[RELEASE] Learn Japanese v0.7 *Updated*

[ponlork]

Hello, this is a trivia game designed to help people memorize Japanese words. It's quite simple, a word pops up in English and you just need to translate it in Japanese. I also integrated a Multi-tap style text entry system to input the text. This is my first attempt at programming, I plan to add more lessons and features in the future once I get better.

Notes:
You can reveal the answer by Holding the R button and pressing Circle. Pressing the Select button will switch the keypad mode. For a spacebar, Hold R and tap forward



Download here

Maybe during the weekend I'll upload a video demonstrating how to play it. Man my first program, I feel so proud :icon_bigg. Am I now officially allowed to be called a homebrew developer? I always wanted to be one of those...

*Update* I coded v.02 today, here's the link
Download here

Also uploaded a video demonstration on youtube:


*Update* v.03 now available! Scroll Below for More Info


Learn Japanese v0.4 download

Download Learn Japanese v0.5

Learn Japanese 0.6

Learn Japanese 0.7

Learn Japanese 0.8

[Eleo]

Hi cool app a few things:
There is no space key to do oyasumi nasai
When you press R+O it will display the answer AND will write a "w" character.
There is no back space option when after you press "select" to enter in "championship" mode.

EDIT: oh nevermind found how to do it, instructions txt would be useful :P
It reminded me of "Knuckles in China Land" would be cool to see a psp version.

[nickxab]

Lol it look interesting.
Thanks for this

[ponlork]

Hi cool app a few things:
There is no space key to do oyasumi nasai
When you press R+O it will display the answer AND will write a "w" character.
There is no back space option when after you press "select" to enter in "championship" mode.

EDIT: oh nevermind found how to do it, instructions txt would be useful :P
It reminded me of "Knuckles in China Land" would be cool to see a psp version.

Hey thanks for checking it out. I remember playing Knuckles in China Land and another Japanese learning RPG game a while back to help me out with Japanese characters. I would love to add Hiragana Katakana & Kanji later but probably not anytime soon.

There's still some bugs in the championship mode like I haven't included the Phonetic shifts such as ga za da ba pa etc. I'm probably going to use the button keypress in conjunction with the psp analog stick to shift those characters.

[SG57]

QJ has changed a bit since back then, they won't hand out Developer status to people for just anything anymore. Mostly to combat the desire of people to make a button tester and get free premium or something. As soon as you make multiple releases with substantial evidence that you are a developer it'll be given. You are a new developer after all ponlork, so just keep creating stuffz.

[ponlork]

QJ has changed a bit since back then, they won't hand out Developer status to people for just anything anymore. Mostly to combat the desire of people to make a button tester and get free premium or something. As soon as you make multiple releases with substantial evidence that you are a developer it'll be given. You are a new developer after all ponlork, so just keep creating stuffz.

ah sou desu ka? wakarimash!ta (oh is that right? I understand). u can't just step into da scene wit a gangsta lean, u gotta earn your stripes and pay ur dues i can dig it

Well it's cool. Hey just to let everybody know, I'm not fluent in Japanese or anything but I'm a big admirer of the Japanese culture. One of my intentions was to devise a method were I could easily build up my vocab. Hopefully when it's all complete it could be useful to others also.

Still, not bad for someone who just started 10 days ago ne? I think the best advice I can give to aspiring developers is to put their heart into it. Nobody likes following tutorials and creating apps they feel are useless but if they can find something in the simplicity of it all and find creative ways to make it useful then that's what adds to the fire and drive. Making something they can actually be proud of. If I was to just make a simple Questions & Answers game I probably would have quit 4 hours into it but the learning aspect of it kept my interests.

[elite999]

True that ponlork. :)

Unfortunately, we moderators can't handout developer statuses. There is a rule that SG57 stated. You totally deserve it though.

[flofrucht]

lol -..
now i can learn japanese :)
nice prog.
greetz.flo

[ponlork]

Minna Arigatou!

Wow after all the support I had to come with a new version. So here it is:
Learn Japanese v0.2

I fixed the Championship Mode, it should be fully functional now. This mode is for advanced users who are familiar with the Japanese writing system. Use the analog stick to shift the characters up from Ka to Ga, Ha to Ba etc. I also added a sound file to test, I plan on having audio pronunciations of all the words.

Future Plans
- Menu
- Audio Pronunciation of each word
- Custom Questions! (A MUST)
- Random Mode
- Conversational Phrases
- Karaoke


here's a video demonstration of the game
YouTube - Learn Japanese on the PSP!

I was wondering, next time when I release a new version should I just start a new thread?

[elite999]

When releases are timely close, then they get together. You can create a new thread if the new update is quite late and has more features.

[batanen]

Hi Ponlork!

I always get interested in anything Japanese related homebrews. This looks good and the concept is useful. However, if possible, I would suggest the championship mode to use the actual hiragana/katakana characters. People who are familiar with them, will not want to use romaji anymore to write Japanese. Writing the actual characters helps to memorize them too.

[ponlork]

Hi Ponlork!

