Atma Xplorer

Install Popsloader on your PSP

sylv3rblade — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:21:51 +0000

By default, PSPs with custom firmware installed can already run PS1 games in EBOOT format. However, this built-in doesn’t work on all PSX games (since not all PS1 games are officially supported by the PSP) which is why we have the popsloader plugin.

What is the Popsloader plugin?

Popsloader is a PS1 (or PSX) emulator for PSP games that are in EBOOT format. These games can be bought from the PSN store or made from discs you legally own (but we know where you’re getting your PSX games right? )

How to install Popsloader on any PSP

Yep. Any PSP, and there’s even a Popsloader version for each of the supported firmware.
Download:

Popsloader for 5.00 M33 : Download
Popsloader for 5.03 GEN : Download
Popsloader for 5.50 GEN : Download

Requirements:

A PSP with custom firmware installed
It could be any of the ff: 5.00 M33, 5.03 GEN-A, 5.03 GEN-A, 5.50 GEN-A, 5.50 GEN-B, 5.50 GEN-C, 5.50 GEN-D, 5.50 GEN-D2
Popsloader files for your specific cfw version.

If you have an unhackable PSP (PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3):

You need to have 5.03 GEN-A or 5.03 GEN-B running
Copy the seplugins folder on the root of your memory stick.
If you already have an seplugins folder (meaning you already have another plugin installed):
- Copy the popsloader folder and the popsloader.prx into the seplugins folder
- Open up the pops.txt file and add the line:
```
ms0:/seplugins/popsloader.prx 1
```
That’s it, you’re ready to play PSX games

If you have an hackable PSP (PSP-1000 or PSP-2000 without TA-088v3):

You need to have 5.00 M33 or any variant of 5.50 GEN running (5.50 GEN-A,5.50 GEN-B,5.50 GEN-C,5.50 GEN-D@)
Copy the seplugins folder on the root of your memory stick.
If you already have an seplugins folder (meaning you already have another plugin installed):
- Copy the popsloader folder and the popsloader.prx into the seplugins folder
- Open up the pops.txt file and add the line:
```
ms0:/seplugins/popsloader.prx 1
```
Turn off your PSP
Turn it on again while holding the R button to enter the recovery menu
Enable the popsloader plugin
That’s it, you’re ready to play PSX games

If you encounter any problems, post a comment.

Install Popsloader on your PSP originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on November 9, 2009, 9:21 pm.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Nintendo Portables head-on: DSi vs DSi LL vs DS Lite

sylv3rblade — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:39:45 +0000

After the post about Nintendo’s announcement of the DSi LL, it’s only natural to do a vs post right? Well here’s one for the DSi vs DSi LL vs DS Lite.

Screen Size

DSi LL: 4.2 inches
DSi: 3.2 inches
DS Lite: 3 inches

Hardware Size

DSi LL (across): 161mm
DSi (across): 137mm
DS Lite (across): 133mm

DSi LL (front to back): 94.4mm
DSi (front to back): 74.9mm
DS Lite (front to back): 73.9mm

DSi LL (thickness): 21.2mm
DSi (thickness): 18.9mm
DS Lite: 21.5mm

Touch Pen Size

DSi LL (short pen): 96mm
DSi LL (long pen): 129.3mm
DSi: 92mm
DS Lite: 87.5mm

Weight

DSi LL (including Battery Pack, short Touch Pen): 314g
DSi (including Battery Pack, Touch Pen): 214g
DS Lite (including Battery Pack, Touch Pen, GBA Cover): 218g

Charging Time

DSi LL: 3 hours
DSi: 2 hours 30 mins.
DS Lite: 3 hours

Battery Life

DSi LL (Lowest Brightness): 13~17 hours
DSi (Lowest Brightness): 9~14 hours
DS Lite (Lowest Brightness): 15~19 hours

DSi LL (Second Lowest Brightness): 11~14 hours
DSi (Second Lowest Brightness): 8~12 hours
DS Lite (Second Lowest Brightness): 10~15 hours

DSi LL (Middle Brightness): 9~11 hours
DSi (Middle Brightness): 6~9 hours
DS Lite (Middle Brightness): Not setting such exists on DS Lite

DSi LL (Second Highest Brightness): 6~8 hours
DSi (Second Highest Brightness): 4~6 hours
DS Lite (Second Highest Brightness): 7~11 hours

DSi LL (Highest Brightness): 4~5 hours
DSi (Highest Brightness): 3~5 hours
DS Lite (Highest Brightness): 5~8 hours

Supported Software

DSi LL: Nintendo DS, DSi, DSiWare
DSi: Nintendo DS, DSi, DSiWare
DS Lite: Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance

Input Outport Slots

DSi LL: DS Card Slot, SD Memory Card Slot, AC Adaptor, Headphones, Mic
DSi: DS Card Slot, SD Memory Card Slot, AC Adaptor, Headphones, Mic
DS Lite: DS Card Slot, Game Boy Advance Slot, AC Adaptor, Headphones, Mic

