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PSone games hacked in custom 3.02 firmware
It looks like Dark_Alex has done it again. His latest custom firmware release will allow your PSP to emulate the 3.02 firmware while running homebrew as if you have a very homebrew-friendly 1.50 PSP. Of course, the custom firmware goes even beyond that: it'll strip region encoding off of UMD movie playback, and more importantly, it'll get rid of the DRM protection of the current lineup of downloadable PSone games. The 3.03 firmware most likely protects the system from such vulnerabilities, but it's clear that the homebrew community is furiously fighting Sony.There's no doubt that this is a very huge and crippling blow to Sony's anti-piracy efforts. While we don't support piracy here at the Fanboy, we can understand the huge frustration of the gaming community with Sony's PSone download efforts: stop making a PS3 required, please?[Via Opposable Thumbs]
Retro Review: Hot Shots Golf 2
File Size: 157MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: Clap HanzPublished By: Sony Computer Entertainment of AmericaOriginal Release Date: February 29, 2000Short ReviewRecommended. For better or for worse, the golf genre's lack of significant evolution makes Hot Shots Golf 2 an incredibly worthwhile purchase. The graphics have aged very well, and the quick load times make this $6 purchase just as worthwhile as other fully priced modern golf games.
New PSOne downloads in Japan, new PSP firmware everywhere
Sony has dropped nine more PSOne games into Japan's PlayStation Store. The process is still tedious, the files still only playable on PSP (and only downloadable with a PlayStation 3). A new PSP firmware update (v3.03) is required to play the newest oldies; and although the update is available for all to install, it's useless to those outside of Japan -- or those in Japan without access to PS3's PlayStation Network.Here's a rundown of the PSOne games you won't be playing on your PSP today: Dino Crisis Gekitotsu Toma L'Arc: L'Arc-en-Ciel vs Tomarunner Global Force: Shin Sentou Kokka Migi Hadari U-SA Migi Hadari USA Mr. Driller R-Type Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure Taiyou no Shippo: Wild, Pure, Simple Life The Conveni: Anomachi o Dokusenseyo
More PSone titles... in Japan, at least
The dozen or so people that own both a PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP in Japan will be able to play new old PSone games tomorrow, using the newly released 3.03 firmware. The titles, all at a low price of 525 yen, include: R-TYPE Migi Hadari USA Tail of the Sun DINO CRISIS Global Force: Shin Sentou Kokka Gekisou Tomarunner Little Princess (Marl Kingdom) The Combini (Ano Machi o Dokusen seyo) Mister Driller Wasn't Mr. Driller supposed to be out at launch? I wonder what PSone games are heading over to the states (if any).[Via Games & Gadgets]
Retro Review: Crash Bandicoot
File Size: 467MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: Naughty DogPublished By: Sony Computer Entertainment of AmericaOriginal Release Date: September 3, 1996Short ReviewRecommended. Crash Bandicoot, in some ways, becomes a better game on the PSP than it was on the classic console back in the day. The graphics look sharp on the small screen, and the simplistic gameplay is ideal for gamers on the go. However, expect frustration due to a confusing and outdated save system and some touchy controls.
Retro Review: Cool Boarders
File Size: 282MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: UEP SystemsPublished By: Sony Computer Entertainment of AmericaOriginal Release Date: December 31, 1996Short ReviewNot Recommended. The snowboarding genre has evolved so much over the years, that even nostalgia can't cover the incredible flaws of this game. With only five levels, and poor gameplay, this is one to avoid at all costs.
Joystiq Guide: PSone downloads hit the PSP (by way of the PS3)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Joystiq_Guide_PSone_downloads_hit_the_PSP_by_way_of_the_PS3/'; Sure, a larger and cheaper selection of PSone titles hit Japanese PlayStation 3s a couple weeks ago but Sony has released the service stateside this week. The initial list includes Cool Boarders, Crash Bandicoot, Hot Shots Golf 2, Syphon Filter, and Tekken 2, all available for the exceptionally reasonable price of $5.99. Unfortunately, the list comes up notably short in the large jumping robotic rabbits category but, for now, we're just happy we're getting anything (see the full break down of Japanese versus American titles after the break). While the process of getting these PSone games from the ether and onto your handheld isn't quite as elegant as we'd like to see -- you need a difficult-to-find PlayStation 3 to download the games from the PlayStation Store and onto the PSP, even though you can't play those games on that PS3 -- the technology worked flawlessly and is an impressive display of the PSP's versatility and the potential interactivity between the handheld and its console big brother.Enjoy our photo guide for getting PSone games onto your PSP using nothing only $5.99 in virtual cash, a USB cable, and some time (then some more time) ... oh yeah, and a PS3.
