Introduction
So what is this CWCheat plug-in thingie? What does it do for me? How do I install it? How do I use it?
In short, it is a highly customizable homebrew application developed by an Italian homebrew coder called Weltall. CWCheat (currently at version 0.1.8) can 'run in the background' within all three possible PSP software environment states: It runs in the XMB, during PSP game playback, and during PSOne game playback. You can set it up to run in any of these three states, or during all three of them, and as far as I can tell, there is never a performance hit for having it run, at all times, in all states.
I'm sure quite a few of you know about this plug-in, but considering the number of PMs and IMs I've been getting from brand new "open" PSP users (or those that wanted help in "opening" their PSPs) recently, I thought it was about time to start this thread, which I've been intending to create for a while now!
Depending on how you configure it, CWCheat will allow you to do any of the following (and more!):
1) Apply valid Codebreaker cheats to PSP games (UMD or ISO) and PSOne games. Actual Codebreaker cheat devices NOT NECESSARY!
2) Search for your own codes from within PSP and PSOne games.
3) Capture screenshots from within PSP and PSOne games. (No need for a separate capture plug-in!)
4) Toggle miscellaneous settings, such as screen brightness, CPU speeds, etc. (I typically adjust these via Dark-Alex's Recovery Console, and leave these alone)
5) Launch a .txt file you've previously deposited in a predetermined location, such as your favorite GameFAQs FAQ!
6) Convert PSOne virtual memory card saves to ePSXe (PSOne emulator for the PC format), and vice-versa.*
*
In case you want to continue your games on your PC, or in order to complete the disc swap process for those games that do not allow you to save during the disc swap process. For such games, you'd need to convert your file to a PC-readable version, complete the disc swap via a PC emulator using your original CDs, save the game once you're on the new disc, then use CWCheat to convert the new PC save back to a PSP-compatible save.
Codebreaker Cheat Codes - An In-Depth Look
I have a rather substantial collection of PSOne RPGs, many of which I've barely played and I have little enough console time at home to dedicate to revisiting them, as it is. Additionally, many of those that I did play through (I'm looking at you, 32-bit Final Fantasies!) have all kinds of optional and sometimes extensive mini-games and sidequests that the OCD-side of me require I complete, but that the gamer in me has little patience for. CWCheat allows me to 'tweak' my experience in order to minimize the amount of time wasted on such optional (but for me, mandatory) activities, resulting in a more focused, streamlined experience, one that is not otherwise compromised by skipping or missing out on such content and rewards.
Of course, you're more than welcome to use the dozens, hundreds, or thousands of available Codebreaker codes (depending on the title and its popularity) to mess around with the various systems and mechanic that comprise the meta-game. But to be honest, I prefer to leave the RPG experience as untouched as possible, and only apply those cheats that provide for a smoother core experience (by streamlining the more annoying aspects of the game), with as few compromises as possible. I'm currently replaying Final Fantasy IX, so I'll give you a few examples of what cheats I have available (not all running simultaneously, of course):
Save Anywhere
This is a major hack, requiring the activation of approximately 66 simultaneous Codebreaker codes! What it does is unlock functionality that was apparently coded into the game but then 'dummied out' later in development. As with earlier FFs, it grants access to a Save command from within the party menu screen. Normally, you're limited to approaching Moogles at Inns or in dungeons to save, or in the case of the overworld, using the annoying Moogle Charm to summon one of the critters, and subsequently to engage him or her in repetitve conversation before being able to save. It's much more convenient to just be able to hit Triangle to bring up the usual FF menu screen and select Save from there. As a bonus, you can also save anywhere, at anytime you can press Triangle to access this menu. It's fantastic, as it applies adds a 'save anywhere' functionality that portable RPGs benefit so greatly from. Yeah, yeah, I know about the PSP's sleep mode (and it works fine running PSOne ISOs), but if I'm about to wrap up a session, ready to step off my train and into my office, I'd rather save the game and terminate gracefully, than leave the PSP in sleep mode for 8-12 hours.
A warning: The game was coded to handle saving anywhere, so you can potentially destroy your save file by saving in a truly inappropriate location or at a truly inappropriate time. Basically, never save inside a room after just having witnessed or experienced a major event. Distance yourself by at least one room where nothing special is going on, to be safe. Also, it would behoove you to keep two separate save files. One to use as your 'save anywhere' file, and the other that saves only at legitimate Moogle save points. This way, if you do screw up, you only ever stand to lose roughly 10-45 minutes of game-time, at most.