Nintendo Portables head-on: DSi vs DSi LL vs DS Lite originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on November 2, 2009, 3:39 am.
This post is part of the category Nintendo DS. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.03 GEN-B via ChickHEN R2

sylv3rblade — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:57:29 +0000

The release of Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D gave hackable PSPs the ability to play PSP games that require 5.55 ofw and up without the need to patch the game. This is now available to non-hackable PSPs via custom firmware 5.03 GEN-B with the same ability to decrypt games on the fly, allowing you to play games that PSPs that have 5.50 GEN-D can. Interested yet? Read on

Important Notes:

This guide is for non-hackable PSPs. (PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA-088v3). If you’re not sure what PSP you have, please read: Is my PSP hackable?

On this guide, we will help install 5.03 GEN-B on your PSP. There is no danger of bricking your PSP unless you deviate from the instructions listed below. Unlike custom firmware for hackable PSPs, the danger of bricking your PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA-088v3 is quite real. If you’re not sure about a step, take the time to post a question.

Do note that if you have official firmware 5.50 or higher installed, stop now. You can’t install the chickHen hack which means you can’t install 5.03 GEN-B.

Requirements:

A PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 motherboard.
A PSP with 5.03 GEN-A installed
Download: 5.03 GEN-B | 5.03 GEN-B
Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups)

How to Install Custom Firmware 5.03 GEN-B for ChickHEN

Before you proceed to installing custom firmware 5.03 GEN-B, you need to install 5.03 GEN-A on your PSP first. Just click the picture on the right to install 5.03 GEN-A and comeback here to finish the installation.

How to Install 5.03 GEN-B

Make sure your PSP has 5.03 GEN-A installed. You won’t be able to install 5.03 GEN-B without it.
Extract the 5.03 GEN-B files to your computer.
Copy the PSP folder to your PSP’s memory stick. (Yes, just drag the whole folder there)
Disconnect the PSP from USB
Run 5.03 GEN-B Updater from under Game on your PSP’s XMB
After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot.
Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.03 GEN-B.

Important Note: If this is NOT the first time that you’ll be install 5.03 GEN-B (meaning you accidentally turned off your PSP and had to reload 5.03 GEN-A -> 5.03 GEN-B again), hold the L trigger (Left shoulder button) when running the updater.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Compatible with the PSP-3000 and PSP-2000 v3 official firmware 5.03
Play backups of games REQUIRE PSP firmware above 5.03, including 6.xx Play backups of games REQUIRE PSP firmware above 5.03, including 6.xx
Reading UMD that REQUIRE firmware above 5.03, including 6.xx Playing UMD REQUIRE firmware above 5.03, including 6.xx
Reading UMD / ISO games protected against the custom firmware. Playing UMD / ISO games protected against the custom firmware.
Play PS1 games
GEN VSH MENU available (SELECT)
Recovery in VSH Recovery available in VSH available
Reading Reading Homebrews

KNOWN BUGS:

MGS demo refuses to run
VSH menu is mixed up

All this is thanks to GENyUS and PSPGen.com.

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.03 GEN-B via ChickHEN R2 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on November 2, 2009, 2:57 am.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Nintendo announces DSi LL

sylv3rblade — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:52:25 +0000

Despite having just released the DSi earlier this year, Nintendo has announced a revised version of the dual camera DS due to be released for Japanese shores by the Christmas season. The DSi LL will sport a larger 4.2 inch screen and will be priced ¥20,000 (US$220).

So why redesign the DSi? Nintendo says that this in a response to customer requests for a larger screen. The new DSi LL boasts a 93 percent increase over the DS Lite’s screen size but carries the same number of pixels.

The DSi LL is bundled with two touch pens: one shorter and one longer touch pen (129.3mm), and comes will three DSiWare titles pre-installed: Two brain training games (one for humanities, the other for sciences) and DS Easy Dictionary.

The DSi LL will be available to Japan on November 21, 2009, just in time for some Christams shopping . As for the US/EU release, the DSi LL will be known as the DSi XL (makes you wonder what the LL stands for doesn’t it?) and will arrive in the first quarter of the year 2010.

Personally I think this is a great upgrade (although technically it’s just a boost in screen size). I’ve been skipping out on the DSi because it’s still has a relatively small screen. The DSi XL might make me jump on the Nintendo band wagon XD. Takers anyone?

Nintendo announces DSi LL originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 29, 2009, 8:52 pm.
This post is part of the category Nintendo DS. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Windows 7 Gets Official OS-tan Theme

sylv3rblade — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:29:12 +0000

Japan really gets all the good stuff. Aside from the Windows 7 whopper from Burger King, they also get a new theme that is voiced by popular seiyuu idol, Mizuki Nana, along with an officially sanctioned (by Microsoft ) OS-tan, Nanami Madobe.

