What is Digg?40 Comments
- xyqxyq, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Tutorial + No pictures = worthless
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17your moms down on my end
- turpenine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9they are so people don't try to add an extra paddle to pong.
- poet, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Nintendo and their proprietary screws suck.
- Splitt3rxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I just used a soldering iron to burn out the screw holes:D I couldn't get ahold of the security bit.
- racketboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Wow -- I've been a digg a number of times, but I didn't figure this one would show up on here :)
I will have to take some pictures soon to add.
Thanks to CheapAssGamer for putting most of it together.
Hopefully the server stays steady -- it usually does ok. - masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Google + "how to change snes battery" = http://www.the9thkey.com/games/Nesbatt.htm
Granted, that's an NES battery, but changing an NES battery is an identical experience to changing an SNES battery. - bennyboy371, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Definitely emailing this link to a friend of mine whose father owns a used game store, thats something to post in your window, maybe start stocking batteries. Those games are getting pretty old now, not long until they die.
- CodePoet82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3That seems to be a rather damaging way to do it, I've used a small pair of needle nose pliers and unscrew them with that. And then I replace them with small phillips screws so I don't have to deal with it the next time.
A few other tricks I've used...
If you're cheap, soldering leads to AAA batteries has worked very well in games that I'm not as worried about possible corrosion in (read as: CHEAP games), I just check them every 6 months or so to make sure they're still looking good.
For the more expensive games, I've taken the BIOS battery holders from old motherboards and ground the top edge down to be narrow enough to fit in the case, that way I only ever have to risk damaging the cartridge with soldering once. - qwertydvorak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3better solution, play on an emulator and save to hard disk. can even save games that did not originally have saves.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Oh well, at least Rock n Roll Racing gave you codes to write down. No junky battery to mess with there, only the piles of wadded up and crinkled papers shoved into the back of my work drawers with tons of numbers and letters thrown about on them to sort through :)
- tavisjohn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I just got a CR2016 or CR2025 battery holder, and glued(Epoxy) 2 of them to the outside of the cartridge (Near the top) and wired them in paralell. I would only put one fresh battery in it, and when the battery got low, I would insert a new battery in the open one, then pull the dead one.
You never have to worry about your save games, and you never have to open the cartridge again!
However you can also use a AA battery holder (Or 2 single AA holders to prevent save data loss) and then you can use Lithium batteries. Those puppies would last a LONG TIME! - Moparx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Seriously. Who is still using original hardware for pre-1995 games?"
Although it may be shocking to some, many of us do still prefer using the original hardware over an emulator. ;)
For example, I personally enjoy using my Atari 5200, NES, etc. - ggko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They probably didn't use battery holders because that would add to the cost of the cartridge. Plus there's the possibility of the battery popping out ... You could add some sort of securement to hold the battery in, but that's just more labor involved and thus more expensive.
One trick I've read about for the screws (but never tried since I have the driver bits,) is to take a plastic pen barrel, heat up the tip so the plastic starts to soften, then before it cools press it into the hole where the screw is. If all goes well, it'll mold itself to the shape of the screw head. - toMatto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Holy ***** this needs to be dugg so many more times than it currently is. I was always wondering how to do it, but didn't want to damage any of the cartridges.
- hansamurai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WOW! I wish I could digg this 10 times over. I have about 50 SNES games and I'm sure a few are dead already. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 4, Final Fantasy 6... I'm coming to rescue you boys!
- CodePoet82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you want to prevent losing the save game, you can follow the traces from the button battery to somewhere else on the board, and tack some leads onto it there, and then attach them to another power source. A two AA holder from radio shack is pretty cheap, and works well for while you're working. Then just replace the real battery and remove your temporary power source. Not quite as good as being able to back up the save data elsewhere, but it can be accomplished by just about anyone with moderate soldering skill.
- Rayor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"At 11/11/2006 12:56 AM, Commando said…
How about an article next week for actually backing up those cartridge saves.. THEN changing the battery?"
Does anybody know how to do this? - eridius, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, this story is only about, oh, 11 years too late for me.
My copy of Final Fantasy 3 lost its battery after a single year. That's what inspired me to start emulating (roughly 2 years later, that is). But it was a sad day when we (my brohters and I) discovered all our save data gone. Oddly enough, if we left the cartridge alone for about 6 months, it would hold save data again for a couple months (and then lose it), so we could still play in bursts. - No1nose, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Why couldn't they have used the same kind of battery holder that PC motherboards use in the first place? Why did they have to solder them in place?? I know, I know, cost savings.