Super Inventory Modifier
This is another 'mega' cheat, using roughly 99 simultaneous codes to function! It has a ton of uses (such as converting one item in your inventory into another, or increasing and decreasing the stock of existing inventory. It's a potentially game-breaking cheat, but I only ever use it to dupe some rare accessories or miscellaneous pieces of armor, and only to speed up the ability learning process for my party. I don't use it to dupe 99 Megaelixers or transmute 99 Ragnarok swords. But I did notice that the reward for having Freya win the Lindblum Hunt sequence, a Coral Ring, is a nice accessory that has plenty to teach various party members. So I duped that once or twice (only after having secured it legitimately, in-game) so that my party might simultaneously unlock the Coral Ring's latent abilities, instead of waiting for one character to finish with it before passing it on to the next. Keeps grinding, over-leveling, and tedium down.
I suppose it can also be used to streamline item synthesis, but I'm not so sure how I feel about that. Duping cheap, easy-to-acquire, and insignificant materials is a minor enough offense, since all it does is up convenience factor, but you can also probably use this cheat to synthesize more powerful equipment sooner than you should be able to. Depends on how far you're willing to go, I suppose. And there are other, similar cheats, that can grant you all key items, grant you max/infinite money, grant you 1 (or 99) of every item, etc. But I don't touch any of those.
Miscellaneous Mini-Game Cheats
The game has tons of small mini-games, such as the stage duel in the beginning of the game, the hippo push race, the jump-rope game, the chocobo hot & cold sequence, etc., that might work well in short spurts here and there, but have sometimes insane requirements for maxing out all rewards. I typically find such mini-games to be annoying and poorly-implemented during the best of times, and I have no desire to do them again and again to max out awards. I have no problems cheating my way out of these if it saves me an 15 minutes to an hour here and there. Some people find raising a Gold Chocobo fun. I'm not one of those. There are plenty of cheats available for the Tetra Master card battling game, but I actually find this one very enjoyable and well-implemented (unusually so), so I don't employ those cheats. But if you're into them, you can guarantee that the 5 cards you start with can never be lost in that battle (ensuring a draw at worst, a win 95% of the time), lock your battle records to 0 losses and 0 draws, alter the parameters of your cards to make them unstoppable, give yourself 1 of every card, etc.
Timer Reset
Getting Steiner's Ultimate Weapon is absolutely ridiculous, essentially requiring that you compromise your battling, leveling, and exploring in order to rush through most of the game in under 12 hours. Not my idea of fun, and not even my idea of a legitimate Ultimate Weapon challenge. It's just stupid and sabotages the entire traditional JRPG experience. Being able to reset the game-timer upon approaching Steiner's Ultimate Weapon sequence is a fantastic way around this stupid game mechanic.
Miscellaneous Convenience Cheats
Disabling some of the Square/EA logos when the game first loads, temporarily suspending random battles, allowing you to summon a Chocobo from anywhere, allowing a Chocobo to land almost anywhere, etc. I love the former, but don't use the latter cheats much. Still, there are tons of miscellaneous cheats that serve only to cater to our convenience, some having only a marginal effect on gameplay, others a more substantial effect. It can be quite nice to use such cheats to customize your experience, in particular if you've already played through the traditional game one (or more) times in the past! Many of them function much like mods or other user-made fixes that you might choose to apply to PC RPGs, such as Oblivion!
Most of these cheats required the purchase of some kind of hardware peripheral for your consoles, and not all peripherals were created equal. CWCheat takes the most popular (and powerful) of these peripherals and emulates it perfectly in-software! FFIX has just under 6000 codes available for it, and you can bet that the more popular PSOne RPGs (many of which work flawlessly with the PSP) have hundreds and thousands of codes available as well!
Sounds Awesome! So How Do I Set All of this Up On My PSP?
Well, we'll need a few things before we get started.
Downloads and Resources
1) CWCheat 0.1.8 - Get this from Weltall's website (link). Direct download (link).
This version runs with all recent Dark-Alex Open Edition custom firmwares. If you're using the older 2.71 Special Edition custom firmware, you can download an older version of CWCheat, but you'll probably be missing out on a ton of bug fixes and new features.
2) Updated cheats.db - the constantly updated by Weltall PSP cheats database file. Get it from Weltall's site (link). Direct download (link).
