Playstation Portable Games with Debug Symbols

Edit on Github | Updated: 4th June 2020

The Sony Playstation portable used encrypted executables known as EBOOT.BIN, these are basically just an encrypted ELF file and it is possible to decrypt them with the correct tools. Some games also ship with unencrypted executables in BOOT.BIN

Finding Debug symbols in retail PSP games is very rare as one of the test cases in the Sony TRC (Technical Requirements Checklist) makes sure that all games that get published do not contain debug symbols:

It is forbidden to include the following types of files in the master in any form, even in archive format:

• Data and files used only for development and debugging purposes such as program source files, executable files with symbols, map files, and driver modules used in title development
• Data and files designed only for use on other platforms such as Windows wallpaper and screensavers

Types of PSP Symbol files

SYM Symbol Files

.SYM Files are generated by the SN Systems ProDG SDK for PSP for use in debugging, they contain all the symbols (function names etc) and can also contain other chunks such as source filenames and line numbers.

MAP Symbol Files

Similar to .sym files but are created by the linker to document where each function is located in the final linked executable.

BOOT.BINs with Debug Symbols

• Adventure Player (Japan) (v1.05)
• Armored Core - Formula Front (Korea) (v1.02)
• Astonishia Story (Korea) (v1.02)
• Big Bang Bang (Japan) (Sample) (2003-09-22)
• Demo Disc for PSP Vol. 1 (Japan) (Demo)
• Glorace - Phantastic Carnival (Korea) (v1.02)
• Jan Sangoku Musou (Japan) (v1.02)
• Puzzle Bobble Pocket (Japan) (v1.01)
• Rengoku - The Tower of Purgatory (Japan) (v1.01)
• Space Invaders - Galaxy Beat (Japan) (v1.02)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX - Tag Force (Japan) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It) (v1.02)

ViciousEngine

Many games using the ViciousEngine actually came with both the .sym and .map files compressed inside the DATA.PAK file. ViciousEngine was one of the few game engines recommended officially by Sony, and in fact they offered a discount for the engine if it was used to create a PSP Mini [^1].

You can extract the .sym and .map file by opening the PSP_GAME/USRDIR/DATA.PAK with

The DATA.PAK file normally contains some files with a name that is a variation of Game-dvd.map and Game-dvd.sym.

ViciousEngine Games with Debug Symbols

• Alien Syndrome (USA) (PSN)
• Ben 10 - Alien Force (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It) (PSP) (PSN)
• Cart Kings (EUR)
• Days of Thunder (USA) (minis) (PSN) (/PSP_GAME/USRDIR/DATA.PAK)
• Desi Adda - Games of India (Europe) (PSN)
• Despicable Me (EUR)
• DON 2 The Game (EUR)
• PlayEnglish - Capitulos Extra (Spain) (PSN)
• PlayEnglish - Desvela el Misterio (Spain) (PSN)
• PlayEnglish - Manual y Consejos (Spain) (PSN)
• Pro Bull Riders - Out of the Chute (USA) (PSN)
• Top Gun (USA) (minis) (PSN) (Data.pak) (ViciousEngine)

Games with PRX symbols

Some games implement some major parts of the game logic in prx files rather than in the EBOOT executables. The PRX format contains lots of debug information as its basically a library.

• Flowars (KOR) /PSP_GAME/USRDIR/umodule/flowars.prx
• SSX On Tour (KOR) (PRX files with lots of debug symbols)
• SOCOM US Navy Seals Portable (JPN) (/PSP_GAME/USRDIR/TACTICS.PRX)

Other Retail Games with Debug Symbols

Outside of games that use the Vicious Engine it is very rare to find games that bundled with their debug symbols, but there are a few games:

• Need for Speed - ProStreet (Europe) (PSP) (PSN) (big files)
• Chandragupta Warrior Prince (EUR) - mentions of C-like exports (infernal engine)

Games with Lua Scripting

While not quite debug symbols, these games contain unencrypted Lua scripts that can be modified

• Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man’s Chest (Europe) (PSN)

Games with Squirrel Scripting

Squirrel - The Programming Language

• The Mystery Team

Games with Makefiles

• Circles, Circles, Circles (Europe) (minis) (PSN)
• D-Cube Planet (Europe) (minis) (PSN)
• Deflector (Europe) (minis) (PSN)
• Route 66 (Europe) (minis) (PSN)

