thedicemaster

putty, from the same forum as the people who brought us 6.3Xpro managed to repack and sign an iso of angry birds so it could be launched on any PSP with firmware 6.20 or higher, no need for an iso loader, or cfw.
he claims it can be done with any game under 720MB(limit might change if he can find a bigger demo game as source)

his method is to replace the iso in a demo game's eboot.pbp with the iso of a full game, and perhaps some magic or soul-selling.
i have tested his "signed' copy of angry birds and it works as good as if i had bought it myself from PSN.

because of rules on this forum i can't link directly to the source topic, since it contains a download link to angry birds.

this is another big blow to sony, running pirated software straight from the XMB on official firmware.

first i'd like to mention that the way this particular game is built, my download link does NOT contain any game data and the game itself is a free demo anyway, so there should be no problems regarding copyrighted contents.



i don't like stuff in my xmb not being what they say they are, so i decided to mod the minna no sukkiri icon and xmb background.
i also included the background as a separate png file in case you want a matching menu.
i tested it before uploading and it works fine.
the background.png is only tested in visualmenu.

i also changed the text displayed in information and in folder view modes to "Half-Byte Loader"
and i added(by request) a version with an 80x80 icon(size used by minis and PSN-PSX games)

click the preview image to download.
note: this mod will only work with minna no sukkiri, don't try it on the golf games or patapon demo.
other people did make similar mods for the patapon demo.

Electronic Keyboard review
genre: music/creative
price: 200 DSi points

game summary:
"korg DS-10 DS for dummies" pretty much sums it up.

gameplay:
as soon as you start it you are greeted with a series of piano buttons, record/replay controlls, and instrument settings.
you can use this to play some live music straight away, with some accompanyment of choice.
or you can try to compose a masterpiece and save it for later in 1 of the 8 saveslots.

content:
you get 16 instruments, and 5 accompanyment styles to work with, and for each accompanyment you can choose 8 chords and 4 different sub-styles.
you also get 5 quick-buttons to switch faster between instruments.

graphics:
clear clean graphics, not much beyond that to say considering it's just an electric piano.

overal:
compared to the more professional "korg DS-10 DS", it's only competitor on the DS, it has a lot less features.
but it allows anyone who can tap a few on-screen buttons to make a song.
for it's 200 points price it's certainly a good cheap alternative for those who aren't enough into music-making to learn the workings of korg.


note: any prices mentioned are for the European version of the game, other regions may have different pricings.

Chronos twins review
genre: Platform shooter
price: 500 DSi points

game summary:
a platform shooter like megaman, except played on 2 screens at once.
originally published on a gamecart for the nintendo DS

gameplay:
this is a game with a gameplay unique to the DS.
your character exists in 2 times at once, so you can stand on floors that are destroyed, or not built yet.
a "downside" to this is that you can also be attacked in both times.
to achieve a proper distinction to the different times each separate time is displayed on a different screen.
you just run and jump across the levels, and if you see an enemy you shoot it.
although most of your actions are synchronised over both times, you can shoot in both times independently.
later in the game you are also given charge shot.

content:
this is one of the biggest DSiware games.
with more than enough levels to keep you busy for a while.

graphics:
not all that great, but it's old-fashioned style may very well appeal to the older gamers among us.

overal:
originally not considered a very good DS game, but as DSiware it's among the best.
would be nice if more companies decide to port their old games to DSiware.
certainly worth your 500 points.




note: any prices mentioned are for the European version of the game, other regions may have different pricings.

AiRace Tunnel review
genre: action/flying
accompanying game for "AiRace"
price: 200 DSi points

game summary:
Airace tunnel is a game of obstacle-dodging.
your airplane is thrown into a tunnel with moving walls, and laser fences, and you need to dodge them untill you make it to the end of the tunnel.

gameplay:
the controls are comfortable, you have the option of button play or touchscreen.
with button play you steer with the D-pad, and fly on your side with Y/A(helps when dodging obstacles)
with touchscreen play you steer like with starfox, the further to the edge you tap the faster you steer, while the Dpad can be used to fly on your side.
the game starts out quite slow in the easier tunnels, but as you progress in the game you get up to almost unmanagable speeds which really test your reflexes.

content:
overal content isn't much, 6 tunnels in progressing difficulty and a different airplane for each tunnel.
the "story mode" (the first 5 tunnels) is finished quite quickly, however the 6th tunnel is special.
in the 6th tunnel you can choose which section you start in, however unlike the other tunnels there's an unlimited amount of sections.
this 6th tunnel is really what the game is all about, you get to fly at much higher speeds, and need much faster reflexes.

graphics:
the graphics are ok, but you can't expect much more from a DSi screen.
the graphic style is a mix between cartoon and realistic, with bright colors but more realistic style airplane/spaceship designs

overal:
the game is fun if you like moving fast in games, but it's rather short.
still a good deal, considering it's only 200 points.
and if you like it, you might also like AiRace.




note: any prices mentioned are for the European version of the game, other regions may have different pricings.