While the theme is only available by preording Microsoft’s latest operating system and is localized for Japan users only, people over at hongfire were able to release a copy with an english fix

Want the theme? Just download it below:
Nanami Official Theme

As for those awesome wallpapers, you can download them by clicking below:

The question big question though is if Nanami will get adopted as an official member of the “OS-tan” brigade as all of the previous tans have been fan-created. Still, you got to admit that Nanami is CUTE!

Via Akiba-PC

Windows 7 Gets Official OS-tan Theme originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 25, 2009, 8:29 am.
This post is part of the category Fanboyism. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D

sylv3rblade — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:15:29 +0000

The Gen TEAM has just released Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D which fixes the troubles that 5.50 GEN-C brings and a bit more. What’s new with 5.50 GEN-D? It allows you to play ISOs and CSOs that require 5.55 or 6.00 firmware without having to patch the eboot.

If you’re using have a PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3 however, you’re still stuck with patching.

Important: DO NOT attempt to install this on PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3. YOU WILL BRICK YOUR PSP IF YOU DO.

Requirements:

A PSP with custom firmware installed AT LEAST 5.00 M33-6. If you’re having problems installing 5.50 GEN-D. make sure to upgrade to 5.50 GEN-B first for the best chances of getting XGEN Updater to work.
PSP battery that’s at least 78% full
Download: XGen Updater | XGen Updater
Disable ALL plugins.
Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups)

How to install 5.50 GEN-D using XGen Updater

Connect your PSP to your computer
Extract the XGen Updater to your PC
Copy the PSP folder and the 550.pbp file to the root of your memory stick

On your XMB, go to Game > Memory Stick to start XGen Updater
Select Enter on the screen above

Choose Flash install CFW 5.50 GEN-D

After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot.
Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.50 GEN-D

Important: 5.50 GEN-D2 Patch!

After installing 5.50 GEN-D, you can install the bugfix 5.50 GEN-D2. The changes have been listed on the changelog below.

To install just download 5.50 GEN-D2 | 5.50 GEN-D2 and use the same steps above.

How to install 5.50 GEN-D2

Extract the 5.50 GEN-D2 files to your computer.
Copy the PSP folder to your PSP’s memory stick. (Yes, just drag the whole folder there)
Disconnect the PSP from USB
Run 5.50 GEN-D2 Updater from under Game on your PSP’s XMB
After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot.
Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.50 GEN-D2.

What do I get with custom firmware 5.50 GEN-D and GEN-D2

Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D Features:

All features of 5.50GEN-B2 are available.
Compatibility with games requiring firmware 5.51 with no additional handling (now, you don’t need Game Decrypter)
Compatibility with most of games normally protected and refusing to be ran on a Custom Firmware (Full Metal Alchemist, Soul Calibur, etc). Yoshihiro has created a system to run them and he succeed to make this system more stable and it’s now compatible with all PSP, unlike the 5.50 GEN-C.
Possibility to connect at the Playstation Store via MEDIAGO, to retrieve game and goodies without having to install Fake USB or other complicated stuff.
Support for 480×272 AVC video playback.

Fixes for Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D2:

Evangelion Anti CFW patch Fix
Fix Wlan TKIP in game loop : pes 2009 , fifa , motorstorm , GTA cw ect….
Fix Video Output With 5.5X and 6.X Games like GTA Chinatowns War
Fixed recovery menu with make Pandora and make battery normal
removed splash screen http://www.pspgen.com but you have another spash screen in red color for let you know if the decrypter work .

After installing GEN-D2, How about some Free PSP Games?

Troubleshooting:

If you’re having problems installing 5.50 GEN-D do the following:

Restore your PSP to the original settings. No CXMBs, no fonts, etc
Format flash1 and reset settings (recovery mode)
Set theme to orginal Sony theme
Turn off all plugins
Reformat memory stick

If it still doesn’t work, just update to 5.50 GEN-B2 before running the 5.50 GEN-D installer.

Credits:

Dark_AleX – For his M33
Genyus – By GEN

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 21, 2009, 9:15 pm.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Playing D&D on the Microsoft Surface

sylv3rblade — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:55:25 +0000

Microsoft’s Surface is one of the best implementations of surface (no pun intended) computing that we’ve seen so far. It’s best application so far? Recreating the Dungeons & Dragons experience and legacy on the table top. Sure it’s a work in progress but WOW! I wish we had one of these when we were still playing our weekly sessions

It’s a work by a research team at Carnegie Mellon University. Players move real figurines (ala D20) over virtual dungeons, rolling virtual dices to hit, deal damage etc. It’s really an amazing project and one, as an RPG enthusiast, will continue to watch out for.