Other developer content

• Death Jr II Root Of Evil (USA) has a bash script (/PSP_GAME/USRDIR/STREAMS/IGOR.SH)
  • the bash script mentions SN Systems the company that created the ProDG SDK
• Ghostbusters The Video Game (EUR)
  • Contains c-like extern statements
• Armored Core Formula Front Extreme Battle (EUR)
  • BOOT.BIN contains lots of mentions of debug symbols but not complete
• Dantes Inferno (USA)
  • What looks like unit test content?
• Hellboy_The_Science_of_Evil (USA)
  • Interesting BOOT.BIN
• Marvel_Nemesis_Rise_Of_The_Imperfects_USA_PSP-ARTiSAN
  • Interesting BOOT.BIN
• Medal.of.Honor.Heroes.EUR.GERMAN.PSP-SUSHi
  • EAGL debug symbols
• Megpoid_The_Muic_Sharp_JPN_PSP-Caravan
  • Interesting stuff in DATA.zip, scripting?
• NASCAR_07_EUR_PSP-BAHAMUT
  • Contains .o object files and EAGL
• PixelJunk_Monsters_UMD_Limited_Edition_ASiA_PSP-PLAYASiA
  • GM script files
• The_Sims_2_USA_PSP-ARTiSAN
  • Scripting stuff
• Need_For_Speed_Most_Wanted_USA_PSP-ARTiSAN
  • contains debug object files

Prototype Games

Surprisingly the currently released prototypes have very little debug symbol information in them

Games with potential debug symbols

• Melodie_(Sep_2,_2005_prototype) (looks like symbols in: /USER_L0.IMG)

Prototype Games without Debug symbols

These games have been checked and unfortunetely do not contain any symbols:

• Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles (Jan 30, 2007)
• Championship Manager 2010 (Prototype)
• Chili Con Carnage (Sep 23, 2006 prototype)
• Crazy Taxi - Fare Wars (Jun 28, 2007 prototype)
• Daxter (Feb 10, 2006 prototype)
• Death Jr (Jul 22, 2005 prototype)
• Fight Night Round 3 (Dec 21, 2005 prototype - Debug)
• Gangs of London (Jun 5, 2006 prototype)
• Ghost Rider (Jan 18, 2007 prototype)
• Isle of Minno (May 12, 2006 prototype)
• Jeanne d’Arc (Aug 17, 2006 prototype)
• Killzone Liberation (Jul 19, 2006 prototype)
• Lemmings (Sep 30, 2005 prototype)
• LocoRoco (Apr 20, 2006 prototype)
• LocoRoco 2 (Sep 5, 2008 prototype)
• MediEvil - Resurrection (Feb 15, 2005 prototype)
• Metal Gear Solid - Portable Ops (Feb 6, 2007 prototype)
• Ratchet & Clank - Size Matters (Dec 20, 2006 prototype)
• Ratchet and Clank - Size Matters (Oct 11, 2006 Multiplayer Beta)
• Rock Band Unplugged (Dec 10, 2008 prototype)
• SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs - Fireteam Bravo (Aug 19, 2005 prototype)
• Saints Row - Undercover (Sep 8, 2009 prototype)
• Silent Hill - Origins (Aug 7, 2006 prototype)
• Silent Hill - Origins (Jul 19, 2007 prototype)
• Silent Hill - Origins (May 26, 2006 prototype)
• Sonic Rivals 2 Test Sample (Oct 8, 2007 prototype)
• The 3rd Birthday (Jan 27, 2011 prototype)
• The Elder Scrolls Travels - Oblivion (Apr 27, 2007 prototype)
• The Elder Scrolls Travels - Oblivion (Feb 1, 2007 prototype)
• The Elder Scrolls Travels - Oblivion (Jan 31, 2007 prototype)
• The Elder Scrolls Travels - Oblivion (Jun 9, 2006 prototype)
• The Elder Scrolls Travels - Oblivion (Nov 21, 2006 prototype)
• The Eye of Judgement - Legends (Sep 28, 2009 prototype)
• The Lord of the Rings - Tactics (Oct 4, 2005 prototype)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 (Jul 15, 2008 prototype)
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Essentials (Jan 18, 2006 prototype)
• WRC - FIA World Rally Championship (Aug 11, 2005 prototype)
• Work Time Fun (Jul 27, 2006 prototype)

References

[^1]- Gamasutra - Vicious Engine To Support PSP Minis Program