Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.51

Version 1.51: a minor visual fix.

Fixes

• Judgement's attack chains are white again, as in the original: faint white chains warn where a strike will land and the strike itself is solid white (they were drawn grey)
• The big chains on the sides of the sin machine now pulse gently and flash white when they appear or break
• Other white flashes now show as pure white, like the original
• The XMB now shows version 1.51 under Information

Updating

From version 1.5, replacing EBOOT.PBP is enough (HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are unchanged). From 1.4 or older, also replace HT.PAK. For a fresh install, download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

8ccffaafa2504d77a8a18bcc4350d6e184ef551b2f8e8c25256437de2cfb73b1  EBOOT.PBP
b6d716ec620a0da973d829b45bc6d7c276beda354fa53925cda0a949eb817e9f  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
affb489a38ad4be652e3be8bea34e83ea42e7565e3e349e60fc45cd690ad7bcb  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.5

Version 1.5: PSP button prompts.

Changes

• On-screen prompts now show PSP buttons instead of text: "Press ✕ to continue" uses the Cross button, and the puzzle and lab screens show the L and R shoulder buttons
• The life advice prompt now starts with the L button and the restart prompt ends with the R button, matching the side of each shoulder button
• The dots around the life advice and restart prompts are gone for a cleaner look
• The XMB now shows version 1.50 under Information

Updating

From version 1.4, replace EBOOT.PBP and HT.PAK (both changed; MUSIC.PAK is unchanged). From older versions, or for a fresh install, download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

4f333e30e8fb33b479e3485dba904a782d7c40d8446612ce91323a3a4adbcddc  EBOOT.PBP
b6d716ec620a0da973d829b45bc6d7c276beda354fa53925cda0a949eb817e9f  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
c3d2edfcc2cc7b86f8db624c5e2f28753fd1669fd9d073040243191b024b8b5d  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.4

Version 1.4: a new XMB presentation and more fixes from real PSP testing.

XMB

• Animated icon: when Helltaker PSP is highlighted, the icon plays a looping speedrun of chapter I
• Background music re-encoded so the PSP accepts it: Vitality should now play when the game is highlighted
• The game is now listed as Helltaker, shows version 1.40 under Information, and has parental control level 7

Examtaker

• The screen now whitens during the Arch Mecha Demon's eraser beam and when he is destroyed, as in the original
• Effects that only appear through animations now show up: the mech's glow and sparks, generator sparks and flashes, and the lab monitor holograms
• Floors II and VI: the missing wall vent and tube scenery is back

Fixes

• The pause menu is now drawn above dialogue and the Judgement boss title instead of under them
• Returning to the main menu from the credits no longer shows the first launch prompt again
• Dying on a boss floor now silences the machine loop immediately
• A damaged or incomplete save file no longer leaves music and sound effects muted

Source code

The updated engine source is in the engine folder of this repository.

Updating

If you have version 1.3 or older installed, replacing EBOOT.PBP is enough. HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are unchanged. For a fresh install, download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

d4cc29679896c4d11256b4a037576570c33a5968b9897e2e7c3b3130ca594540  EBOOT.PBP
500e2cca18edf7425a2dc4cc6a36112b992b299a0d6e439513b301933a0629f3  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
f84e3a46fcf38b182168001501217f1111e2de593c68d635c98a51496ffa68ee  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.3

Bug fixes from the real PSP playtest.

Fixes

• Examtaker: when the Arch Mecha Demon dies, the wreck no longer shows two copies of his left side
• Music no longer loops a short piece over and over after putting the PSP in sleep mode and waking it up. Game data loading after sleep is also more robust.
• The house: every girl now shows her heart, and talking to one girl only removes her own heart instead of all of them
• XMB: the header of the background music (SND0) was corrected, so Vitality should now play when Helltaker PSP is highlighted

Source code

The updated engine source is in the engine folder of this repository.

Updating

If you have version 1.2 or older installed, replacing EBOOT.PBP is enough. HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are unchanged. For a fresh install, download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

574f4fd6566d16b02ac413e4ed22cf539c05c185005160b90fd95b0ab78a07c3  EBOOT.PBP
500e2cca18edf7425a2dc4cc6a36112b992b299a0d6e439513b301933a0629f3  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
d5b5aaf0898d0f310860e76d9d3906af6b7dab7a05099687d440d5756e3d26d2  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.2

Fixes for the Judgement cutscenes found during real PSP testing, plus the engine source.

The whole game, including Examtaker, has been fully playtested on a real PSP-3004. I am working through the remaining minor bugs from that playtest, and fixes will follow in upcoming updates.

Fixes

• Judgement's awakening cutscene ("Now let's get back to suffering!") no longer shows two Judgements on top of each other
• Cutscene sound effects now play: Judgement's intro, her chain summon and chain bind, the spell cast when she breaks free, Lucifer's intro and Zdrada's cigarette taps
• Judgement's landing on the sin machine between rounds now has its sound
• Cutscene parts now follow their animated parent groups, as in the original

Source code

The PSP engine source is now in the engine folder of this repository. Game assets, converted game data and the conversion tools are not included.

