games on PSP - will also be coming.
• Fall will see a camera peripheral, the megapixel count of which cannot be divulged as of the moment.
• More downloadable video content will be available on Sony Connect, however, Sony must first devise a system that will protect intellectual properties.
• The handheld's speakers and analog nub may be revised in the future, the d-pad however will remain the same (at least, that's the plan for now).
• Sony's Japanese operation will decide on a video output solution for the system.
• With the Greatest Hits program, which will come to PSP on Tuesday, some title will be available in the U.S. for only $19.99. Ape Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Twisted Metal: Head On, and WipeOut Pure are in line to be released under the program.

Take note:

• RSS video support will be included in the PSP firmware version 2.80, which will be out on Thursday.

I don't know about you, but I don't think we really needed to hear this:

• "Overall [homebrew's] frowned on. Our tech guys have gotten madder and madder lately, and it does void your warranty." -Sony representative
  

Oh well, these aren't really that type of news that keeps us PSP fanatics jumping up and down in excitement, but some of the mentioned info in PSP University were really worth taking note of...

Team Xtender has never failed us in delivering new accessories. It seems like they live to please. Their balanced mix of the flamboyant and the practical is their biggest asset of all. Last time they wowed us with their release of XCM Deluxe Chrome PSP faceplate and their Metallic Edition. You can literally make your PSP look like a different one every day using these faceplates.

Now they are back with a new collection they call Smooth as Silk. According to their website, their new line has undergone coloring through a special process, making the faceplate extra smooth. They say that this could also be an enhancing factor to your gaming experience. They boast of a new mold, lens, smooth coating and the best quality plastic.

The images are rather small, but I think you can make it out. Give the buttons a good, hard look and I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you'll discover.

What's in the box:

• Includes the digital pad (D-Pad) & analog stick
• Includes all face buttons (start, select, volume, display, audio & home)
• Includes all 4 main action buttons (2 sets)
• Includes screw driver

I love my PSP, but I've never purchased any sort of protection for the unit, I've always just used the soft carrying case it came with. Those armor type cases didn't make much sense to me because I wear cargo pants so I just slip the thing in my massive pocket, and I try to not make it a habit of dropping the device anyway. I've always kept an eye on screen protectors though, mainly because no one wants to scratch up their PSP's pretty surface, but I never got one because I didn't like the idea of seeing a sheeny, shiny screen of plastic laid over my regular screen, obstructing my vision and dimming the PSP's screen brightness. If you've felt the same way, you might want to keep reading, because there's a product on the market that should make you a pretty happy camper. Oh, and in case you don't own a PSP and are wondering what this story is doing on your fave blog, it's because the the InvisibleSHIELD can be custom cut to fit over 400 different devices, including PDA's the Nintendo DS, and yes, the iPod too.

Read the full review after the jump!

It wasn't such a pretty picture: PSP owners rejoicing at the fact that they can play games without having to pay for them thanks to the smart minds of homebrew developers and Sony trying to quash these creative geniuses' products by improving their official firmware security making it impossible (or should that be 'almost impossible'?) to run homebrew on their handheld console. Add to that messy picture the fact that some of the best games now does a forced auto firmware check, requiring an unexpolited firmware to run original UMD cartridges.

Since the whole scene was leaving the PSP owners and developers a bit (?) jaded, we cannot exactly blame them for rejoicing at every bit of development that allowed later firmwares to play homebrew - eLoader, downdater, etc. The eLoader, however, was not a really stable platform for allowing homebrew on all PSP firmware revisions, while the downdater removes all privileges higher firmware versions have. Which leads us to looking hopefully at the one solution that promised to permit running of homebrew on newer PSP versions plus allowing features of the official firmware to be enjoyed at the same time - Team Epislon's Undiluted Platinum.

Of course, when the Undiluted Platinum (U.P.) was first announced, the PSP scene was skeptic. How can such a beautiful piece exist? Is perfection really possible in this lifetime? Apparently not...because U.P. is nowhere near perfect (as this review will reveal)...but it does exist. Believe it - it has arrived.

Read the full article after the jump!

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Admin Note: There seems to have been confusion on the part of our reader base. Many users have accused this article of plagiarising the work of another site. This is not true. The information and images contained in this "review" was mailed out by the modchip makers as a Press Packet to many online sources. This is why many parts of this article are identical to other sites' reports. There was no plagiarism involved and what was done with this article is standard procedure for any official press release.

This should serve as wake-up call to many of our commenters who are quick to judge - its best not to get up on a soap box and make accusations unless you have all the information and know what's going on. Remember the old adage about assuming...