If you have VR, I highly recommend EmuVR for all console emulator needs.
Plopping yourself on the ground in front of an actual CRT is such a different and incomparably better experience than playing them on flat LcD screens, it really pleasantly suprised me.
Kind of both. It’s basically a frontend for emulators, where you are in a most archetypal 80s room, with a large CRT TV that runs the emulator, and you get all your roms as physical discs/cartriges on your shelf, with emu cores being actual consoles you connect to the TV, put a disk/cartridge in, and then you can sit in front of the TV and play.
It’s extremely immersive, the games feel so much better on an “actual” CRT TV.
And with how small most save files are, you can even store them in a folder on a cloud service without taking much space. So if something happens to your computer for drive with your legally backed up personal cartridge and disc images… You still have those save files.
Looking at the list on Console Mods I’m actually surprised how many GBA games do use a save battery when a lot of games clearly didn’t need it for saves. Did the battery allow for faster saving, or maybe just cheaper cartridges?
It was a cost/availability thing. SRAM was used all over the place prior to the GBA (and for some early GBA games) because FRAM and flash memory was expensive at the capacities needed.
Funnily enough, most games that use SRAM can have the chip swapped out for an FRAM chip, and they will no longer need a battery. (Actually you move the ROM chip from the SRAM board to the FRAM board) The two types of RAM present identically to the game’s software, so it just works.
The Pokemon games use Flash RAM with 2x-4x the capacity of the SRAM and FRAM chips most other games used. There was also EEPROM for games with small save files.
It sucks when you borrow a friend’s SNES and didn’t realize that was a problem and their saves suddenly disappear (along with your current playthrough on a different save file) and you worried you somehow did something to cause it.
GBA? The kids these days. I have an original Zelda cart for the NES that still holds save data.
My Atari VCS (this was before they were calling it the “2600”) was manufactured in 1978. It’s 48 years old, and if I slap E.T. into that son of a bitch, it plays.
If I drop an RPG for a month I have difficulty picking back up my ongoing savegame. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to continue a 30 year old savegame.
I’m mostly referring to completed saves of Kirby and DKC-franchise. The first is a collection of games you have to unlock, so if you just wanted to play in the arena mode, then you’d have to play through a whole lot more just to unlock it.
Nearly every cartridge-based system up to the 3DS saves to the cartridge. But many older cartridge games from that era (SNES, GBC, sometimes GBA) used volatile SRAM that needs to be constantly powered with an internal battery. When the battery dies, the save is wiped and it can no longer hold a save, though you can always open the cart up and replace the battery.
And what people will do for a save game they really care about (like childhood Pokémon carts) is back up the save onto PC, replace the battery in the cart, then put the save back onto the cart. Very clever. I want to get one of the readers that lets you back up carts, they’re not that expensive
SNES/GBA game saves erasing due to batteries 😭
You’re telling me I’m going to have to replace the batteries and replay chrono trigger and Pokémon emerald again? Oh the horror
Just play on an emulator. Save states anywhere you want.
If you have VR, I highly recommend EmuVR for all console emulator needs.
Plopping yourself on the ground in front of an actual CRT is such a different and incomparably better experience than playing them on flat LcD screens, it really pleasantly suprised me.
I’m guessing the VR applies some type of CRT like filter to the virtual CRT? Or is it just a nostalgia thing?
Kind of both. It’s basically a frontend for emulators, where you are in a most archetypal 80s room, with a large CRT TV that runs the emulator, and you get all your roms as physical discs/cartriges on your shelf, with emu cores being actual consoles you connect to the TV, put a disk/cartridge in, and then you can sit in front of the TV and play.
It’s extremely immersive, the games feel so much better on an “actual” CRT TV.
https://youtu.be/73XVOeRuu9A?t=237 It’s not as apparent in 2D without VR, but you can get an idea at this timestamp.
That sounds awesome!
It also gives me some mod ideas like virtual parents telling you to turn the console off if you play too long :P
And with how small most save files are, you can even store them in a folder on a cloud service without taking much space. So if something happens to your computer for drive with your legally backed up personal cartridge and disc images… You still have those save files.
Pokemon Emerald’s battery is only there for real time clock functions. Saves remain intact even after the battery runs dry.
Gen I and II games used the battery for save data, however.
Yeah you’re right. Bad example.
Looking at the list on Console Mods I’m actually surprised how many GBA games do use a save battery when a lot of games clearly didn’t need it for saves. Did the battery allow for faster saving, or maybe just cheaper cartridges?
It was a cost/availability thing. SRAM was used all over the place prior to the GBA (and for some early GBA games) because FRAM and flash memory was expensive at the capacities needed.
Funnily enough, most games that use SRAM can have the chip swapped out for an FRAM chip, and they will no longer need a battery. (Actually you move the ROM chip from the SRAM board to the FRAM board) The two types of RAM present identically to the game’s software, so it just works.
The Pokemon games use Flash RAM with 2x-4x the capacity of the SRAM and FRAM chips most other games used. There was also EEPROM for games with small save files.
It sucks when you borrow a friend’s SNES and didn’t realize that was a problem and their saves suddenly disappear (along with your current playthrough on a different save file) and you worried you somehow did something to cause it.
GBA? The kids these days. I have an original Zelda cart for the NES that still holds save data.
My Atari VCS (this was before they were calling it the “2600”) was manufactured in 1978. It’s 48 years old, and if I slap E.T. into that son of a bitch, it plays.
But why would you do that?
To be contrarian.
When the attempt to show video games are still alive instead kills them again.
the og atari and nes were video game consoles.
a ‘modern’ console is just a required hardware device to access a subscription service and game rentals falsely advertised as purchases.
I have a Rev B gold Zelda cart for NES and I am curious its battery state. But my NES was lost in time.
My only dead battery so far is Final Fantasy NES!
If I drop an RPG for a month I have difficulty picking back up my ongoing savegame. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to continue a 30 year old savegame.
I’m mostly referring to completed saves of Kirby and DKC-franchise. The first is a collection of games you have to unlock, so if you just wanted to play in the arena mode, then you’d have to play through a whole lot more just to unlock it.
But it’s still playable
Weren’t the batteries in GBA cartdriges only for the clock?
Oh, saves are saved on the cartridge, not the console? Or am I misunderstanding something?
Nearly every cartridge-based system up to the 3DS saves to the cartridge. But many older cartridge games from that era (SNES, GBC, sometimes GBA) used volatile SRAM that needs to be constantly powered with an internal battery. When the battery dies, the save is wiped and it can no longer hold a save, though you can always open the cart up and replace the battery.
And what people will do for a save game they really care about (like childhood Pokémon carts) is back up the save onto PC, replace the battery in the cart, then put the save back onto the cart. Very clever. I want to get one of the readers that lets you back up carts, they’re not that expensive
Oh, cool, TIL. Even though I had a lot of handhelds, I never actually noticed that.