Downloading it from Weltall's site saves you the effort of finding and adding the codes yourself! Actually, the CWCheat archive comes with a tiny little homebrew app for your PSP that allows it to connect directly to Weltall's server and download it straight to your PSP (make sure the WLAN switch is set to on before you launch the CWCheat Database Downloader).
But setting it up can be a pain to set up and Weltall's servers sometimes go down. I typically just download it via my PC and drop it to the proper folder on my PSP's memory stick myself. Sadly, Weltall does NOT similarly maintain a cheatpops.db on his site. This database file is where CWCheat stores PSOne cheat codes. It's up to you to manually add in your own codes by editing this file in Notepad, according to Weltall's somewhat esoteric coding convention!
3) CWCheat Database Editor 1.82 (link).
This app, created by Patsky13, is a small executable that runs off your PC (Microsoft .NET 2.0 (link) must be installed) and allows you to access cheats.db or cheatpops.db and update them manually via a very friendly and intuitive graphical user interface. Somewhat unnecessary for cheats.db (which Weltall manages and updates constantly), but VERY handy for adding in your own PSOne cheats into the cheatpops.db file. Allows you to cut and paste codes straight from your browser of choice without fiddling with the file manually in Notepad. It applies all of the necessary formatting to the code such that CWCheat will recognize and execute them, as if you had done it yourself. If you load up the cheatpops.db instead of cheats.db, don't forget to switch it to POPS mode, otherwise you'll never be able to add a code!
4) Codebreaker Cheat Codes Database (link)
The source for Codebreaker Cheat Codes. I think you have to register in order to access all of their content, but registration is fast and free. You'll then have access to a giant index of codes, organized by console, game title, and various other categories. You'll note that some codes require certain 'Codebreaker versions'. This refers to various hardware revisions of the Codebreaker peripherals. Irrelevant for our purposes, since we're using CWCheat's Codebreaker emulation routines. I only use a very small number of cheats, many of them minor, but I've yet to find one that didn't properly work on my PSP using CWCheat!
CWCheat Installation & Usage
Note: I'm assuming you have at least a basic working knowledge of how to run homebrew applications on your custom firmware-equipped PSP, and transfer files to and from your memory stick, either by plugging the memory stick directly into a card reader, or by hooking your PSP up to your PC via a mini-USB cable, and engaging the PSP's USB Mode. Still, you should be just fine following my instructions. Feel free to chime in with questions, however!
1) Download and unzip the CWCheat archive to an accessible location on your PC, such as your Desktop. You'll notice a ton of folders and help files. You should read the relevant help files, but many of them aren't all that necessary just yet.
2) Copy the contents of MS_ROOT (not the folder MS_ROOT) to your memory stick's root. (x:\ where x is the default drive letter assigned to your PSP's memory stick by Windows)
If you have other plug-ins installed, DO NOT overwrite the vsh.txt, game.txt, or pops.txt files on your memory stick. Instead, you'll have to edit them manually via Notepad accordingly, otherwise you stand to accidentally disable your current plug-ins. If you have no plug-ins installed, then go ahead and use the .txt files included within the CWCheat archive you downloaded. You would know if you have any plug-ins installed, since vanilla OE custom firmware installations don't come with any by default!
3) Once the files are properly copied, disengage USB Mode and power down fully by holding the power switch up for a few seconds, until the shut down completes, or pop your memory stick back into your PSP, if you're using a memory stick reader. Access your Recovery Console by holding down the R shoulder trigger while powering up.
4) Navigate to 'Plug-Ins' and you should see cwcheat [GAME] and cwcheatpops [POPS] show up (if you properly set up the .txt files in step 2). Enable both. The former pertains to the PSP UMD/ISO functionality, the latter to PSOne functionality.
5) Once both are enabled, navigate Back to the main screen, and hit Exit to resume your PSP's boot up. From now on, both versions of CWCheat will launch accordingly (depending on the kind of game you load) automatically, by default. You'll have to navigate back to the Recovery Console and manually disable both, if you'd rather run your games without CWCheat functionality.
6) To launch CWCheat, hold Select for roughly 3 seconds at any time from within a PSP or PSOne game. I'd recommend pausing your game first.
The correct instance of CWCheat will launch, though both are almost totally identical in form, function, and appearance.