Great video games were, and are, collectors items, they should have been manufactured that way. Nintendo never even provided proper cases in which to store SNES games /cheap. - ChillyWilly5280, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is really pretty basic stuff. I got my tamper resistant drivers at Sears, the rest is basic electronics common sense.
- AD7GD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wonder if the author of the article even tried this himself. Those battery tabs are spot welded, not soldered. You can pop them off (no heat required, in fact) but soldering to the new battery is hard. It's also easy to damage the new battery with heat. Here's a DIY battery tab welder: http://www.philpem.me.uk/welder/
- ic349, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1those are NOT easy batteries to solder. I would recommend a battery holder:
http://shopping.microbattery.com/s.nl;jsessionid=ac112b2a1f4384ec24d960624bd3a0d49bbd8a344be5.e3eSbNyQc3mLe3qMbx4OaNuKe6fznA5Pp7ftolbGmkTy?it=A&id=6777 - Splitt3rxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you know the abtteries in SNES games are usually pretty standar batteries, i got mine for $3 at radio shack, it was a CR2025 in super conflict.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I used to be heavily into the emulation scene, and I can tell you from experience that there is no substitute for the actual experience. And save states are, in their own way, a means of cheating.
As for who still has the old hardware, looking at my collection, I see: NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, and a PS1. Even though I have a PS2 and a Gamecube, I still have these old systems. In fact, I think I play them *more* than the newer stuff. The NES certainly sees the most action. - ggko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Battery tips:
Check the camera department of your local drugstore or mega-mart, chances are you're looking for a CR2032 battery. Should cost you $2 or less. You might even check a dollar-shop if you have one. One where I live has pack of 5 for a dollar.
Electronic or surplus stores may have the batteries for sale with the clips pre-soldered, thus saving you the trouble of step 5.
Soldering (or applying any kind of extreme heat) to a battery can be hazardous by some accounts, possibly exploding. Be careful not to solder over any openings as batteries slowly vent gas; which I'm guessing is one of the explosion hazards. Covered vents + gas generation + heat = *boom!* - jm1234567890, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Needs pictures
- interiot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Seriously. Who is still using original hardware for pre-1995 games? Modern CPU mean emulators have more to offer, and games look nicer on a modern display compared to old NTSC.
1. find a decent controller. the Xbox 360 controller for the PC feels great, and has great drivers
2. download http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZSNES
3. have fun playing Chrono Trigger and Super Metroid (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Chrono%20Trigger.smc%22&btnG=Google+Search) - surfer7574, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've managed to wire in a battery casing to the exterior of the cartridge (Super Metroid). Not a bad soldering job for my first time =) Here's the issue - when I plug in the game, sometimes I get a message telling me that "copying games is illegal"; other times the game works; sometimes it freezes up; sometimes it saves sometimes it doesn't. Seems like all this depends not on the battery but on how the cartridge is inserted into the console; e.g. wiggling the cartridge sometimes locks it up or erases the save data. Any ideas on this issue? Is it battery related or is the console bad? It does this on other games too, games I haven't messed with. I've also cleaned the interface connections on the cartridge with a wire brush - was dull and sooty, now it's shiny, but didn't help.
- scabbers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Don't come crying to digg when you ***** it up, noobs.
- themastersb, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Already down? http://duggmirror.com/gaming_news/How_To_Change_An_SNES_Game_Save_Battery/
- expiredmeatbag, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4you're down on my end
- racketboy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Yeah definately -- or get a Wii :)
Anyway, there are still a lot of people that like the real thing.
Personally, I use my Dreamcast for most of my NES gaming. - ggko, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1...and the life of the batteries are longer than the expected "life" of the console. By the time they die, most people will have moved on to the next great system. So would it have been worth the extra work/effort to cater to the relatively small population still playing their Super Nintendos today?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"This procedure is risky like a cheap ass hooker." ahaha
- Crass22, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"Great video games were, and are, collectors items, they should have been manufactured that way. Nintendo never even provided proper cases in which to store SNES games /cheap."
They did come with thoes plastic guards that fit over the bottom connecter bit, thats the only sensitive part of the cartridge. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2It isn't down on my end..
- scabbers, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I don't recommend following this guide.
It shouldn't be "risky" if you know wtf you're doing.
You should never EVER home-solder a battery. ***** idiot.
If it was really important (why?) you could probably preserve your savegames by connecting a battery in parallel to the circuit during the operating procedure. This is what you would do on an arcade board that had battery backed suicide chips. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0monkey see monkey do
- netferret, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1sad. no more to say.
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is