PSone downloads now available for American PS3 owners [Update 2]
I'm currently busy fighting demon ninjas in hell, so there's no way I can confirm whether or not this news is true. CONFIRMED: According to the Loot Ninja, PSone downloads are now available for American PLAYSTATION 3 owners. The following titles are available, all at $5.99 each: Cool Boarders Crash Bandicoot Hot Shots Golf 2 Syphon Filter Tekken 2 Most games are over 400MB, so you'll need a hefty Memory Stick to get your gaming session on. The games require firmware 3.01, but that won't be a problem for anyone, including homebrew users.[Via digg][Update 2: A NeoGAF user has posted pictures of his PSP running Syphon Filter. It can be pretty informative.]
Crooks tie up victims with power cord whilst stealing PlayStation
While this one came oh-so-close to being filed under the ongoing PS3 crime spree chronicles, the inability to pinpoint the PlayStation unit crooks nabbed as one of the highly-coveted "3" models forced us to clump this in with the smorgasbord of other (general) utterly dumb criminal acts. While it wouldn't surprise us to find that the armed burglars who ransacked a Cincinnati home were indeed after the mighty lucrative PS3, their bafflingly high level of stupidity leaves us to wonder if it wasn't a PlayStation 2 (or worse, a PSOne). The robbers reportedly bum rushed the house with their eyes on the prize, tied up the victims with a "PlayStation power cord," bolted out while laughing evilly, and then realized they needed the very cable they left behind. Similar to the crook who jacked a TV but returned for the remote, these guys apparently forgot the keys to pulling off an even marginally successful heist, but thankfully didn't harm the poor family they intruded upon. The wonders of humanity will never cease.[Thanks, Matt M.]
Homebrew PSone emulator released
While many frustrated gamers are waiting for Sony to get their act together with their official PSone emulator support, it appears that a coder at DCemu has released a homebrew PSone emulator of his own. It will apparently run "anything," including ISO, BIN, Z and ZNX files (whatever that means). There are a few bugs in this alpha release, but according to users, many games are completely playable and running at full-speed. With the homebrew community seemingly one-upping Sony, hopefully we'll see the official PSone download service hit American soon... and without the need for a PS3.[Thanks, jamie!]
PSone games on PSP: $5.99 to $10.99
While the service launched in Japan today, and the PSP's firmware has been updated, we're still waiting for the nascent PSone download service to be available to Western gamers. Yeah, you'll need a PS3 to get those games to your PSP. Yeah, we know they're sort of hard to come by. But we're still bristling with anticipation! Sony isn't talking about release dates yet, but they are talking prices. Downloadable PSone games will be available for $5.99 to $10.99; a little bit more than Japan's $4.50, but an incredible value compared to some of Nintendo or Microsoft's digitally distributed offerings. Before we get all upset about the bizarre PS3 interoperability -- the games need to be downloaded on the PS3 but aren't playable on it -- remember they're still working on making the games playable on the PS3. Whether or not we'll be able to download games directly onto our PSPs without the need of a PS3 (although we like the idea of using the home console as a storage point) remains to be seen. For now, we'll take whatever they've got ready!
Sony announces prices for downloadable PS1 games
Hot on the heels of the big 3.0 firmware update for the PlayStation Portable, Sony's finally let loose its pricing plans for the forthcoming PS1 game downloads, although the downloads themselves are still apparently a few weeks away (unless you're in Japan, in which case you can get your Tekken 2 fix today). When they do show up, however, you can plan on dropping between $5.99 and $10.99 for the games, with each taking up between 140MB and 550MB on your Memory Stick Duo. The biggest sticking point for many PSP users, however, is that, as previously reported, you can't just download the games directly to your PSP -- instead, you have to download them onto your PS3's hard drive first and transfer 'em to your Memory Stick Duo from there. No problem for some but, last we checked, there's a heckuva lot more people with PSPs than PS3s, and at the rate things are going, that looks like it'll be the case for a while yet.
PSone games feature tricky L2 and R2 controls
Slowly, but surely, more details about the PSone emulation service are popping up on the internet. The service just recently launched in Japan, and PSP GadgetZ had an opportunity to play. There are a few interesting points to note: Tekken 2 clocked in at 542MB, and took over an hour to copy to the Memory Stick. (Joystiq has all the file sizes of the games available.) L2 and R2 and mapped to the analog stick. "Left = L2, Right = R2, L2+R2 = UP. Sounds awful. There is a long lag time when switching between Normal, Original and Full video modes. At least load times in the games have become considerably better.