I always get interested in anything Japanese related homebrews. This looks good and the concept is useful. However, if possible, I would suggest the championship mode to use the actual hiragana/katakana characters. People who are familiar with them, will not want to use romaji anymore to write Japanese. Writing the actual characters helps to memorize them too.

You know, I might just release a standalone version called Learn Japanese Champion Edition or something specifically for that lol. Thanks for the idea. And damn I noticed I made a mistake with the Hu character, it should have been switched to Fu. Oh well I'll fix that next update.

And yeah I didn't wanna bombard the forums with new threads so I'll just release new updates here

[hamedia]

hey man
first of, nice work, I enjoyed the vers1, and I will update to version 2
i'v almost mastered all words
pronunciation, and synonyms would also help in future releases thx

[ponlork]

[RELEASE] Learn Japanese v0.3

Hello everybody I got some big updates. I added a Menu, 2 extra stages, plus a victory animation when you clear a stage. To complete a stage you must achieve a streak of 21. I also added some more audio pronunciations, and I changed the way the answers are displayed. Now when you hit R+O the answers will display permanently until you turn it off. To access the menu press R+Triangle. Custom Questions not working yet.

Download Here

[elite999]

Thread title updated. :) You can update the first post for easier notice.

[hamedia]

niiice
i learnt all words in the firest two version
hopefully a new set has come
keep it up

[batanen]

I finally tried the homebrew. Here are some thoughts:

- There could be a multiple answer support. For example, see you later = ja mata / mata ne.
- I don't see how you delete a character in championship mode. Does not work similarly as in normal mode.
- When you have decided to show the answers once, you cannot remove the selection.
- Stage 2 & 3 do not advice how to return to menu.
- When custom learn words -sets are supported, it would be great if there is an easy solution to import the data. For example: <word>;<answer1>;<answer2 >; ... ; <answerN>. I also would wish for ä & ö support then.
- There could be a reverse mode, where <word> and <answer> changes the places.

Thanks for developing this useful homebrew!

[ponlork]

I finally tried the homebrew. Here are some thoughts:

- There could be a multiple answer support. For example, see you later = ja mata / mata ne.
- I don't see how you delete a character in championship mode. Does not work similarly as in normal mode.
- When you have decided to show the answers once, you cannot remove the selection.
- Stage 2 & 3 do not advice how to return to menu.
- When custom learn words -sets are supported, it would be great if there is an easy solution to import the data. For example: <word>;<answer1>;<answer2 >; ... ; <answerN>. I also would wish for ä & ö support then.
- There could be a reverse mode, where <word> and <answer> changes the places.

Thanks for developing this useful homebrew!

Hi batanen thanks for checking it out. Yeah it was kind of irresponsible of me not to include more detailed instructions on how to play. I'll probably add some type of help menu in the game later.

But as for deleting characters in championship mode, you can Hold R and press Left. That works in normal mode too. I forgot to address that. And as for answers displaying permanently, and removing it, it's kind of tricky. You either gotta press it simultaneously or when you Hold R then hit circle, release the R button while holding circle then release circle. I tried to make that more easier to pull off but I had difficulty coding that.

Well anyways thanks for the suggestions, I'll try to implement all that, especially the multiple answers, and reverse mode is a great idea too

[ponlork]

Konnichiwa! This is my most comprehensive version yet, pretty much all the core features I wanted are fully functional. There's now a total of 6 stages, but in order to access the 6th stage you must complete stages 1 - 5. As usual I added more audio and images. I also included a nifty video intro featuring Kirsten Dunst in the PSP XMB menu, check it out.

Download Here

[nickxab]

Thanks for the update.
I added download link in the first post and i updated the title too. ;)

[ponlork]

Thanks for the update.
I added download link in the first post and i updated the title too. ;)

Hey thanks a lot, wow I'm still up and I need to head to work in 3 hours lol. Hey if anybody downloaded the link I put up a few minutes ago, please download it again onegai shimasu. I had to edit a line to enable the music to play in the final stage

[hamedia]

what charactere is that in the homebrew icon png? shes frekaing hawt
thx for updating, im a big fan of it !_!
arrigatou

[ponlork]

what charactere is that in the homebrew icon png? shes frekaing hawt
thx for updating, im a big fan of it !_!
arrigatou

Hi hamedia! I really appreciate your input and support. Why that's Rider from the Fate/stay night series. Just a random image I had at my disposal. I'm thinking about featuring a different wallpaper in every release. but then again maybe not, I'm not really fond of making too many changes.

Well earlier this morning I snuck to play the game at work and recorded a quick playthrough on my cellphone. I wanted to show that typing fast is possible with a lil bit of practice. So here it is:

Learn Japanese v0.4 Playthrough

(I had to cut some parts out in order to meet the 10 minute time limit on youtube)

[batanen]

Thank you for the tips you mentioned earlier; tried them in version 4.

If you don't mind, I have an idea how custom mode could be implemented "easily" for you/users (basic stuff, but I'll explain it anyway). There could be a separate exe-file (made with C++, for example). It reads a file made by an user. An example:

car;kuruma
thank you very much;doomo arigatou gozaimasu

First the program reads every line. Then to the symbol ;. From beginning to ; is the English word. After ; to the end of line is the answer. (or answers separated by comma.)