Updating

If you have version 1.1 or the Full Game + Examtaker release installed, replacing EBOOT.PBP is enough. HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are unchanged. For a fresh install, download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

9d9800e3db26374ecbedc2ff0e638336a05fe61d3010bfbaaf7a9ae278feb551  EBOOT.PBP
500e2cca18edf7425a2dc4cc6a36112b992b299a0d6e439513b301933a0629f3  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
02b70e50b2be2c3c6aeba94ced36fb949b73984259502fed67cb367ddcc819c6  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker 1.1

A small presentation update on top of the Full Game + Examtaker release.

What's new

• New XMB banner (ICON0) built from the original high resolution HELLTAKER door logo, so it is sharp instead of blurry
• New XMB background (PIC1) with Modeus, Pandemonica, Lucifer, Zdrada and Justice on the hell backdrop, darkened on the left so the XMB text stays readable
• Vitality now plays in the XMB when Helltaker PSP is highlighted (SND0)

The game itself is unchanged. HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are identical to the previous release.

Updating

If you already have the Full Game + Examtaker release installed, replacing EBOOT.PBP is enough. Otherwise download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to ms0:/PSP/GAME/ (or ef0:/PSP/GAME/ on PSP Go internal storage). Keep SETTINGS.BIN, it is your save file.

SHA-256

d1727ffde48343f4a6947dbff945300fecba6edf3f8c620bbe552cf4c4e68582  EBOOT.PBP
500e2cca18edf7425a2dc4cc6a36112b992b299a0d6e439513b301933a0629f3  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
25e335a4bb49695ce7aa17e00414299cb06a3180a00ffe6ef40e5e6273722467  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Full Game + Examtaker

This is a big one. The port has been rebuilt from scratch with a new hardware accelerated engine, and the whole game is now playable, including the free Examtaker bonus chapter.

New content

• All chapters, I to IX, with every demon, dialogue and both outcomes of each conversation
• Chapter X: the full Judgement boss fight (four phases, sin machine, chains, HP bar, glorious success ending)
• The epilogue: pancake talks, secret inscriptions, the ritual dance and the abyss ending
• Credits
• Examtaker: intro, floor picker, lab floors I to VI as Subject 67 (lasers, timed lasers, generators, monitor step counter), the Arch Mecha Demon boss on floor VII, the Lucifer ending and the Examtaker credits

Improvements

• New engine using the PSP's GU hardware renderer at native 480x272
• Original animations, portraits, fonts, music and sound effects taken from the game data
• Chapter select for every chapter you have reached, plus EX for Examtaker
• Pause menu with the ritual code panels and "skip" options
• Progress is saved automatically in SETTINGS.BIN
• One step per press, plus a 30 ms anti-mash delay so held or bouncing buttons never take extra steps

Installing or updating

This version needs three files. Download HelltakerPSP.zip and copy the HelltakerPSP folder to:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

or for PSP Go internal storage:

ef0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

The folder must contain:

HelltakerPSP/
  EBOOT.PBP
  HT.PAK
  MUSIC.PAK

EBOOT.PBP, HT.PAK and MUSIC.PAK are also attached separately if you prefer to replace them by hand. Do not reuse the old EBOOT or the old MUSIC.PAK.

Controls

D-pad or analog stick to move, X to confirm, O to go back, START to pause, R or Square to restart, L or Triangle for life advice.

Testing

Developed and tested in the PPSSPP emulator. Reports from real hardware are very welcome, especially from PSP-1000 owners on the Examtaker boss floor. When reporting an issue please include your PSP model, ARK version, installation path, active plugins and the steps to reproduce it.

SHA-256

8b6bafc0eece83c2bd339564096af7d8effd70d7c0cfb42a754970cb07930f58  EBOOT.PBP
500e2cca18edf7425a2dc4cc6a36112b992b299a0d6e439513b301933a0629f3  HT.PAK
82ba85eee89280448bb7e1f64fea41339b4d20ba26a4a4f4425fb44ac862c97f  MUSIC.PAK
612d44a40be0a340468ad8454d6c4e405492aa1abfa3212b46d59d236cc4b797  HelltakerPSP.zip

Helltaker PSP - Chapter 2 Update

This update builds on the previous launch-fix release and focuses on new playable content, gameplay improvements, dialogue presentation, and several fixes discovered during PSP testing.

New content

• Added playable Chapter 2
• Added Modeus, the Lustful Demon
• Added Chapter 2 dialogue
• Added both Chapter 2 dialogue outcomes
• Added Chapter 2 success sequence
• Added Chapter 2 bad-end sequence
• Added Chapter 2 completion tracking
• Updated the completion screen to correctly show Chapters 1 and 2 as completed

Chapter 2 gameplay

• Added Chapter 2 level logic
• Added Chapter 2 enemy and obstacle behavior
• Chapter 2 spikes now remain permanently raised
• Walking onto spikes consumes one additional move
• Added spike damage sound effects
• Adjusted the Chapter 2 move limit to 23 moves
• Fixed Modeus interaction so dialogue activates when the player reaches an adjacent tile

Dialogue improvements

• Added character names to dialogue scenes
• Added matching character portraits
• Added character presentation during successful chapter endings
• Updated Chapter 1 to use the same improved dialogue presentation
• Improved dialogue activation when approaching characters from different directions

Gameplay improvements

• Increased the speed of walking and kicking animations
• Retuned movement speed after PSP testing
• Kicked skeleton animations now finish automatically without requiring another player move
• Improved demon interaction detection
• Improved animation timing during movement and combat interactions

Bad-end changes

The previous bad-end presentation has been replaced.

