Lots of shells have been released for the PSP, and it's about time that someone create a new LUA-based shell for the homebrew community. This time around, the developer PopcOrn DeVil has come out with Vautex Shell BETA, an all-in-one shell that zips together some applications and games done by himself and other developers.

The shell compiles Snake (coded by Shine), Suicide for the Planet (by MaSt3r ShAk3 and PopcOrn DeVil), Button Masher Endurance (by PopcOrn DeVil), and Minesweeper (by JEK). There's also a Calculator, LED Timer, and Pixel Cleaner.

Here's the instructions, controls and installation from the readme:

If you want to use Lowser, put any lua games/apps in the Applications folder, next to Vautex. Once starting Vautex, you will see a few screens then you will finally come to a point where it asks to press L for standard theme or R for custom theme. Press L, or you can press R if you have a custom theme already. You will end up at the main GUI, and you can move the pointer around with either the D-Pad or the analog stick.

To install a custom theme, simply get the custom folder and replace the one already there in Applications/Vautex. Installing Vautex is simple if you have a 1.5. Simply copy the __SCE__Vautex and %__SCE__Vautex folders over to MS:/PSP/GAME (replace MS with your PSP's drive letter). If you have another firmware that isn't 1.5, you can take out the Vautex folder and put it in a LuaPlayer applications folder.

There's more info in the readme, like how to put other LUA games in the Games menu, and creating your own theme, so you might want to check it out. The coder reminds us that it's only in a BETA release, so we're asking all of you guys to keep low on the flaming. And if you find this Vautex Shell useful, you might want to vote for it in PSP3D's contest as well.

Download: [Vautex Shell BETA]

TheMarioKarters, Vaza, youresam and Popcorn Devil have released a new version of their amazing homebrew game eagerly anticipated by all - Sonic Battle Arena, updating it to include online play thanks to netlib and youresam! This makes SBA the PSPs first online fighting homebrew title, and boy does it live up to the title. In Sonic Battle Arena, the ultimate Sonic fighting game coded in Lua, you control one of 5 Sonic characters currently available: Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Cream or Amy; fighting to the death as it is against your opponent.

The game itself is pretty simple to pick up and play, using the D-pad for movement, X button to attack and O to jump. You may have been playing against a computer in the last release, but now you get to fully test your skills up against real humans. This is still a beta, so expect some bugs. The only negative I can find from this game is that you don't know who you are playing against, neither can you talk to them. Surely if your playing against either TheMarioKarters, Vaza, or Popcorn Devil you're going to lose!

Here's what TMK said:

What happens is, once you press R at the main menu, you select your character with the D-Pad, then press X. You'll then connect to Netlib using Connection 1. Be sure your WLAN switch is on! After you select your character, two things can happen. If someone is waiting, you will join them. If no one is waiting to play, you will wait for someone to join. To cancel waiting for someone, press start, dont do anything else.

  

Don't run away with the download just yet, because I have some more information for you all. Remember the downside of not being able to see who you're playing against? In the next version, the SBA team plan to add some kind of chatroom, so you can actually talk to the person you are beating!

Download: [Sonic Battle Arena Online Beta]
View: [Forum release thread]

Good news for Sonic Fans! Homebrew developers TheMarioKarters, Popcorn Devil, Vaza and PSPHaxor9 have released Sonic Battle Arena Public Beta V2. Basically, this is a 2-D Sonic Fighting game coded in LUA and take note that this one is made from scratch and is not a mod of an existing game. Feel free to click on the thumbnails if you want to see the games' screenshots.

These are the new things you will see in this game:
-Sonic is fully done
-Tails engine is fully done
-Knuckles engine is fully done
-Enemy AI is partially done
-Initial release level is done

Personally, I found the game very well-made, in the sense that it remained original to the Sonic tradition- from the looks of the characters to the sounds of the game. It is very engaging as well and I hope that they add more stages aside from the one that the game has.

Download: [Sonic Battle Arena]
Discuss: [Forum Release Thread]