The resulting CWCheat overlay will provide you with various PSP parameters (current CPU clock speed, power source, battery levels, PSP temperatures, CWCheat version number, etc) as well as all kinds of options.
You may want to tweak your settings in order to black out the screen once CWCheat is initiated (by default, the menu displays over the game screen, and depending on the screen, the menu and be hard to make out. You might also want to set up a screenshot capture button (I recommend the WLAN switch button), while you're at it. You can also change the button that has to be held down to launch CWCheat, and the duration the button needs to be held down!
As I mentioned above, I wouldn't change any of the screen or CPU clock speed settings here. Just leave them as-is. Settings adjusted affect both the PSP and PSOne instances of CWCheat, as overall settings are shared!
Take your time to explore the various options available, using the appropriate CWCheat help files as needed. Much like when tweaking the options available with your firmware's Recovery Console, err on the side of caution. If you're unsure what something does, don't mess with it.
7) CWCheat relies on the Playstation Game ID Number (unique to every single PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PSP game or demo disc) that your game is encoded with and filters the contents of cheats.db and cheatpops.db accordingly, to display only those codes that apply to the currently running game!
If you're running a PSP game (UMD or ISO), CWCheat automatically reads the Playstation Game ID Number from the disc or image directly.
However, you're responsible for encoding your own PSOne games with their proper Playstation Game ID Numbers when converting the CD ISO into a PSP-executable format. Some PSOne->PSP conversion utilities are able to determine the proper Playstation Game ID Number, but you still need to know it when manually adding codes to the cheatpops.db.
If you're using the CWCheat Database Editor I linked to above to manage your cheatpops.db (and you should be), then you'll be prompted to enter appropriate Playstation Game ID Number every time you add a new game to your database file. Make sure you use the right Game ID Number you encoded your game with, otherwise the codes will not show up!
The PSP game boxes and PSOne jewel cases typically list the Playstation Game ID Numbers of all discs contained therein. They typically come in the form of SLUSxxxxx or SCUSxxxxx where xxxxx are numbers.
Conclusion
Well. I guess that about does it, unless anyone has any questions. Feel free to post anecdotes detailing your experiences, if you've used CWCheat... or questions if you have any. Even screen shots of neat game moments that you've taken with CWCheat! In other words... discuss!
So what is this CWCheat plug-in thingie? What does it do for me? How do I install it? How do I use it?
In short, it is a highly customizable homebrew application developed by an Italian homebrew coder called Weltall. CWCheat (currently at version 0.1.8) can 'run in the background' within all three possible PSP software environment states: It runs in the XMB, during PSP game playback, and during PSOne game playback. You can set it up to run in any of these three states, or during all three of them, and as far as I can tell, there is never a performance hit for having it run, at all times, in all states.
I'm sure quite a few of you know about this plug-in, but considering the number of PMs and IMs I've been getting from brand new "open" PSP users (or those that wanted help in "opening" their PSPs) recently, I thought it was about time to start this thread, which I've been intending to create for a while now!
Depending on how you configure it, CWCheat will allow you to do any of the following (and more!):
1) Apply valid Codebreaker cheats to PSP games (UMD or ISO) and PSOne games. Actual Codebreaker cheat devices NOT NECESSARY!
2) Search for your own codes from within PSP and PSOne games.
3) Capture screenshots from within PSP and PSOne games. (No need for a separate capture plug-in!)
4) Toggle miscellaneous settings, such as screen brightness, CPU speeds, etc. (I typically adjust these via Dark-Alex's Recovery Console, and leave these alone)
5) Launch a .txt file you've previously deposited in a predetermined location, such as your favorite GameFAQs FAQ!
6) Convert PSOne virtual memory card saves to ePSXe (PSOne emulator for the PC format), and vice-versa.*
*
In case you want to continue your games on your PC, or in order to complete the disc swap process for those games that do not allow you to save during the disc swap process. For such games, you'd need to convert your file to a PC-readable version, complete the disc swap via a PC emulator using your original CDs, save the game once you're on the new disc, then use CWCheat to convert the new PC save back to a PSP-compatible save.
Codebreaker Cheat Codes - An In-Depth Look
I have a rather substantial collection of PSOne RPGs, many of which I've barely played and I have little enough console time at home to dedicate to revisiting them, as it is. Additionally, many of those that I did play through (I'm looking at you, 32-bit Final Fantasies!) have all kinds of optional and sometimes extensive mini-games and sidequests that the OCD-side of me require I complete, but that the gamer in me has little patience for. CWCheat allows me to 'tweak' my experience in order to minimize the amount of time wasted on such optional (but for me, mandatory) activities, resulting in a more focused, streamlined experience, one that is not otherwise compromised by skipping or missing out on such content and rewards.