From PSone to PSP, via PS3: a Sony love triangle
We logged in to the Japanese PlayStation Store this morning and found nine PSone games available for download to our dusty PSP -- and at only ¥525 (US$4.50) per title. The selection includes two volumes of Konami's MSX Collection, the Director's Cut of Biohazard, as well as "lost classics" Jumping Flash and Bishi Bashi Special (so that's where we left them!). The smallest file sizes among these nine launch titles, if we can call them that, are 40MB each for the Konami Antiques MSX Collections. The full list of games and their tuned-for-PSP file sizes: Arc the Lad (320MB) Biohazard Director's Cut (380MB) Bishi Bashi Special (160MB) Jumping Flash (280MB) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1 (40MB) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2 (40MB) Minna no Golf 2 (210MB) Silent Bomber (200MB) Tekken 2 (550MB) We've heard from Japanese friends that these games look far more impressive on the PSP's small screen than they did back in The Day. And as the games are played from Memory Stick, loading times have been reduced to zero. But they would say that. They can download them. Unfortunately for little us, as we lack a Japanese credit card, we couldn't pay Sony for these games even if we wanted to. And listen to this, Sony: we actually do! Please, Sony, take our good money for your robotic rabbit. Please?
US PSone download details emerging
Gamespot talked to a Sony representative about downloading PSone games to the PSP. Currently, the service is only available in Japan, using PS3 and firmware 3.0. Sony says it's "shooting to have the PSone titles available by the end of this month." Although the list of titles is unknown, he did mention that games "will start at $5.99 and go all the way up to $10.99." File sizes will vary between 140MB and 550MB, meaning those of you with smaller Memory Sticks may want to consider upgrading.
PSone downloads begin on 11/22... in Japan
In just a few hours, Japanese PS3 and PSP owners will be able to download and play PSone games on their PSPs. The following titles will be available for only 525 yen (less than $5) each: Resident Evil Director's Cut (Capcom) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1 (Konami) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2 (Konami) Bishi Bashi Special (Konami) Arc the Lad (SCEJ) Jumping Flash! (SCEJ) Hot Shots Golf 2 (SCEJ) Silent Bomber (Bandai Namco Games) Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco Games) Playback of the games requires the newly released 3.00 firmware. PLAYSTATION 3 owners will be able to play the downloaded games on their home consoles in the future.[Via IGN]
Bidder ends up with 3 PS1s, not 1 PS3
This proves that you need to read everything on every eBay auction before you hit that bid button, to the tune of $900. Obviously the buyer has only himself to blame, but check out how the seller tried to slant this, "HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED..HAVE IN HAND...All are American Systems. THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!" Why even mention the 20GB systems in the ad? He clearly wanted some PlayStation 3 attention, and got it in a big way. Imagine how the bidder felt when he realized he punked himself for three original PlayStations, probably not even the PSone consoles. These can easily be picked up for around $100 or less, so bye-bye PS3 money. He could've bought three PSones and a PS3 for that dough.Of course, seeing as how the winning bidder has zero feedback and is a new account, we're pretty sure he was the punkee and not the punker. As long as someone got punked here, we're good.[Via Digg]
Killzone commercials are Resident Evil-y bad
While I do appreciate the effort, these new Killzone: Liberation commercials remind me too much of the original Resident Evil intro - both are chock full of bad acting. Thankfully, the game seems to be a lot better than these commercials. But thanks to Sony's PS1 emulation feature, you'll soon be able to replay Resident Evil on the go.
Resident Evil heads to PSP in November (via PSone emulation)
The PlayStation Store that'll be available on your fingerprint-covered PLAYSTATION 3 in a few weeks will feature PSone games for you to download and play on your PSP. Japan will have 9 games available at its launch: Bio Hazard Director's Cut (Resident Evil) BishiBashi Special Everyone's Golf 2 Jumping Flash! Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1 Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2 Mister Driller Silent Bomber Tekken 2 Strangely, no Ridge Racer (it was the first game to show off PSone emulation on the PSP). My personal picks have to be Resident Evil and Mister Driller (if the same games come out to America). According to Eurogamer, Sony plans on adding ten more games to the roster every month. That's about twice the content provided by Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays.[Via Joystiq]
Don't worry: you don't need a PS3 to download PSone games
Sony's Gamer's Day revealed some interesting info about the exciting PSP-PS3 connectivity. But, we were left pondering whether or not we'd need a PS3 to download PSone games to our handhelds. It would be a little silly if Sony tried to force us to buy a $500+ piece of hardware simply to download games, and thankfully, Sony hasn't gone completely mad as we've feared. GameDaily interviewed everyone's pal, Peter Dille, and he confirmed that you do not need a PS3 in order to download PSone games to your PSP: BIZ: I know you guys have previously talked about a PSP emulation service where PS1 titles would be downloaded directly to the PSP (for example, if someone didn't own a PS3). This new PS3 download service of PS1 titles, which involves transferring to the PSP, is not going to replace the previous PSP emulation plan is it? PD: You are correct. We'll still have that. We have the PSP downloads site now, and you're right; these PS1 games will be available either from the PSP downloads site directly, so you don't need a PS3 to get them or if you do happen to be one of the lucky guys that gets a PS3, you can download the games to your PS3 hard drive and then slide it over to your PSP. Both services will be up and running. Whew! That's good to hear. I'm going to pick up a PLAYSTATION 3 one of these days, but I'm sure many of you are very relieved to hear this confirmation.[Via Gamespot]
