it's a form of memory retention that utilizes a battery to power a RAM chip while the rest of the computer system is powered off.

The technology's reliance on batteries meant that any data saved has a finite lifespan. When those batteries weaken and die, the data stored on the SRAM chip is lost.

Cartridge based video game consoles from the 80's and 90's make extensive use of battery backed SRAM. Games that allowed players to save data to the cartridge would do so with this technology.

If you’re interested in playing retro games on original hardware, you’ll need to know how to replace these batteries. It isn’t very difficult to do.

They're tabbed 3V coin cell batteries. Usually a CR2032. There's nothing special about them aside from what kind of tabs they have. Game Boy games, being tiny, require a smaller battery. The CR1616 or CR2025.

Aside from the tabs, they're not custom parts. If you're looking to avoid dealing with finding something with the right tabs, buy and install a battery holder. After that, any matching battery you buy will work.

Yes. Soldering is easy and fun. If you’re unsure where to start, Voultar makes incredible videos on Youtube, and I suggest you watch them. This'll familiarize you with good techniques and what proper soldering looks like. Soldering is a precise art that requires practice, kinda like riding a bike. You won't be good at it at first, but if you're motivated to learn, you'll be set for life.

Unless we're talking about a Sega Saturn console, You CANNOT perform a battery swap successfully without soldering. I’ve seen people rip the old battery out and tape a new one in place. That's harder to do than learning to solder and doing this the right way. Furthermore, you're likely to destroy your game doing this. If it gets loose, it could short something out. If you rip it, you could pull a trace or destroy a via. Whatever ends up happening, you'll cause more trouble than it's worth.

Think of it this way: Your games aren't cheap. Either you paid good money for them, or you've had 'em for decades. You stand to cause more damage ripping the battery out than you could desoldering it, even if you've never soldered before. Respect yourself, and respect your games.

No. Don’t put any random battery you buy off of Amazon into your game.

Name brand batteries like Maxell and Panasonic last far longer than cheap stuff you buy off of Amazon, and they're not even that much more expensive. When you put cheap no-name batteries into your games, expect cheap no-name results.

This is especially true with Generation 2 & 3 Pokemon games. Cheap batteries last two or three years, rather than the 5 to 7 you'll get out of a Maxell or a Panasonic.

Check the notes I've written on specific consoles. You'll find a link to batteries that I'll personally swear by.

You’ll need the following to properly replace your cartridge's battery.

• Soldering Iron
• Solder Sucker or Desoldering Gun
• Solder and Flux
• Quality Battery
• Game Bit Screw Driver Set
• Your Game

Everything linked above are all things I use myself. I agree, it's expensive, but it'll all last you years and years.

If you canback up whatever save file is still on the game cartridge. Once the original battery is removed, all save data will be lost.

Before you begin, turn on the soldering iron and set it to 350° celsius

1) Disassemble the cartridge, place the plastic casing, any shielding, and especially the screws in safe location. Make note of how everything is oriented inside before you begin.

2) Test your new battery with a multimeter to ensure it’s good. Ideally, it’ll read somewhere between 3.29v and 3.34v. This is normal for a 3V coin cell.

3) Add fresh solder to the old battery's solder joints. This'll help whet the solder holding the battery in place. Heat one of the joins and carefully lift the battery out of place.

4) Remove excess solder. If solder is stuck in a via, add fresh solder and suck it out.

5) LIGHTLY coat the battery tabs in flux and install the battery. Keep polarity in mind. Your joint should be shiny and smooth; never jagged. Don't blow on it, you'll oxidize it.

6) Gently pull the battery to ensure it's properly installed and check the voltage one more time.

7) Put it all back together.

And that's it! You're done. Turn off your soldering iron and revel in your success!

NEVER touch the coin cell with your iron.

The circuit board will indicate polarity with + and - . The + side will have the manufacturer logo. The - will be textured and devoid of text and logos.

Always examine the coin cell when determining polarity. Never rely on the tabs, as they can sometimes come in the opposite orientation of the battery already installed in your game.

Be mindful of surrounding components and traces. This is especially true of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. The shaft of your soldering iron is just as hot as the tip. You will destroy things if you're not careful.

Always use flux. The flux in the core of your solder isn't enough.

Take your time and be patient. If you try to rush things, you'll break something.