Of course, you're more than welcome to use the dozens, hundreds, or thousands of available Codebreaker codes (depending on the title and its popularity) to mess around with the various systems and mechanic that comprise the meta-game. But to be honest, I prefer to leave the RPG experience as untouched as possible, and only apply those cheats that provide for a smoother core experience (by streamlining the more annoying aspects of the game), with as few compromises as possible. I'm currently replaying Final Fantasy IX, so I'll give you a few examples of what cheats I have available (not all running simultaneously, of course):
Save Anywhere
This is a major hack, requiring the activation of approximately 66 simultaneous Codebreaker codes! What it does is unlock functionality that was apparently coded into the game but then 'dummied out' later in development. As with earlier FFs, it grants access to a Save command from within the party menu screen. Normally, you're limited to approaching Moogles at Inns or in dungeons to save, or in the case of the overworld, using the annoying Moogle Charm to summon one of the critters, and subsequently to engage him or her in repetitve conversation before being able to save. It's much more convenient to just be able to hit Triangle to bring up the usual FF menu screen and select Save from there. As a bonus, you can also save anywhere, at anytime you can press Triangle to access this menu. It's fantastic, as it applies adds a 'save anywhere' functionality that portable RPGs benefit so greatly from. Yeah, yeah, I know about the PSP's sleep mode (and it works fine running PSOne ISOs), but if I'm about to wrap up a session, ready to step off my train and into my office, I'd rather save the game and terminate gracefully, than leave the PSP in sleep mode for 8-12 hours.
A warning: The game was coded to handle saving anywhere, so you can potentially destroy your save file by saving in a truly inappropriate location or at a truly inappropriate time. Basically, never save inside a room after just having witnessed or experienced a major event. Distance yourself by at least one room where nothing special is going on, to be safe. Also, it would behoove you to keep two separate save files. One to use as your 'save anywhere' file, and the other that saves only at legitimate Moogle save points. This way, if you do screw up, you only ever stand to lose roughly 10-45 minutes of game-time, at most.
Super Inventory Modifier
This is another 'mega' cheat, using roughly 99 simultaneous codes to function! It has a ton of uses (such as converting one item in your inventory into another, or increasing and decreasing the stock of existing inventory. It's a potentially game-breaking cheat, but I only ever use it to dupe some rare accessories or miscellaneous pieces of armor, and only to speed up the ability learning process for my party. I don't use it to dupe 99 Megaelixers or transmute 99 Ragnarok swords. But I did notice that the reward for having Freya win the Lindblum Hunt sequence, a Coral Ring, is a nice accessory that has plenty to teach various party members. So I duped that once or twice (only after having secured it legitimately, in-game) so that my party might simultaneously unlock the Coral Ring's latent abilities, instead of waiting for one character to finish with it before passing it on to the next. Keeps grinding, over-leveling, and tedium down.
I suppose it can also be used to streamline item synthesis, but I'm not so sure how I feel about that. Duping cheap, easy-to-acquire, and insignificant materials is a minor enough offense, since all it does is up convenience factor, but you can also probably use this cheat to synthesize more powerful equipment sooner than you should be able to. Depends on how far you're willing to go, I suppose. And there are other, similar cheats, that can grant you all key items, grant you max/infinite money, grant you 1 (or 99) of every item, etc. But I don't touch any of those.
Miscellaneous Mini-Game Cheats
The game has tons of small mini-games, such as the stage duel in the beginning of the game, the hippo push race, the jump-rope game, the chocobo hot & cold sequence, etc., that might work well in short spurts here and there, but have sometimes insane requirements for maxing out all rewards. I typically find such mini-games to be annoying and poorly-implemented during the best of times, and I have no desire to do them again and again to max out awards. I have no problems cheating my way out of these if it saves me an 15 minutes to an hour here and there. Some people find raising a Gold Chocobo fun. I'm not one of those. There are plenty of cheats available for the Tetra Master card battling game, but I actually find this one very enjoyable and well-implemented (unusually so), so I don't employ those cheats. But if you're into them, you can guarantee that the 5 cards you start with can never be lost in that battle (ensuring a draw at worst, a win 95% of the time), lock your battle records to 0 losses and 0 draws, alter the parameters of your cards to make them unstoppable, give yourself 1 of every card, etc.