Based on this information a custom lua-file is created. First comes all the necessary information. Then in a loop the question[i] lines. The only problem would be what comes after this as I didn't fully comprehend the 2000 lines after this (always the same?).

In the PSP application, user may choose a certain custom file from the list.

Thank you for the latest update!

[ponlork]

Thank you for the tips you mentioned earlier; tried them in version 4.

If you don't mind, I have an idea how custom mode could be implemented "easily" for you/users (basic stuff, but I'll explain it anyway). There could be a separate exe-file (made with C++, for example). It reads a file made by an user. An example:

car;kuruma
thank you very much;doomo arigatou gozaimasu

First the program reads every line. Then to the symbol ;. From beginning to ; is the English word. After ; to the end of line is the answer. (or answers separated by comma.)

Based on this information a custom lua-file is created. First comes all the necessary information. Then in a loop the question[i] lines. The only problem would be what comes after this as I didn't fully comprehend the 2000 lines after this (always the same?).

In the PSP application, user may choose a certain custom file from the list.

Thank you for the latest update!

do itashimash!te. Yeah the custom mode you suggested is similar to what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm thinking of letting the user input new words directly from their PSP, or if they want they can add lines by using a computer and notepad. To be honest with you I haven't even touched that aspect of the game yet. my knowledge in programming is still very limited and tackling a new task is quite daunting for me but hey that was my original intention, to learn. That also explains why my code is so sloppy because I'm still learning haha

I'm actually killing two birds with one stone here, while I'm learning how to program I'm also learning Japanese!

[batanen]

The direct input feature sounds very promising indeed. I think you have done an excellent work if you just started. I would also be a little interested in PSP programming. Mainly doing small, "easy" updates for open source applications. I have studied C++, but PSP programming skills are zero. A few source codes I have been able to compile, but not even all.

Yes, it's a good idea to do programming projects which also support Japanese studies. I am currently doing a project with PHP which would teach me programming and Japanese language at the same time. (Unfortunately, I still have to redone most of the code with CodeIgniter because I want the code to be better and learn to use a framework.)

[ponlork]

The direct input feature sounds very promising indeed. I think you have done an excellent work if you just started. I would also be a little interested in PSP programming. Mainly doing small, "easy" updates for open source applications. I have studied C++, but PSP programming skills are zero. A few source codes I have been able to compile, but not even all.

Yes, it's a good idea to do programming projects which also support Japanese studies. I am currently doing a project with PHP which would teach me programming and Japanese language at the same time. (Unfortunately, I still have to redone most of the code with CodeIgniter because I want the code to be better and learn to use a framework.)

haha believe me I'm a complete noob, a month ago I didn't know anything. But my interest was high & I felt my idea had potential so that kept me going. I nearly quit though because I wasn't able to achieve the effect I wanted with my OSK, and I wasn't satisfied with any of the OSKs that were currently out there. Thankfully I stuck with it and eventually prevailed.

I don't wanna gloat or anything but I think my method of inputting text is just as good if not better then most of the apps that are currently out there. When I reach that stage where I can load and write files I might just go ahead and start work on a new project titled "Note Taker" or something and turn my keyboard into a full keyboard.

Oh and it's cool you're messing with PHP scripting and stuff, because I used to dabble in that stuff too and that help me make the transition easier. Luckily I got caught up in the whole myspace fad and I spent a lot of time learning how to deck out my profile lol so that got my feet wet with the basics. I also used to mess with video editing and Avisynth scripting too so I guess I'm not completely clueless

[ponlork]

Minna Konbanwa! I've enabled the Custom Mode, now you're able to input words directly from your psp. The words will be automatically saved and you can manually add/delete at anytime. The Custom Question limit is only 10 for now, I'm still trying to work out the kinks. I also added 3 new stages so now there's 9 total. To access the additional stages press Right on the menu screen to toggle to the next page. As usual I've added more audio and images. Unfortunately I had to remove two audio tracks, the comedic "Hontou" routine in stage 4 and the "Drop the World" background music in stage 6. For some reason the game kept crashing when I kept them in this version. Probably using too much memory. I hope to fix the issue on my next release. Thanks everybody for making my previous version reach 1700+ Downloads!

Download Here

[ponlork]

Youtube Video:
YouTube - Learn Japanese v0.6 by Ponlork

Learn Japanese v0.6 <-- Download Here

What's up world, Ponlork here with a new release. I made some big improvements, I added some new animation and I fixed the memory issues that caused the game to crash. This version now supports MP3 playback. As usual I added more audio and two extra stages. For those who use the Championship Mode I fixed the issue with the spacebar that would sometimes create double spaces when trying to tap the right analog stick.

There is now an option to select which PSP Model you have. If you select the Slim, then there's an extended anime opening sequence at the beginning of the game. It won't work on a fat though it'll just display an error. if you happen to select the slim option on a Fat, Hold R while loading the game and it'll switch the setting back to Fat.

I get requested this a lot but I plan on adding Japanese text support in my next release. Plus the option to save, and a Help tutorial within the game. My yume is coming into fruition.

[nickxab]

Thanks for the update.