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C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0 to IowaCowboy

Premium Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

Games that didn't use a battery to retain their save data should work pretty much forever, as well as any games that didn't really retain any save data.

The simple fact that there really aren't moving parts in a Super Nintendo helps a lot in regard to durability, since the cartridge itself is effectively a 'companion' PCB inside the plastic shell that links up to the SNES system's logic board to have the necessary boot loader for the given game you plug in.

If I remember right, many of the Nintendo cartridges and even some of the flash carts that enmulate the function of the backup save use a watch-style button cell battery, which can be had pretty cheap. Also, I would think if you were enterprising enough (and skilled enough with a soldering gun), you could theoretically replace the button cell battery with a rechargeable, if you knew there was a way to give it enough current to keep its battery charged. I can't speak for the SNES cartridges, but I know this was mentioned as a solution for the Dreamcast's internal battery (that acted as a CMOS).
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

1 edit

silbaco

Premium Member

I never got into the SNES. My NES is around somewhere. Doesn't work very well anymore though and I had to replace the rubber pads for the controller buttons.
said by C0deZer0:

If I remember right, many of the Nintendo cartridges and even some of the flash carts that enmulate the function of the backup save use a watch-style button cell battery, which can be had pretty cheap. Also, I would think if you were enterprising enough (and skilled enough with a soldering gun), you could theoretically replace the button cell battery with a rechargeable, if you knew there was a way to give it enough current to keep its battery charged. I can't speak for the SNES cartridges, but I know this was mentioned as a solution for the Dreamcast's internal battery (that acted as a CMOS).

Are you referring to the Dreamcast't VMU battery or battery in the console? The Dreamcast's internal battery recharges every time the console runs and I have not noticed any serious degradation for the battery on any of my Dreamcasts. The VMU batteries on the other hand I gave up replacing many years ago. I had a couple batteries I put in only when I needed to use the VMU for something, such as the playing minigame Skies of Arcadia. But they still did not last long. I would be very interested in finding a way to make the VMU run off a rechargeable battery.

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

The mod in question was to replace the button-cell battery in the Dreamcast with a Ni-MH rechargeable AA, since I don't know of anyone who still kept their Dreamcast and that intact. I also think it was stupid how the thing only charges when the system is on (instead of as long as it's plugged in like the PS2 and every other system since).

And yea, I really wish the VMU's had room for a standard battery, or that there was such a thing as a rechargeable CR2032 battery.