Changes include:

• Removed the previous "Skill issue. Use tutorial." message
• Added "Try again"
• Changed the bad-end background to solid black
• Improved visual consistency with the rest of the game

Fixes

• Fixed Chapter 2 Modeus interaction not activating correctly
• Fixed Chapter 2 completion screen text
• Fixed kicked skeleton animations waiting for additional player input
• Improved Chapter 2 spike behavior
• Improved movement timing
• Improved Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 dialogue presentation

Currently being tested

The following changes are still being worked on and may not be fully finalized in this build:

• Chapter 2 flame and torch rendering
• Improved button text readability
• Original Helltaker font integration
• Amiri-Regular.ttf for dialogue and button text
• CrimsonPro-Medium.ttf for headings and counters
• Beelzebub portrait sizing and clipping fixes

Updating

Delete the previous HelltakerPSP directory and install the complete folder from the new release:

HelltakerPSP/
├── EBOOT.PBP
└── MUSIC.PAK

Copy it to:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

For PSP Go internal storage:

ef0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

Do not reuse the old EBOOT.

MUSIC.PAK must remain beside EBOOT.PBP.

Testing

This build passes local build checks, but additional testing on real PSP hardware is still welcome.

If you encounter an issue, please include:

• PSP model
• ARK version
• Installation path
• Active plugins
• Steps needed to reproduce the problem

Compatibility Update

Helltaker PSP – ARK-4/ARK-5 Compatibility Update

This update improves performance, stability, and compatibility with both ARK-4 and ARK-5.

What’s changed

• Added ARK-4 and ARK-5 compatibility.
• Rebuilt the game as a standard user-mode PSP application.
• Added PSP-1000-compatible memory settings.
• Fixed framebuffer swapping, reducing flickering and screen tearing.
• Optimized background rendering and cached static animation frames.
• Fixed music streaming races and playback interruptions.
• Corrected the playback speed of the menu music.
• Reduced audio resource usage to one PSP audio channel.
• Fixed distorted audio caused by sample overflow.
• Added proper HOME-button exit handling and resource cleanup.
• Fixed several animation timing and out-of-bounds bugs.
• Improved support for PSP Go internal storage (ef0:).

Important installation change

Music is no longer incorrectly embedded inside EBOOT.PBP. The release now contains two required files:

HelltakerPSP/
├── EBOOT.PBP
└── MUSIC.PAK

Copy the entire HelltakerPSP folder to:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/

For PSP Go internal storage, use:

ef0:/PSP/GAME/

Do not install EBOOT.PBP by itself. MUSIC.PAK must remain in the same directory.

Compatibility

The build targets:

• ARK-4
• ARK-5
• PSP-1000, 2000, 3000, Street and Go
• Memory Stick and PSP Go internal storage

No expanded-memory option or special ARK setting should be required.

Please report any problems with your PSP model, ARK version, installation location (ms0: or ef0:), and the point where the issue occurs.

Helltaker PSP – Important Launch Fix

I’m sorry that the previous release failed to start on real PSP hardware with base ARK mod. The build passed desktop validation alongside my custom ARK verification on my personal PSP, but it contained an incorrect kernel-library dependency that only became apparent through physical hardware testing on base ARK mod. Thank you anisultahmeed for reporting the exact error and helping improve the release.

Helltaker PSP – Important Launch Fix

A new build is available that fixes the PSP launch error:

The game could not be started. (8002013C)

What was fixed

The previous EBOOT was accidentally linked against PSP kernel-only libraries while running as a normal user-mode homebrew application. ARK could not load those libraries and rejected the game before it started.

The new build:

• Removes all kernel-only imports
• Uses the correct PSP user-mode libraries
• Works with the standard ARK homebrew loader
• Retains ARK-4 and ARK-5 compatibility
• Includes a build-time check to prevent this issue from returning
• Passes compiler and static-analysis checks without warnings

Updating

Delete the previous HelltakerPSP directory and install the complete folder from the new release:

HelltakerPSP/
├── EBOOT.PBP
└── MUSIC.PAK

Copy it to:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

For PSP Go internal storage:

ef0:/PSP/GAME/HelltakerPSP/

Do not reuse the old EBOOT.

New EBOOT verification

Size:    6,827,753 bytes
SHA-256: 0587fc5d134df417a3ff88d15da7f9b4cfd249d3a0283e3321947fd026bf81da

MUSIC.PAK must remain beside EBOOT.PBP.