Game Won't Save? How to Change Your Game Boy, NES, SNES, or N64 Cartridge Battery!

Did you know that many of your retro gaming cartridges contain a battery that allows your games to remain saved? When this battery dies, your game save files will no longer work.
In this video, I'll show you how to replace your game cartridge battery in minutes -- for your Nintendo Game Boy, NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, or any other system that uses volatile memory storage in its games.
---
● What you'll need (direct links to Amazon):
[Game Boy] CR2025 battery with presoldered tabs: amzn.to/2DAr2sC
[NES, SNES, N64, Genesis] CR2032 battery with presoldered tabs: amzn.to/2GJp5f7
Security screwdriver set: amzn.to/2DCknxM
Soldering iron: amzn.to/2VpbC4v
Solder sucker: amzn.to/2J0t8oX
Solder: amzn.to/2VAMd89
Helping hands: amzn.to/2VvMTeJ
● Full battery change guides on howchoo:
Game Boy: howchoo.com/g/ody3ztq0ywe/how...
N64: howchoo.com/g/zwu5ogm1ndg/nin...
● More retro gaming guides:
Check out more retro gaming guides on howchoo: howchoo.com/h/retrogaming
● Theme song:
"Microchip" by Jason Farnham from the KZbin Audio Library.
● Affiliate link/advertising notice:
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to AMAZON Sites. When you click on an Amazon link above and buy something through Amazon, Amazon may give me a small commission.

[@ricardoroman2710]

Thanks for this. I learned a lot!

[@mediantiba]

Great video, really good explanation with details.

[@winlinuxmatt]

your video made my google home do a search too listening to your video

[@Howchoo]

Ahhh I totally forgot to bleep that out, will do next time for sure!

[@nathaniellamb9184]

"I'm by no means a master" press x to doubt

[@Howchoo]

Hahaha

[@__Mr.White__]

nice

[@andyoh1043]

Great video. Can you actually demonstrate the part where you replace the battery while keeping save files? It was a bit hard for me to follow.

[@Howchoo]

Not sure I'll have time to make a video on it anytime soon-but you can find some online guides on this. Basically what you'll do is trace the positive and negative battery leads on the back of the circuit board and then solder some temporary wires and a *new* battery to them. So when you remove the old battery, this new battery is providing the charge to preserve the volatile memory. Then, desolder the old battery and solder a new one in place. Finally, desolder the "temporary" battery circuit. Boom: power has never been lost so your save files are intact. They also make "cartridge"-style boards you can purchase that allow you more directly export your save files-though I've heard they're pricey. :) Hope this helps!

[@tylerjenkins91]

To get the desoldering wick to work you need to put liquid flux on it. Also flux the pad before you solder the new battery on. Heat transfers better and save you from destroying the card.

[@Howchoo]

Ahh yes, flux was the missing ingredient for the desoldering wick. Thanks!

[@scottlinux]

That pokemon game boy game already had a modern replacement battery in place, a better one. It's probably worth checking the voltage of an existing battery before replacing. Cheers,

[@Harjawaldar]

how long do these batteries last? like, can I expect that most my snes game saves are gone by now?

[@mannyrivera2581]

I put a new battery on my Zelda Nes n is not saving. I did the same job on my Japanese kirby all start n is saving fine. You know what could be let me know please

[@TheLj4100]

I've replaced my old battery and it will not save how can I fix it I have 3.06 volts

[@Jaeger0606]

Mine didnt come with a battery can I still save.

[@juanoshigeru]

i went from being hopeful of recovering my mario golf 64 game data to disappointed again. Dont think ill be able to do this without messing it up somehow haha

[@Howchoo]

juanoshigeru are you trying to recover an active game file?

[@juanoshigeru]

@@Howchoo yes. Otherwise id just buy mario golf on the nintendo online store and avoid all this =P I want to replace the batery AND keep the save file intact. I recently turned on the game on my n64 and all save data was erased out of nowhere. Ive read online that this doesnt necesarilly mean that the game file was deleted, just the battery died and the n64 cant access/read the memory because of that. SO itd mean having to replace the battery while keeping the save file intact

[@Howchoo]

juanoshigeru if your save file is gone when you boot up the game, it’s gone gone unfortunately. It’s stored in volatile memory, so the battery is the only thing keeping it intact. But if you already have a good save file you CAN change the battery without loving your save file by first soldering some wires from the board to a second battery ;) Then add the new battery and desolder the second battery wires. Thus the board never actually loses power and you’ll be good to go for another 10-20 years

[@juanoshigeru]

@@Howchoo whew sounds complicated xwx ill see what i can do. Thank you for answering

[@Howchoo]

No problem! Have fun :)

[@bigmanolo26]

Do nes games still work if u never changed the battery?

[@zechariah149]

my NES game does work, but the save won't stay if you take the game out. going to replace the battery on my Dragon Warrior game

[@hbregar32]

Howchoo can I send my cartridge to you to change the battery? I know this is way out of my skill set.

[@Howchoo]

Sorry, this isn't a service we offer unfortunately

[@angelomartinelli2732]

I think you put the battery on wrong for the Pokémon game, it should be facing the other way towards the positive terminal.

[@TheControllerhog]

or you know, you could just use an emulator

[@Howchoo]

Emulators are great, but some people prefer using the original hardware. To each their own I guess :)

[@stevendudley5687]

i have a multipart that won't save my Zelda progtess after I have beat dungeon 7. It's not a China multicart but I want the darn thing to act right.