[via Engadget]

Playing D&D on the Microsoft Surface originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 21, 2009, 3:55 am.
This post is part of the category Fanboyism. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-C

sylv3rblade — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:35:04 +0000

PSPGen and GENyUS has just released 5.50 GEN-C. If you’re thinking *yawn*, not another incremental update then you’re sadly mistaken as 5.50 GEN-C will let you play 5.55 and 6.00 games straight from the ISO . Sounds like quite a deal doesn’t it?

No more decrypting, no more patching and no more rebuilding. Well that is the only case IF you have a HACKABLE PSP (Is my PSP hackable?). For PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3, it’s still the Game Decrypter method for you.

Important: DO NOT attempt to install this on PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3. YOU WILL BRICK YOUR PSP IF YOU DO.
Important: GEN-C is still buggy and is causing a lot of problems. I recommend installing 5.50 GEN-D instead.

Requirements:

Any PSP with custom firmware installed 3.71 M33 or above. 5.00 M33-6 is the best bet for the XGEN Updater to work.
PSP battery that’s at least 78% full
Download: XGen Updater | XGen Updater
Disable ALL plugins.
Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups)

How to install 5.50 GEN-C using XGen Updater

Connect your PSP to your computer
Extract the XGen Updater to your PC
Copy the PSP folder and the 550.pbp file to the root of your memory stick
On your XMB, go to Game > Memory Stick to start XGen Updater
Select Flash install CFW 5.50 GEN-C
After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot.
Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.50 GEN-C

Update: PSPGen and Yoshiro’s explaination for 5.50 GEN-C’s issues: (Translated from French)

First we present our apologies for this release that posed more problems than we expected. To be very frank, in our tests made in the same manner as other times, we had satisfactory results, but several factors intervened between the announcement of the online one. We will try to explain the why of how this release cursed.

Firstly, the original version that was being posted was well prepared for this announcement and we had given 24 hours of additional testing to verify that everything worked well. This first release does not launch the protected games but all games 5.55 +. In the process, Yoshihiro out how to counter the protections we have decided to announce and release in the edit function. So this is where we fished for if everything worked in our tests, it is found that certain protections of our CFW have come to panic under certain conditions and also depending on the model of PSP. Moreover, to avoid (too much) delay the release, we dropped the baby without giving her a test period of time. Accept our apologies for this.

In our defense, there are several types of errors, some of which we are not attributable to:

* You have a black screen by launching the updater
You are in Custom Firmware 5.50GEN-B and not in B2. It was enough to qse B2 therefore to resolve the concern.
* You have a semi brick ( “I have the clock …”)
You had left a personalized theme and therefore it was enough to format the flash1 via Recovery menu. Do not have a personal theme during a flash console is part of b and ba and we had forgot to report it. Nothing serious, however, because the Recovery remained accessible and / or restart without his MS usually enough to break the deadlock.
* You bricked your console
The installer of 5.50GEN has no CFW our bug and can not be directly responsible for that. Everything is working 200%, you can be sure Clearly, note that if you have bricked is probably due to a failure of your nand that would have occurred at any other attempt to flash your console including an official.

Note that GENyUS and Yoshihiro currently working to ensure that these mistakes are forgotten as quickly as possible and we will post the Custom Firmware 5.50GEN-D when everything will be validated and verified. A priori, this should not be long and, again, be assured that we are sorry for any panic.

If you still want to proceed to installing 5.50 GEN-C, continue reading below.

I’ve also updated the post for the XGEN Updater with this information.

Install PSP Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-C originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 19, 2009, 12:35 am.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

The Hardest Mario Level ever!

sylv3rblade — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:49:35 +0000

My girlfriend found this little gem of a video and it gave me a pretty good laugh.

A bit of warning, the language of the commentary me offend you… but it will crack you up I promise!

Now please excuse me while I continue rolling on the floor laughing (that’s ROTFL to the uninitiated)

The Hardest Mario Level ever! originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 11, 2009, 2:49 pm.
This post is part of the category Random Post. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Upgrade GEN CFW with XGEN Updater

sylv3rblade — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:17:43 +0000

Yoshiro’s XGEN Updater is a very useful tool that allows you to upgrade your hacked PSP (one with custom firmware installed) to the latest GEN CFW (which is currently 5.50 GEN-D) or if you dare, any official firmware version (just like Hellcat’s Recovery tool). If you’re asking how the XGEN updater will be of use to you when you’re already on 5.00 M33, it’ll save you the trouble of doing an incremental update of 5.00 M33 -> 5.50 GEN-A -> 5.50 GEN-B -> 5.50 GEN-B2 -> 5.50 GEN-D.

What exactly does the XGEN Updater do?