Timer Reset
Getting Steiner's Ultimate Weapon is absolutely ridiculous, essentially requiring that you compromise your battling, leveling, and exploring in order to rush through most of the game in under 12 hours. Not my idea of fun, and not even my idea of a legitimate Ultimate Weapon challenge. It's just stupid and sabotages the entire traditional JRPG experience. Being able to reset the game-timer upon approaching Steiner's Ultimate Weapon sequence is a fantastic way around this stupid game mechanic.
Miscellaneous Convenience Cheats
Disabling some of the Square/EA logos when the game first loads, temporarily suspending random battles, allowing you to summon a Chocobo from anywhere, allowing a Chocobo to land almost anywhere, etc. I love the former, but don't use the latter cheats much. Still, there are tons of miscellaneous cheats that serve only to cater to our convenience, some having only a marginal effect on gameplay, others a more substantial effect. It can be quite nice to use such cheats to customize your experience, in particular if you've already played through the traditional game one (or more) times in the past! Many of them function much like mods or other user-made fixes that you might choose to apply to PC RPGs, such as Oblivion!
Most of these cheats required the purchase of some kind of hardware peripheral for your consoles, and not all peripherals were created equal. CWCheat takes the most popular (and powerful) of these peripherals and emulates it perfectly in-software! FFIX has just under 6000 codes available for it, and you can bet that the more popular PSOne RPGs (many of which work flawlessly with the PSP) have hundreds and thousands of codes available as well!
Sounds Awesome! So How Do I Set All of this Up On My PSP?
Well, we'll need a few things before we get started.
Downloads and Resources
1) CWCheat 0.1.8 - Get this from Weltall's website (link). Direct download (link).
This version runs with all recent Dark-Alex Open Edition custom firmwares. If you're using the older 2.71 Special Edition custom firmware, you can download an older version of CWCheat, but you'll probably be missing out on a ton of bug fixes and new features.
2) Updated cheats.db - the constantly updated by Weltall PSP cheats database file. Get it from Weltall's site (link). Direct download (link).
Downloading it from Weltall's site saves you the effort of finding and adding the codes yourself! Actually, the CWCheat archive comes with a tiny little homebrew app for your PSP that allows it to connect directly to Weltall's server and download it straight to your PSP (make sure the WLAN switch is set to on before you launch the CWCheat Database Downloader).
But setting it up can be a pain to set up and Weltall's servers sometimes go down. I typically just download it via my PC and drop it to the proper folder on my PSP's memory stick myself. Sadly, Weltall does NOT similarly maintain a cheatpops.db on his site. This database file is where CWCheat stores PSOne cheat codes. It's up to you to manually add in your own codes by editing this file in Notepad, according to Weltall's somewhat esoteric coding convention!
3) CWCheat Database Editor 1.82 (link).
This app, created by Patsky13, is a small executable that runs off your PC (Microsoft .NET 2.0 (link) must be installed) and allows you to access cheats.db or cheatpops.db and update them manually via a very friendly and intuitive graphical user interface. Somewhat unnecessary for cheats.db (which Weltall manages and updates constantly), but VERY handy for adding in your own PSOne cheats into the cheatpops.db file. Allows you to cut and paste codes straight from your browser of choice without fiddling with the file manually in Notepad. It applies all of the necessary formatting to the code such that CWCheat will recognize and execute them, as if you had done it yourself. If you load up the cheatpops.db instead of cheats.db, don't forget to switch it to POPS mode, otherwise you'll never be able to add a code!
4) Codebreaker Cheat Codes Database (link)
The source for Codebreaker Cheat Codes. I think you have to register in order to access all of their content, but registration is fast and free. You'll then have access to a giant index of codes, organized by console, game title, and various other categories. You'll note that some codes require certain 'Codebreaker versions'. This refers to various hardware revisions of the Codebreaker peripherals. Irrelevant for our purposes, since we're using CWCheat's Codebreaker emulation routines. I only use a very small number of cheats, many of them minor, but I've yet to find one that didn't properly work on my PSP using CWCheat!
