reF00D VS PSVita-StorageMgr

Regarding your first conclusion: Using the Ref00d plug-in should allow you to run any game regardless of your firmware version. Also having NoNpDrm is a must. Ensure you have properly modded your Vita according to this guide, and all that should be setup.

Spoof does nothing about game FW requirements. 0syscall6 or reF00D do.

reF00D Allows user to bypass firmware requirements on games and system applications (dots-tb)

I just noticed you don't have either/or reF00D or 0syscall6 installed. It's up to you which you prefer as they both do the same task. Install one or the other and reboot and try again.

Sharkfood! No, its used for something else entirely. You'll need these plugins. NoNpDrm to by-pass drm checks and 0syscall6 (either / or: reFOOD) to by-pass firmware checks.

fw 3.65 works the same as fw 3.60. Do you have all the proper plugins to play pirated games? Such as reFOOD / 0syscall6 ( you can either doesn't matter) and noNODRM installed?

Likely not reFOOD but be sure to be using the latest version. More than likely its a plugin in ur0:tai that maybe causing the issue. Go through and move (or remove) any (each) user installed plugins and reboot and try the game.

Sorry I forgot about this post:D Is it the latest version of reFOOD? Another possibility maybe perhaps there is a plugin that maybe causing the issue. I went ahead and installed Sound Shape and its DLC (not all) and it launched with no problem. I'm also on fw 3.60.

I dunno. But you can try and use https://github.com/CelesteBlue-dev/PSVita-StorageMgr instead. It does the same thing, just in another manner. I had trouble with yamt, so I still use storagemgr to this day

Storage Manager A Kernel plugin that automatically mounts/redirects any storage device to any mount point; Popular plugin for mounting sd2vita (CelesteBlue)

Don't use USBMC, rather use storagemgr (https://github.com/CelesteBlue-dev/PSVita-StorageMgr) as it's "newer" using some of the usbmc code (or YAMT? yet I haven't actually tried it with an HDD)

Do you have the plugin for sd2vita, set up properly? Are you using YAMT or storagemanager? Has the 64gb micro sd been properly formatted to work with the vita's sd2vita?

Which sd2vita driver (plugin) do you have installed? YAMT or storagemanager? Or did you install using vitaDeploy?

Also I think its time for you to move away from "gamesd" and move to something more modern like yamt or storage mananger.

StorageMgr and yamt. Both has its advantages and disadvantages. I find, storage manager for ease of use, yamt for better read speed. I say for now, use storagemanager and once you're familiar with the Vita and its working graduate to yamt.

Storage Manager A Kernel plugin that automatically mounts/redirects any storage device to any mount point; Popular plugin for mounting sd2vita (CelesteBlue)

When on 3.73 you can only use Storagemgr.

The more involved guide says to use storage manager, given how messed up your set is currently maybe use this until your more comfortable and familiar with the Vita and its set than move to yamt later. Remember that the sd2vita should be ux0.