Fun with Megadrive cartridge backup batteries.

[dr_bob]

My copy of Megadrive classic:"Starflight" arrived from eBay yesterday, and with it came a few discoveries.
Firstly that backup batteries in 15-year-old Megadrive games tend not to work.
Secondly that The Internet, fickle beast that it is, has lots of guides to replacing the batteries on SNES and NES games, and plenty on changing Saturn batteries, but bugger all on changing them on a Meg cart.
Crazy fool that I am I decided to press on and just try and fix it anyway. Possibly at some point those lovely Google spiders will nibble this part of the forum and future amateur Megadrive engineers will have something to look at. Possibly.

Before we go any further though I have to say that it's worth getting an "anti static wrist strap" (about 3 quid in Maplin) and of course avoid handling the exposed carts, as I don’t want anyone crying to me because they fried their game. Better safe than sorry. Ok now that we have that out of the way, lets proceed.
The first part of the operation involves getting the cart to open. Now normally Megadrive carts use a special type of screw that needs a "4.5mm gamebit" screwdriver bit to open. You can get one of these from ebay for a few quid. Go, go now and get one. AS it happens I already have one of these, (and the SNES 3.8mm one) so I was well prepared. At least I thought I was, until I flipped over the cart and discovered it had some weird "triwing" type screws. Damn! After ten minutes of fruitless hunting through my toolbox I gave in and decided to try and improvise. Using my trusty "Swiss army"* knife I was able to insert the smaller blade into one of the wings and (very slowly) nudge and turn the screw. It took a while, and unavoidably I managed to scuff the edge of the cart's screw holes (I must sand them down later), but I was able to get them out. Then using a small flathead screwdriver I was able to gently pry off the "EA yellow tabâ€

[nwosteve]

all my md battery back up games work, including micro machines 96 and both brian lara games

[dr_bob]

all my md battery back up games work, including micro machines 96 and both brian lara games

Yeah,maybe the megadrive cartridges are easier on the backup battery ,as since I wrote that guide I bought a copy of 'DnD Warriors of the eternal sun' , on the meg and incredibly the orginal backup battery is still holding its own..

[Sega2006]

I get that with some of my NES carts aswell, Zelda still saves everything.
My Mega Drive's Menacer cart seems to be holding up well

[paranoid marvin]

how DO you change the battery on a SNES cartridge?

[woody.cool]

how DO you change the battery on a SNES cartridge?

... with great difficulty!

You have to break open the cart - unless you've got the tool to undo it & I believe the battery is on the board inside!

[dr_bob]

how DO you change the battery on a SNES cartridge?

... with great difficulty!

You have to break open the cart - unless you've got the tool to undo it & I believe the battery is on the board inside!

Its actually pretty similar to changing one on a Megadrive cart - you'll need to get a 3.8mm gamebit screwdriver attachment (about a fiver on ebay), and open the cart - the battery is the same type as the Megadrive one (CR2032) and is soldered on to a battery holder so again the same rules apply to swapping it over as do for the Megadrive.(i.e. just use the meg guide above.)
Also for those who want a second opinion a quick google finds a similar guide:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/11/ ... ttery.html

[woody.cool]

how DO you change the battery on a SNES cartridge?

... with great difficulty!

You have to break open the cart - unless you've got the tool to undo it & I believe the battery is on the board inside!

Its actually pretty similar to changing one on a Megadrive cart - you'll need to get a 3.8mm gamebit screwdriver attachment (about a fiver on ebay), and open the cart - the battery is the same type as the Megadrive one (CR2032) and is soldered on to a battery holder so again the same rules apply to swapping it over as do for the Megadrive.(i.e. just use the meg guide above.)
Also for those who want a second opinion a quick google finds a similar guide:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/11/ ... ttery.html

I had a feeling that's all that was needed - but I don't own any SNES games with battery backup (or at least I don't think I do)

[phantasy.star.ii]

Is battery backup the only backup that Sega Genesis/Megadrive cartridges feature? If not, what are the other types? Every game that I have recently replaced (lost original collection) has a working backup (I play only RPGS (and Super Street Fighter 2).

P.S. I'm just a game-playing nerd. I obviously know nothing about physical game construct. Please fill me in.

[MikeHaggar]

Is battery backup the only backup that Sega Genesis/Megadrive cartridges feature?

AFAIK, yes. Unless one means write down passwords on a picece of paper one is bound to loose as a means of backup

[P-Head]

I consider myself pretty good with a soldering iron but the thought of doing this fills me with fear!

[bolda]

If you don't have a \"gamebit\" screw driver bit, you can fashion one out of an old biro. Simply remove the biro refill and heat the tip of the empty biro case until it goes soft. Then press the hot tip against the screw you want to remove so that it leaves an impression (I don't mean like Rory Bremner). Remove the hot tip and allow it to cool... hey presto, a \"gamebit\" screwdriver for the price of an old biro!... plus a legitimate use of the words \"screw\", \"hot tip\" and \"goes soft\".

[Elgin_McQueen]

Is battery backup the only backup that Sega Genesis/Megadrive cartridges feature?

AFAIK, yes. Unless one means write down passwords on a picece of paper one is bound to loose as a means of backup

What about the back of the manual?

[MikeHaggar]

And ruin the near-mint condition?

[ActionMan]

I managed to get into my Micro Machines 96 caartrige, which has lost its memory function. But inside, theres nothing that looks like a battery...


Any ideas pls?