Flash Install CFW 5.50 GEN-D - installs custom firmware 5.50 GEN-D, everything will start automatically. This will bring you the latest firmware GEN, with all the benefits it provides (Playstation Store access, access to some of the latest games etc …)
Flash Install 5.50 OFW - This option allows you to install the official firmware 5.50. Be careful, you lose all the benefits of a custom firmware if you do this update, and you will NOT go custom firmware if you do not have a kit Despertar del Cementerio or XGen Pandora
Install any flash sony OFW- install any firmware official 3.XX to 5.XX, but at your own risk, because you lose all the benefits of a custom firmware and you will NOT go custom firmware if you do not have a kit Despertar del Cementerio XGen or Pandora.To use this option, copy the eboot file of any official firmware version you want to flash to the root of your memory stick and rename it to EBOOT.PBP.
Install XGEN PANDORA - converts a kit despertar del cementerio V8 kit XGEN Pandora.If you install Updater XGen on a Memory Stick with Despertar del Cementerio V8, it will be converted to XGen Pandora. XGEN Pandora (you need a Pandora battery for this) will allow you to flash any PSP (except TA-v883 and PSP-3000) directly 5.50 GEN-D.

Important: DO NOT attempt to install this on PSP-3000 / PSP-2000 TA088v3. YOU WILL BRICK YOUR PSP IF YOU DO.

Important: Choosing any option from the XGen Updater menu (as shown above) will start flashing your PSP will start immediately. Read this guide fully before attempting to do anything with the XGEN Updater. Also, never remove the battery from your PSP while using the program (may brick if you take it off for a flash).

Requirements:

A PSP with custom firmware installed AT LEAST 5.00 M33-6. If you’re having problems installing 5.50 GEN-D. make sure to upgrade to 5.50 GEN-B first for the best chances of getting XGEN Updater to work.
PSP battery that’s at least 78% full
Download: XGen Updater | XGen Updater
Download: 550.PBP | 550.PBP
Disable ALL plugins.
Back up your save files (so that if they get corrupted, you still have backups)

How to install 5.50 GEN-D using XGen Updater

Connect your PSP to your computer
Extract the XGen Updater to your PC
Copy the PSP folder to the root of your memory stick
On your XMB, go to Game > Memory Stick to start XGen Updater
Select Flash install CFW 5.50 GEN-D
After all process is complete, press X. Your PSP will reboot.
Congratulations, you’ve just installed 5.50 GEN-D

Changelog

XGen Updater:

Changing the location of “Flash install CFW 5.50 GEN-D, which is now in the forefront of the menu
Support Official Firmware 6.10 and added a test tool for the latest encryption keys Sony
VSH Menu has been corrected for Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D

XGen Pandora:

Changing the location of “Flash install CFW 5.50 GEN-D, which is now in the forefront of the menu
VSH Menu has been corrected for Custom Firmware 5.50 GEN-D
An option for the test kit Despertar del Cementerio V8 that will get you started on the M33 firmware from your memory card

FAQ:

Why is there another 550.pbp there? Doesn’t the XGEN updater have one already?

Backup. If you encounter an error using the XGEN updater, replace the 550.pbp on your memory stick with the one included here.

What are the differences between XGen Updater and XGen Pandora?

The differences between these two utilities is that XGen Updater will directly install the custom firmware: 5.50 GEN-D on the console. XGen Pandora will only update the kit Despertar del Cementerio v8 to install it on 5.50 GEN-D when used (instead of 5.00 M33).

Credits:

Yoshiro
Genyus – By GEN
PinoyPSP

Upgrade GEN CFW with XGEN Updater originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 4, 2009, 1:17 am.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Game Review: Need for Speed Shift

sylv3rblade — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:36:45 +0000

I’m not a big NFS fan but I’ll admit that I’m a stickler for racing games so when Need for Speed Shift (for the PSP) came out, I decided to take it for a spin. Here’s a review of the game…

What? A review? Already? Yep. That’s pretty indicative of the game’s length isn’t it?

Need for Speed Shift

A product of EA’s brightlight studio, Shift feels and progresses pretty much like an arcade version of the game. Like all NFS games on the PSP, Need for Speed Shift is visually stunning on the platform. Things are pretty simple and straightforward so you’ll be able to jump into races pretty quick but unfortunately that also means your options are pretty limited but I guess that’s to be expected. Shift is not meant to be a race simulator but simply a fun racing game. So is it fun? Well I’ll leave that decision to you.

Gameplay

Instead of purchasing upgrades for your cars, you unlock them with loyalty points. While the system was a blessing at the start of the game, overtime things became too bland pretty quick. So yeah, the simplicity of the game bites you really quick. You see, loyalty points are awarded to you by using the same car over and over. You have no control over what parts you get for free nor options on what parts you get to install. And how do you get more cars under your belt? By beating rivals of course. Then the whole process repeats itself of you maxing out the upgrades then beating your rivals and changing cars. Shift became too monotonous far too quickly.

