[Via Joystiq]

If the PSP-destroying demo has made you thirsty for more DJ Max, don't fret: the NeoGAF community has written up a guide on how to play a free online version of the game. With their handy guide, you won't need to know Japanese -- all you'll need are ninja-like reflexes to withstand the onslaught of falling notes.

Create a free account here, and then download the game here. (Note: You will need to use Internet Explorer.) Use the NeoGAF guide to help you through the process.

There seems to be an increasing number of ways of playing PSP games on things other than a PSP. Firstly, there's the experimental "Potemkin" emulator. Another option appears to be a homebrew program called RemoteJoy. Tested with Dark_Alex's 3.40 OE firmware, this program lets you see and control your PSP through your computer by connecting a USB cable from the handheld to the computer. There's a much-too-complicated series of instructions available for you to peruse, but as seen by the video above, the results look certainly worth it.

[Via Engadget]

[Update: A Windows version is available, and confirmed to be working. Thanks, schuyler!]

We've been tricked by this tomfoolery before, and we're remaining cautious. DCEmu is reporting on a supposed experimental emulator that allows PSP games to be played in the Windows environment. "Potemkin" as the emulator is called is no longer being worked on by Ector due to "time constraints." Therefore, he's provided the source code for those interested to try and finish his project. (This does not mean that an end-user can effectively run a working program on their machine.) If this project comes to full fruition, Sony will certainly have a lot more to worry about: the piracy scene could potentially explode with a functional release of such an emulator. We'll have to stay tuned.

Have you heard of Silverfall? This PC hack 'n slash RPG came and went pretty silently, failing to earn the attention of many gamers. It looks like the newly announced PSP version may do the same, considering its stealthy debut announcement. The original game failed to earn the respect of critics, with many noting its highly derivative gameplay. We hope that Kiev Games will take all the criticism the original earned and apply it to the PSP version--we can certainly use a solid Diablo-style RPG.

Read more about the game at To the Game, and check out a trailer of the PC version, after the cut.

[Thanks, Raviv!]
[Update: Take-Two is publishing the game in Europe. Check out IGN for first screenshots of the game.]

It's no secret that the PSP (as with any system) gets ports of games from other consoles. Most of the ports to PSP logically come from the PlayStation 2. But all that is starting to change. With the PS3 on the rise and the PS2 on the decline, PSP is starting to get ports from some unexpected places.

The DS has many a game that it's shared with the GBA, but recently it seems like more and more GBA games are jumping over to Sony's portable. The most obvious of these are all of the recently announced Final Fantasy projects. From Final Fantasy Tactics to just plain ol' Final Fantasy, these GBA remakes are being remade again for the PSP. But it doesn't just end there, the PSP will also see a port of the GBA RPG title Riviera (which is great for me, since I never played that game).

Of course, while it seems like quite a few PSP games are from GBA land, that isn't the only system sending off titles to PSP's library. Xbox games like Xyanide and Painkiller: Hell Wars are reported to have versions coming out this year for PSP and the DS racer Asphalt Urban GT 2 will be out shortly. Even the PC isn't exempt as fantastic physics platformer Gish has a release date for our system of choice.

The future though seems to be the Wii and PSP connection. While Alien Syndrome is one of the only Wii/PSP games announced so far, the fact that Wii games have to be developed independently from the rest of the home consoles means many developers may be looking to PSP versions as another source of profit. Of course as with any business move, these ports will have to make money if this is to become a serious trend.

For all your port haters out there don't look now because the PSP is about to get a port of a port in the form of Sid Meier's Pirates!. In the game, which was originally released in 1987 and re-made in 2004 on the PC, then released in 2005 on the Xbox and is now scheduled to be released in January on the PSP, players take control of a pirate who must find his kidnapped family members, gain revenge and obtain lots and lots of booty.

"We love the new possibilities from handheld systems like the PSP," added Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at developer Firaxis Games. "Pirates! for the PSP system allows players to shape the heroic life of a pirate while embracing the pirate's way of life -- always on the go!"

Thankfully, the PSP version, which will be published by Take-Two Interactive in North America and Europe, will feature some new features like new treasure hunts, widescreen display and four-player wireless multi-player, according to Gamespot. Pirates! is a game I always wanted to play on the Xbox but never got around to it, so I'm really hoping this version comes through.

The mini-game collections keep on coming to the PSP. The newest one to be announced today is Bliss Island, a port of a fairly popular PC arcade game. You'll be play Hoshi the Zwooph who has the unique ability to shoot out bursts of air. All the challenges featured in the game will revolve around the mastery of the ability. The game will feature 80 mini-games and also feature wi-fi multiplayer. A demo of the PC version of the game is available for free by visiting Funsta.

[Via IGN]

Don't you wish you had a gamepad for your PC? Sure, you could buy one, but why would you when you have a PSP? The WiFiController homebrew project lets you use your 1.50 (and maybe 2.60) PSP as a controller. Here's what the programmer, David Rudie has to say:

This basically turns your PSP into a controller for your PC (running Windows). How it works is that PPJoy provides a way to create a virtual joystick. We can then communicate with this virtual joystick as though it were a real joystick. This is accomplished by running a server in Microsoft Windows. The server just runs in the background waiting for a connection. When you start the WiFiController program on your Sony PSP it will establish a network connection over wireless using infrastructure mode. Once it establishes a connection and obtains an IP address it will connect to the server running on your PC. Once it has connected to your PC it will act just like a regular joystick.

This is an impressive mod, but I'm still waiting for the PSP homebrew that lets you flush your toilet... wirelessly.

[Via PSP Hacks]