I haven't tried this one out for myself yet, but being an 8-bit Theatre fan I'm pretty sure I'm gonna enjoy it. This game demo from NickyP is a fighting game based on Final Fantasy I using the OpenBOR engine. Details after the link.

Thanks to NickyP for the heads up!

Download: Final Fantasy I demo for OpenBOR

If you're an avid user of the XLink Kai service, take heed. The team behind XLink Kai has just released version 7.4.15 which, apart from the usual bugfixes found in any update, ups the app's usability for Japanese users. Hit the full article for more info.

Download: kaiEngine-7.4.15-osx-universal.pkg.zip
Download: kaiEngine-7.4.15-linux-x86.tgz
Download: XLinkKai-7.4.15-win32.msi

Up for some more minigame madness for your Sony PlayStation Portable? I'll take that as a yes. Here to serve up a fine appetizer of his latest project is Sony PlayStation Portable homebrew developer Slasher, with the alpha build of EatEm. Described by some as a combination of Snake and fl0w, this is one homebrew game you should take a look at.




Download: EatEm Alpha

It's "getting to know you" time once again, and today we're going to take a look at the heroes in Nippon Ichi and Hitmaker's upcoming action RPG for the PSP, Dragoneer's Aria. You can check 'em out below courtesy of Siliconera. There are also a few bits of beautiful character art designed by Lineage artist Juno.

Valen
A member of an elite knight corps, which protects the endangered dragons around the world, Valen subsequently becomes the possessor of the Fire Orb. As a child, Valen attended dragoon school where he became good friends with Langley.

Now with the dark dragon threatening the world, Valen must stand strong and defend humanity from the ultimate evil. And yes, we mistook Valen for a girl at first too.

Euphe
Euphe is tough, yet kind hearted and her impulsive nature drags her into the war between good and evil. Upon the dark dragon’s attack on Granatis, Euphe was injured and rescued by Valen.

Her encounter with Valen was love at first sight as she follows Valen throughout the story.
 
Mary
She is the young captain of the infamous pirate ship Mary (named after her). Her ship sunk in heavy tides, so she is now seeking the legendary dragons in hopes that they could lift her ship back up.

Sadly, the first dragon she meets gets killed by the dark dragon and she vows to get revenge.

Ruslon
A guardian of the earth dragon who joins Valen’s team to protect the holy spirits and Mother Nature from the dark dragon’s destructive fury.

Ruslon is extremely proud of his elf heritage and initially looks down on humans and dragoon. However, his encounter with Valen and the rest slowly changes his spiteful personality.

Langley
An accomplished knight that is part of an elite dragoon corps. Langley is a powerful warrior who is also remarkably cunning.

As a child Langley attended the same dragoon school as Valen and became very good friends. Langley’s will and power as a dragoon are tested through his encounters with the legendary dragons.

Dragoneer's Aria is slated for a Summer release in the U.S. Stay tuned for more updates.

Thanks to the ever-watchful Badam, we've gotten word that SaiZn has released a pair of new XMB icon sets on the QJ forums. These sets feature icons based on the Windows Vista start orb and are available in both blue and red. Here's a look at what's included in each icon set:

• 32bit Red/Blue Vista Orb Icons
• Volume Bar
• Hold/Mute Icons
• Busy Icon
• Cross/Circle/Triangle Icons
• Game/Music Load Icons
• Corrupt Data Icons
• Red/Blue Vista Orb Coldboot
• Network Update renamed to Reboot PSP (Can be changed by hex editing or using RCO Swapper)

Installation instrctions can be found in the included readme file. Remember, always read the readme files before you install any piece of homebrew.

   

Download: Red Vista Orbs | Blue Vista Orbs
Visit: PSP Mods and Media

Yes, that adorable, pearl finished ball is a powerful speaker in disguise. Elecom's PSP-S700 is perfect for those that would want to share their music or videos with a room full of people ready to bring the house down. Its shape, not only makes it a curious little device, but also makes it easy to carry around. You don't have to worry about the cord getting all tangled up because it has its own special compartment inside the ball. No need to plug it into a power source. Since it's a passive type, it uses the device's power, your PSP in this instance, as its energy source. It could eat up some of your precious battery life, but hey, you used it all in style. It comes in a variety of colors like blue, pink, silver and white. Every color orb to match your outfit or PSP case. Unfortunately, no mention of it being available outside of Japan though. Including tax, it is priced at ¥2,520 or roughly $22 USD.

(Thanks, Flai, for the tip.)