As for the race tracks, it’s pretty much a hit or miss. Some stages are golden like the ones in Shizuoka while others are a disaster like Paris (a drift competition in a track with a narrow lanes with 90 degree turns? SERIOUSLY?). One thing you’ll note as you progress though is that how often you get to play each course. The number of courses for NFS Shift is pretty limited so yeah, it gets old really quick.

Need for Speed Shift has a pretty decent selection of events (Sprint, Checkpoint, Eliminator, Lap Race, etc) but like the tracks, not all of them seem to be well thought of. The drift challenge (my personal fave) is pretty much on the good side of things and the worst? The checkpoint race (yes race, the AI are trying to beat the clock with you).

Controls

The game controls for NFS Shift is pretty much straightforward and does it’s job pretty well. Using powerslide/drift is a great way to speed through corners. There’s no slow-motion mode here like Most Wanted and Carbon so races are pretty fast-paced. A bit of warning though, maintaining control of your car especially through technical courses can be a nightmare. You WILL fishtail no matter what car you choose but the key here is understanding how each car works for you. Sticking to one car for all the events will pretty much ensure your loss so make sure you juggle between cars.

Nitpickings

Game’s too short. If you take a few hours (around 16 hours) of your time you can pretty much clear the whole game. That’s alright if you wanted to play the game on your way home since races are short and fast but this is a PSP game, we need longetivity and replayability.

Audio is also a big disappointment. There wasn’t anything catchy in the BGM and while the game’s controls and gameplay are pretty responsive, the sound effects and audio cues are either missing or lacking. It’s not a big issue to some but hey, this is a nitpick.

Verdict

My reaction about an hour through the game is pretty much a big “Mehhhh.” It’s too unpolished to be a great game. Sure it’s a simple game but is it fun? I’d have to say no. Guess it’s back to waiting for Gran Turismo.

Game Review: Need for Speed Shift originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on October 1, 2009, 9:36 am.
This post is part of the category Reviews. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Play games that require OFW 5.55 and 6.00

sylv3rblade — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:54:28 +0000

So you’ve tried the version.txt hack and it didn’t turn out well (in short, it didn’t work for you). It’s admittedly a hit or miss bypass since not all games relied on checking a version.txt file to see if you were running the right firmware version. To date, the best and most reliable way to be able to play games that require OFW 5.03 to 5.50 is to upgrade to 5.50 GEN-A/5.50 GEN-B (no luck for partially hackable PSPs).

But what if you had a game that requires 5.55 or 6.00? Well, there’s this method.

Important Note: This is ONLY for PSP users who have the following custom firmware installed: 5.50 GEN-A, 5.50 GEN-B, 5.50 MHU, 5.03 GEN-A, 5.03 MHU and 5.00 M33. If you have anything below this, consider upgrading.
Update: Added Eboot Patcher for people running 5.00 M33, 5.03 GEN-A, and 5.03 MHU.

Requirements:

A PSP with any of the following firmware installed: 5.50 GEN-A, 5.50 GEN-B, 5.50 MHU, 5.03 GEN-A, 5.03 MHU and of course 5.00 M33.
Download: UMDGen | UMDGen
Download : Game Decrypter v4 | Game Decrypter v4

Important Note: version 4 of Game Decrypter works well with 5.00 M33, 5.03 MHU and 5.50 MHU.

Open the ISO of the game you want to hack with UMDGen

Important: Go to File > File lists > Export and save it as game.txt.

Go to PSP_GAME > SYSDIR. You should see an eboot.bin file.

Right click on the eboot.bin file and choose Extract Selected. Place it somewhere on your PC that’s easy to remember. The desktop is good. Just don’t close UMDGen yet, you’ll still need it later

Extract the files for Game Decrypter to your PC. Copy the PSP folder from the extracted files right into the root of your memory stick. Note: The root of your memory stick is the actual drive your PC sees when you connect your PSP.
Copy the eboot.bin that you’ve extracted in step 5 to the root of your memory stick. Note: If your PSP is F:, it should appear as F:\eboot.bin
Disconnect your PSP from your PC and run Game Decrypter from the XMB

You will see the screen below. If you’re on 5.50 GEN-B2 Press X to decrypt the eboot.bin. If you’re on 5.00 M33 or 5.03 GEN_A or 5.03 MHU, press O

Connect your PSP to your PC again. At the root of your memory card, you should see a new folder called DECRYPTOR. Copy the eboot.bin that’s inside it to your PC.
Important Note: If you’re running 5.00 M33 or 5.03 GEN-A or 5.03 MHU, make sure to follow the steps below:

Eboot Patcher
- Download and extract the Eboot Patcher (Mirror 1).
- Start PC program Eboot Patcher (the executable is named Patch.exe)
- Clicking on Browse, select the EBOOT.bin by patch
- Click on Go! to patch the file
- On your PC, Add the newly decrypted eboot.bin into the SYSDIR folder that’s on UMDGen by right clicking on the right pane, Add > Add files.
On your PC, Add the newly decrypted eboot.bin into the SYSDIR folder that’s on UMDGen by right clicking on the right pane, Add > Add files.

