This week's big top story was all about Firmware 2.40: its release, initial hiccups, and then getting pulled down. A few people had some significant problems, but the majority saw their shiny new features were running smoothly. For those of you who were able to get this update onto your system, we suggest you start in-game XMBing and grabbing those trophies. For starters, hit up Super Stardust HD and read our guide on how to get those PS3 accolades.

Features

• Everything you need to know about firmware 2.40
"The features to be added in firmware 2.40 represent the biggest jump for PS3 owners, more so than 2.00 released a few months earlier. The key features of the update include the most-wanted things voiced by a majority of PS3 fans."


• Trophy Guide: Super Stardust HD
"With 9 Bronze, 6 Silver and 2 Gold Trophies, we're sure this is going to keep many occupied for quite some time. Here's our guide to unlock all the Trophies. Good luck!"

Screens

• inFAMOUS (PS3 Fanboy Exclusive)
• Madden NFL 09 (PS3)
• Midnight Club: Los Angeles (PS3)
• Yggdra Union (PSP)

For most of our younger readers, school's no longer in session in observation of the midsummer months -- though we're certain that our studious readers won't allow their minds become dull as rusty butter knives during their valuable vacation time. That's why we turn your attention to a fascinating article written by PS3 Fanboy's newest columnist, Ph.D candidate and gaming enthusiast Kylie Prymus, who examines the effect that the Escher-esque Echochrome can have on our perception of our own three-dimensional world.

Prymus posits that Echochrome's unique, manipulatable 2D perspective is not only jarring when compared to the robust 3D engines we've become accustomed to seeing in most games, but it also points out the "frailty of our own perceptual apparatus", which is fundamentally two-dimensional. Those who still possess unblown minds might want to give the article a read -- if only to give you some Hawking-quality discussion material with which to impress your gaming cohorts.

Ah, this is the image that launched a thousand murmurs across the sea of internets. We were tipped off early in the week from (possibly) eager developers willingly gushing about Sony's trophy system. At the moment, this image and others like it should still be taken with skepticism. We suppose it can't (read: definitely won't) be too long before we see something official. In the meantime, read up on what else we Sony Fanboys have been writing about this past week. Our top headlines are after the break.

Columns

• Echochrome - the new Brain Age?
"What Echochrome does, quite brilliantly, is tweak our perception of dimensionality in an interactive way not possible with Escher drawings or Penrose triangles."

Previews

• PS3 Fanboy Hands-on: SOCOM Confrontation
"Take into consideration that almost everything you can see, you can get to. More importantly, note that almost every building in the game can be entered as well, maximizing the playable area within each territory."

Our chums at PS3 Fanboy are in attendance at Sony's PlayStation Day 2008 event in lovely, old London, liveblogging all the goodies straight into your browsers. If you want to read up-to-the-minute coverage, hit up PS3 Fanboy. It's starting ... NOW!

These user-generated levels from echochrome terrify us. We can't wait to try them. Also: Are you ready for the first details of the US SingStore launch? Find out how much DLC songs will cost, and more, in our extensive report.

Previews/Hands-on

• SingStar (PS3)
  First official details about the upcoming US release.
  
• Siren: New Translation (PS3)
  We get our hands on the Japanese demo.
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3)
  Hands-on with the upcoming anime fighter.
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (PS3)
  We play Sid Meier's next big console game.
• B-Boy (PSP)
  Breakdancing arrives on PSP ... a few years late.
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 (PSP)
  Ramen-eating ninja gets another fighter on PSP.

Downloads

• Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 (PSP)
  Get a small taste of this PSP-exclusive fighter. Get the demo here!

This weekend was the premiere of PS Nation's first joint podcast with PS3 Fanboy. For our Joystiq recap, we thought we'd give you an early look: check it out. Also, read our early before-the-beta impressions of Metal Gear Online.

Previews

• Metal Gear Online (PS3)
  We play at New York Comic Con and come back to tell you about it.
  

Downloads

• Secret Agent Clank (PSP)
  Brand new screenshots of upcoming PSP exclusive.
  
• Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 (PSP)
  It's golf. In English. On the go.

What do you think about this new PS3 ad campaign? Check out high resolution images here, whilst you read our weekly recap.

Previews

• Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror (PS3)
  We get our hands on the upcoming multiplayer expansion.
  
• NovaStrike (PS3)
  We play the upcoming PSN shooter. Impressions and screens.
• R-Type Command (PSP)
  Irem's space shooter gets tactical. Hands-on impressions.

Hardware

• Joytron's PSP skin case
  Easy to install peripheral does the job.
• Nyko's FrontMan guitar
  Great guitar works on both Rock Band and Guitar Hero III.

We love European ads -- and here's a great example of why. After you're done recovering from this, read our weekly recap.

Downloads

• Alpha Protocol (PS3)
  What does Obsidian's new stealth game look like? Find out in the first screenshots.
• Sonic Unleashed (PS3, PS2)
  Could it be a good Sonic game? We hope so. Screenshots and video.
• R-Type Command (PSP)
  Irem's shooter gets strategic on PSP. See new screenshots.

Wyclef Jean loves singing about Burnout Paradise and the PS3. And PSP. And PlayStation Eye. Who doesn't?

Reviews

• Warriors Orochi (PSP)
  "Ultimately falls to the curse of the Warriors franchise: a weak story, repetitive gameplay, and completely generic and replaceable characters."

Features

• Top 20 characters that should be in Dissidia
  The Smash Bros.-esque Final Fantasy game has a lot of potential. We explore the characters we hope Square Enix will put into their upcoming brawler.

Master Chief is finishing the fight on PS3 -- thanks to the user community of Unreal Tournament III. Check out some more fancy UTIII mods while you read this week's update.