You can buy replacement batteries for your NES cart here Console5 is a wonderful resource and I've been purchasing parts from them for years.

before you do anything, check the list of games that utilize SRAM saves. Most games in this era used passwords, tape decks, or other crazy crap.

Games in the NES Programmable Series don't have a battery. They were meant to be used with a tape drive that was never released here. There are ways to reintroduce that functionality to the NES, but they're a pain in the ass.

Some NES games have unpopulated battery sections on their board. Installing a battery won't enable saving. Don't bother.

You can buy replacement batteries for your SNES games here. Console5 is a wonderful resource and I've been purchasing parts from them for years.

Super Nintendo games are more straightforward than NES games in terms of saves. Games that saves data to the cartridge will always have a battery.

For the Nintendo Power cart, games are stored with Flash memory, and only save files are lost when replacing the battery.

Use this battery For both your cartridges and any controller paks you have laying around.I've seen third party Controller Paks that have a battery holder. If you have one, any CR2032 battery will work.

Most N64 games that save to cartridge will use EEPROM or FlashRAM, which don't require batteries. Check this list to see if your game uses a battery.

Most third party N64 games utilize the Controller Pak for saving. The Controller Pak does have a battery.

Dirty EEPROM games (Mario 64, Perfect Dark for example) may appear to have lost their save data. Clean it and try again. Your save file is probably fine. The console simply failed to read it.

You can buy replacement batteries for your Genesis carts here Console5 is great, buy stuff from them. No, they aren't paying me to say this. I mean it.

There's a large list of Genesis games that use battery backed SRAM.

Dirty EEPROM games (Sonic 3) may appear to have lost their save data. Clean it and try again. Your save file is probably fine. The console simply failed to read it.

Sega CD Memory cart uses a CR2450. Get one here.

Batteries for Game Boy are all surface-mount.You can buy a battery for CR1616 games here, and a battery for CR2025 games here.

Games that use a CR2025 can safely be rigged up with a properly tabbed CR2032. Don't try to use a battery holder meant for CR2032, it'll almost certainly not fit once the cartridge is reassembled.

Be vigilant! Some games use a CR1616 battery. Others use a CR2025. You won't know which one you need until you open the game. Sometimes, a Game Boy Color revision of a game will use a different battery than the original Game Boy version. B&W Wario Land II uses a CR2025, while the color version uses a CR1616.

Pokemon Red, Blue, Gold, Silver, and Crystal all utilize a CR2025 battery. Pokemon Yellow uses a CR1616.

Some games utilize a real time clock or "RTC". This'll significantly reduce battery life, and when that battery does die, your entire save file will go with it. There are individual flash carts available that separate the RTC circuit from the save circuit. When the RTC battery dies, your save file will remain in tact. They're also compatible with Pokemon Stadium. Dump your copy of Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal and use this instead. You'll thank me later.

Bootleg Game Boy Advance games are everywhere. Make sure your cartridge isn't a bootleg before you try to replace any batteries you find. Replacing the battery in a bootleg is pointless.

Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald will not lose saved data if the battery inside dies. The battery is solely for powering the Real time Clock (RTC). When you replace your battery, you'll need to reset the RTC so that berries can grow again. Starting a brand new save file after a battery replacement will also reset the RTC so this is only necessary if you wanna continue with your old pre battery death save file.

Virtual Boy carts use a CR1616 battery just like the Game Boy.Get it here.

I don't have any tips with regards to this. I'd presume you're replacing the battery in your Wario Land cart. Have a good time, it's a great game.

Decades, assuming you use a quality battery. A few years at best if you use anything else.

Games that keep the time (RTC) will drain the battery in 5 to 8 years.

Yeah, dump your game and run it in an emulator or flash cart. Remember, this is a hardware problem. NesterJ doesn't care that your copy of Kirby's Adventure doesn't hold a save. The biggest problem with this is the cost. You'll spend a pretty penny on dumping hardware for anything other than Game Boy. You could emulate the traditional way, but that completely defeats the purpose of owning the game to begin with. Just replace the battery and be done with it.

Coin cell battery leakage seems to be uncommon. I've been professionally replacing these things for eight years, and have been a hobbyist for even longer. I've never seen one leak. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just that it isn't a practical problem in my experience.

Replace it for peace of mind, or if you know you'll be playing that particular game. Again, learning to solder and learning a little bit about circuitry makes this a non-issue.