Import the game.txt that you’ve extracted in step 2 via File > File List > Import.

Save (Rebuild) your game as CSO or ISO

Your game should work now.

Important: Make sure you delete the Decryptor folder on your PSP before trying to decrypt a new game.

FAQS:

Help! I’m getting just a black screen when playing a game hacked with this method. You have a game that’s not compatible with this method Either that or your missed a step. Try to look for an eboot.bin file, skip to step 9 and test it out if you want.

Is this safe? Yes. 100% Safe

What games have been tested with this method?

Game	Status
Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de (JAP)	Working
AFL Challenge (EUR)	Working. Just Output it as CSO with compression level 9
Armored Core 3: Portable (JAP)	Working
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (USA)	Working
Beaterator (USA)	Working
DIRT 2 (EUR)	Working
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (USA)	Working
Evangelion Battle Orchestra (JAP)	Working but save isn’t
G.I. JOE: The Rise Of Cobra (USA)	Working
G.I. JOE: The Rise Of Cobra (EUR)	Working
Gran Turismo Portable (USA)	Working
Gran Turismo Portable (EUR)	Not working (probably a BAD DUMP)
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena 2 (JAP)	Working
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2	Decrypt EBOOT.BIN using Game Decrypter v2
Motorstorm (EUR)	Working
Motorstorm USA	Working
Naruto Shippudden Akatsuki Rising (EUR)	Working
Rugby League Challenge (EUR)	Working
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (USA)	Working
Tales of VS (JAP)	Working
Tenchu San Portable (JAP)	Working
YS Seven (JAP)	Working
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 4 (JAP)	Working

Credit goes to:
Yoshihiro, Team GENyUS, and everyone else over at PSP GEN.

Play games that require OFW 5.55 and 6.00 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on September 30, 2009, 7:54 pm.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

The calm after the storm: Ondoy’s Aftermath

sylv3rblade — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:22:57 +0000

To say that the Philippines stood still in the midst of Ondoy is an understatement. I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone when I saw that no one expected the damage to be this huge. It’s the biggest disaster I’ve seen and experienced since the 1991 quake and yet it started out as what everyone thought as just the typical downpour. The truth however, is that Ondoy is the worst typhoon to hit the metro since 1967.

Just for comparison, Ondoy dropped 455 millimeters of rain in Quezon City in 24 hours, while Hurricane Katrina dropped 250 millimeters of rain to New Orleans in Louisiana in the United States in 2005. That’s a months worth of rain in less than a single day and the metro as we know it turned into a literal sea of flood water.

Ondoy’s wrath

I have no images no videos of what happened since the only things with me are my phone, my wallet, my jacket and my half-useless umbrella. I carried back only the experience and a story to tell. These are photos from pinoy bloggers:

What happened to you?

My girlfriend and I found ourselves stranded along EDSA, waiting for the traffic to get moving and eventually a bus to take us home. Somewhere along the way (on Starmall as Paula, my girlfriend confirmed), a pickpocket managed to slip clean away with my wallet. Lucky for me, I had all my cash on my pocket instead of inside my wallet. Enjoy my 10 pesos mr. pickpocket. I’ve already cancelled/reported my cards btw.

So…. juggling the meager amount we had left, we ended up taking the MRT to taft station. Since we couldn’t find any buses, jeep or any vehicle that would take us to Cavite (I’ll tell why you in a bit), we decided to walk all the way home. That’s 6.6 kilometers of the Cavite-Manila expressway (known to us as Coastal Road) and around 2 more kilometers for MRT Taft to baclaran and the stretch of the expressway to SM Bacoor. Here’s a map to give you an idea:

It took us more than 8 hours of walking along stopped vehicles on the expressway. It felt like a Hollywood movie >_>. Oh, the reason why there were no vehicles going to Cavite AND why there are still vehicles stopped on the expressway? Turns out that Bacoor, the gateway of Cavite to Manila, was flooded in knee deep waters. Since everyone needed to pass through Bacoor to get to anywhere in Cavite, no one was able to get through. So yeah, our decision to walk it out turned out to be the right choice.

When we reached SM Bacoor, we we’re faced with waist deep waters and a current that’s sure to take our weary bodies along with it. Lucky for us, a 10-wheeler truck was just about to trek the waters to EPZA. Our home was along it’s route so we decided to hitchhike. After more than 12 hours of trekking, we managed to get home safely.

Moral of my story? Always bring your camera wherever you go. Missing the photos of an experience that happens once in a lifetime will be your biggest regret.

Ok enough about you, how can I help?

After a few hours of sleep, we turned to the news and realized how lucky we were to get home relatively unscathed from the long trek. We knew there wasn’t much we could do since we’re still effectively broke (no cash, no ATMs, no money from Adsense yet.. YOU’RE LATE AGAIN) so we decided to do volunteer work and help packing goods. It’s not much but it’s the least we could do to help.