CWCheat Installation & Usage
Note: I'm assuming you have at least a basic working knowledge of how to run homebrew applications on your custom firmware-equipped PSP, and transfer files to and from your memory stick, either by plugging the memory stick directly into a card reader, or by hooking your PSP up to your PC via a mini-USB cable, and engaging the PSP's USB Mode. Still, you should be just fine following my instructions. Feel free to chime in with questions, however!
1) Download and unzip the CWCheat archive to an accessible location on your PC, such as your Desktop. You'll notice a ton of folders and help files. You should read the relevant help files, but many of them aren't all that necessary just yet.
2) Copy the contents of MS_ROOT (not the folder MS_ROOT) to your memory stick's root. (x:\ where x is the default drive letter assigned to your PSP's memory stick by Windows)
If you have other plug-ins installed, DO NOT overwrite the vsh.txt, game.txt, or pops.txt files on your memory stick. Instead, you'll have to edit them manually via Notepad accordingly, otherwise you stand to accidentally disable your current plug-ins. If you have no plug-ins installed, then go ahead and use the .txt files included within the CWCheat archive you downloaded. You would know if you have any plug-ins installed, since vanilla OE custom firmware installations don't come with any by default!
3) Once the files are properly copied, disengage USB Mode and power down fully by holding the power switch up for a few seconds, until the shut down completes, or pop your memory stick back into your PSP, if you're using a memory stick reader. Access your Recovery Console by holding down the R shoulder trigger while powering up.
4) Navigate to 'Plug-Ins' and you should see cwcheat [GAME] and cwcheatpops [POPS] show up (if you properly set up the .txt files in step 2). Enable both. The former pertains to the PSP UMD/ISO functionality, the latter to PSOne functionality.
5) Once both are enabled, navigate Back to the main screen, and hit Exit to resume your PSP's boot up. From now on, both versions of CWCheat will launch accordingly (depending on the kind of game you load) automatically, by default. You'll have to navigate back to the Recovery Console and manually disable both, if you'd rather run your games without CWCheat functionality.
6) To launch CWCheat, hold Select for roughly 3 seconds at any time from within a PSP or PSOne game. I'd recommend pausing your game first.
The correct instance of CWCheat will launch, though both are almost totally identical in form, function, and appearance.
The resulting CWCheat overlay will provide you with various PSP parameters (current CPU clock speed, power source, battery levels, PSP temperatures, CWCheat version number, etc) as well as all kinds of options.
You may want to tweak your settings in order to black out the screen once CWCheat is initiated (by default, the menu displays over the game screen, and depending on the screen, the menu and be hard to make out. You might also want to set up a screenshot capture button (I recommend the WLAN switch button), while you're at it. You can also change the button that has to be held down to launch CWCheat, and the duration the button needs to be held down!
As I mentioned above, I wouldn't change any of the screen or CPU clock speed settings here. Just leave them as-is. Settings adjusted affect both the PSP and PSOne instances of CWCheat, as overall settings are shared!
Take your time to explore the various options available, using the appropriate CWCheat help files as needed. Much like when tweaking the options available with your firmware's Recovery Console, err on the side of caution. If you're unsure what something does, don't mess with it.
7) CWCheat relies on the Playstation Game ID Number (unique to every single PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PSP game or demo disc) that your game is encoded with and filters the contents of cheats.db and cheatpops.db accordingly, to display only those codes that apply to the currently running game!
If you're running a PSP game (UMD or ISO), CWCheat automatically reads the Playstation Game ID Number from the disc or image directly.
However, you're responsible for encoding your own PSOne games with their proper Playstation Game ID Numbers when converting the CD ISO into a PSP-executable format. Some PSOne->PSP conversion utilities are able to determine the proper Playstation Game ID Number, but you still need to know it when manually adding codes to the cheatpops.db.
If you're using the CWCheat Database Editor I linked to above to manage your cheatpops.db (and you should be), then you'll be prompted to enter appropriate Playstation Game ID Number every time you add a new game to your database file. Make sure you use the right Game ID Number you encoded your game with, otherwise the codes will not show up!
The PSP game boxes and PSOne jewel cases typically list the Playstation Game ID Numbers of all discs contained therein. They typically come in the form of SLUSxxxxx or SCUSxxxxx where xxxxx are numbers.
Conclusion
Well. I guess that about does it, unless anyone has any questions. Feel free to post anecdotes detailing your experiences, if you've used CWCheat... or questions if you have any. Even screen shots of neat game moments that you've taken with CWCheat! In other words... discuss!