Previews

• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
  Hands-on with split screen mode.

Interviews

• Secret Agent Clank's Lesley Mathieson (PSP)
  Talking about the next Ratchet game.

Downloads

• Dragonball Z: Burst Limit (PS3)
  New screenshots of the first DBZ game on the current generation.
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
  Yummy in-game shots of the Ferrari.
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
  Last batch of screenshots before the US release.
• Dungeon Explorer demo (PSP)
• Astonishia Story 2 demo (PSP)

Reviews

• Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (PS3)
  "A worthy game to add to one's collection and definitely an experience that shouldn't be passed up."
• FlatOut: Head On (PSP)
  "On a system that has so many strong racing offerings, FlatOut can easily be bypassed."

This awesome bit of Patapon fan art comes from canecodesign. Now, enjoy the rest of this week's PSF updates.

Downloads

• Umihara Kawase demo (PSP)
  Obscure Japanese platformer for you to try.

Reviews

• Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (PSN)
  "There are a number of things Rocketmen does wrong -- impressive, considering how simple the genre of the dual-analog shooter is."
• Hands-on with Nyko's Zero controller (PS3)
  "There are a number of flaws in its design that make it hard to recommend whole-heartedly."
• Wild Arms XF (PSP)
  "Not only the best Wild ARMs game I've played ... one of the best SRPG's I've played."

Crisis Core, the prequel to Final Fantasy VII is hitting US audiences very soon. Check out tons of new English-language videos and screenshots from this hotly anticipated PSP exclusive.

Interviews

• Eye of Judgment's Yusuke Watanabe
  Find out more about the future of this innovative card game.
  
• Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert
  The history and future of the PixelJunk series.
• Insomniac chats about the Nocturnal Initiative
  Find out why Insomniac is reaching out to the development community.
• Metanet and N+
  Find out more about the upcoming PSP and PS3 versions of N+ from the creators.

Reviews

• Lost: Via Domus (PS3)
  "We'd recommend fans just stick to their show."
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PS3)
  "The PS3 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition had the chance to redeem itself and rectify some of the issues that plagued the game originally. Unfortunately, it didn't."
• flOw (PSP)
  "It may not be a perfect port of the PS3 title, but it still does a great job of offering a unique, soothing experience on the go."
• God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
  "While Chains of Olympus is an excellent game, it's not the definitive God of War experience that perhaps many are craving for."

PSP was graced with one of its best games this week: Wipeout Pulse. Check out our review and find out why you'll want to join us on the online race tracks.

Reviews

• Go! Sports Skydiving (PS3)
  "This is just another addition to the growing list of gimmicky motion-controlled games that don't quite work."
• Wipeout Pulse (PSP)
  "Pulse is the new benchmark for PSP games -- one we don't expect will be challenged too easily in the immediate future."

Previews

• God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
  Does it work on the handheld? Yes. How are the load times? Find out more in our updated hands-on.
  

Downloads

• PS Fanboy Wallpapers: Volume 19
  Dark Sector wallpapers. For download on PS3 and PSP.
• Dynasty Warriors 6
  New screenshots of the hack 'n slash.

The only thing that kept this PS Fanboy editor from going insane whilst writing five reviews in five days was this gory batch of new screenshots from God of War: Chains of Olympus. Shows you how far handheld technology has gone from the Game & Watch days.

Reviews

• Turok (PS3)
  "Perhaps it's meant to be an accurate simulation of being in a dark cave. Apparently, that isn't a very fun thing to do."
• Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
  "A sometimes-problematic camera doesn't play nicely with platforming, but such annoyances are rather few and far apart ... DMC4 manages to refine the franchise to a new level of polish."
• The Cryptics (PSP)
  "At $2.99, you won't lose much for trying it out ... and it's something we'd love to see more of in the future."
• Go! Puzzle (PSP)
  "Go! Puzzle offers an extensive amount of content at a price that's just right."
• Downstream Panic! (PSP)
  "Don't let its saccharin sweet exterior fool you. Downstream Panic! is one hardcore, ****ing difficult game ... when you see your fish friends explode in an amazing display of blood and guts, you will think again."
• Bomberman Land (PSP)
  "When did Bomberman stop using bombs? That's the big question you'll ask yourself as you trod through this tiresome collection of mediocre mini-games."

Previews

• Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (PS3)
  Updated hands-on with near-final US release.
• MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
  Is it the prettiest sports game ever? Quite possibly.

Downloads

• God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
  Too many new images from Kratos' upcoming adventure.
  
• Wild Arms XF (PSP)
  New character art and screenshots from the upcoming SRPG.
  

Click for high-resolution image.

Home recently got a pre-launch update (although still no public beta!). Check out PS3 Fanboy for brand new images from the updated build.

Reviews

• PixelJunk Monsters (PS3)
  "Those in it for the long-haul will easily get over 20 hours of gameplay. Add a fantastic two-player co-op mode, and you have a lengthy game that costs as much as a sandwich."

Interviews

• Wild ARMS XF (PSP)
  We got a chance to talk to producer (and scenario writer) Akifumi Kaneko about this upcoming tactical SPRG.

Downloads

• PS Fanboy Wallpapers: Volume 17
  Army of Two wallpapers. For download on PS3 and PSP.
• PlayStation Fancast 015: Naughty Dog edition
  An interview with Naughty Dog's Richard Lemarchand.
• Home (PS3)
  Brand new images from the recently updated version.
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
  New images from the upcoming racing game.
• Soulcalibur IV (PS3)
  Hot new images showcase returning fighters.
• Minna no Golf Portable 2 (PSP)
  Downloadable demo of this Japanese golf game.