If you’re here wondering how you can help out from your area please read this Disaster Relief Google Spreadsheet. It’s kept up-to-date by volunteers, bloggers, NGO’s and citizens that contains the complete list of relief drop off points, hotline numbers and establishments that accommodate relief goods for typhoon Ondoy victims in the Philippines.

If you have some cash to spare and want to contribute to the help effort:

Donate to the Philippine Red Cross for ONDOY victims
September 26, 2009 — ninaterol

Monetary Donations:
1. CASH or CHECK
Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up
2. BANK DEPOSIT
Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross

METROBANK
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: CURRENT

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
UN Branch
Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: SAVINGS
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

Credit Card
Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575:

Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone & mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be donated

For online donations you may also visit our website at www.redcross.org.ph

In-Kind Donations

LOCAL
Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila. We could also arrange for donation pick-up.

INTERNATIONAL
1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC
2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Corazon Alma de Leon, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.

The PNRC does not accept rotten, damaged, expired or decayed goods. Though we appreciate your generosity, the PNRC also discourages donations of old clothes as we have more than enough to go around.

SMS and G-CASH (Globe
SMS: text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
G-CASH: text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

MOST URGENT NEEDS
Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water

Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases

Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap

Rehabilitation Programs: Shelter materials for house repair

Call Hotline 143 or 527.0000

THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Bonifacio Drive, Port Area,
Manila 2803, Philippines

If you want to help coordinate efforts for rescue and relief teams, there’s Typhoon Ondoy Mapping Team. The current map can be viewed here.

I know not everyone can put in an effort to help but if you haven’t been affected by the storm or got through it relatively unharmed like me, please try to do your part. If you remember your Civics/Araling Panlipunan/History subjects, one of the most known Filipino trait is Bayanihan. Let’s put aside our differences and help our kababayans who are victims of this calamity pull through.

To quote, a good friend: “Walang tutulong sa atin kungdi tayo tayo rin lang.”

The calm after the storm: Ondoy’s Aftermath originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on September 29, 2009, 2:22 pm.
This post is part of the category Events. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

No UMD Conversion program for the PSP Go

sylv3rblade — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:52:42 +0000

The only saving grace that the PSP Go would have had (which was converting your currently-owned UMD games to ISO/digital format) has been axed by Sony stating legal AND technical issues. Tsk tsk… there goes your expected PSP Go user-base Sony. Trading-in UMDs for digital copies would’ve been the best way to get people to convert to the Go but once again, Sony shoots itself in the foot. Even I won’t consider getting the PSP Go now, I’ll just go with the Zune HD thank you very much.

So why put a stop to a perfectly marketable program for the PSP Go? No one really knows. But what is obvious is the detrimental effect that this will have on everyone who wanted to switch to a Go but found it hard to give up their UMD collection. Yes, Sony has been assuring everyone that every game that will be released on it’s platform starting October 1 will have a downloable equivalent, but what about the games everyone currently owns? The only way to get them now would be to buy them AGAIN. So Thanks Sony, but no thanks.

Anyone still going for the PSP Go?

No UMD Conversion program for the PSP Go originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on September 27, 2009, 2:52 am.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Your Christmas gadget wishlist

sylv3rblade — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:03:50 +0000

I’ve got my budget set for my holiday shopping but sadly it won’t buy me every gadget that I’m longing for (just dirt poor fella here). I’m well on my way on getting my dream camera, the Nikon D90 for xmas (that’s after xmas… you’ll still be waiting for Google’s blessings – ed) but there’s still quite a few gadgets that I really want to get my hands on. What else can I do? Put up a wishlist of course

My current gadget wishlist:

D90 kit [currently at Php 57,000 in hidalgo... Henry's and Avenue have the same price ]
PS3 Slim/Xbox 360 + Philips 220E1SB HD LCD [Php 18,000 at Data Blitz + Php 8,400 at Enigma Tech]
Zune HD + Dev kit [Php 15,000.. the SDK is not yet in the market but I expect it to be dirt cheap... if not free. Shipping will suck though]
i5 and HD 5850 powered rig [ Php 80,000+++ ]

What? No DS love?

Well, given the current line up for Nintendo, I’d rather get another Wii instead in anticipation for Monster Hunter Tri which is set to release in 2010 but that’s for later in the year. What matters now is the gadgets you want for xmas Hope santa is listening (What? Santa is a fake? NOOOOO SANTA IS REALLLLL!! YOU IS LYING!!!)

LOL. OK, kidding aside, with less than 100 days left before the Yuletide season I’m pretty sure you’ve got a few items in mind… What’s your gadget wishlist?

Your Christmas gadget wishlist originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on September 24, 2009, 4:03 pm.
This post is part of the category Gizmos and Gadgets. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: