Game Saves Disappearing on my SNES NTSC Carts?

[imsilly]

Hi,

I have some import NTSC games I play via an Action Replay Cart on my Pal SNES. While my PAL games seem to keep their game saves, but my NTSC import games don't. When you turn off the SNES and play the games again all saves have disappeared. If you just press return then the game loads my previous saves.

Any idea what the issue could be?

And how could it be resolved?


Thanks

P.S.

I installed new batteries in the carts, so I doubt that has anything to do with the problem.

[Drixxel]

My guess would be something to do with the Action Replay triggering some anti-piracy save deletion mechanism or causing some glitch that ultimately does the same to your NTSC carts. I've noticed that saves are periodically erased when playing games with battery backups through a SNES Game Genie, although in this case we're talking all NTSC carts/hardware. I can't recall what I was doing exactly with regard to powering off/resetting the console and how that affected the game save situation, though. Maybe using a different device as a converter to get NTSC games running on your PAL SNES might improve things?

[JLukas]

Did you try cleaning the connectors of the carts, SNES, and both ends of the Pro Action Replay with a SNES cleaning kit? A poor connection will erase save data.

[imsilly]

Did you try cleaning the connectors of the carts, SNES, and both ends of the Pro Action Replay with a SNES cleaning kit? A poor connection will erase save data.

When I went in and changed the batteries in the carts I gave the the connectors a rub with an eraser. I did the same for the Action Replay. I could clean them more aggressively with a contact cleaner like Deoxit, but I don't want to cause any damage. How likely would it be that a bad connection would allow saves to remain on resets and not when shutting off the power?

P.S.

On a related note if the Action Replay is causing the issue is there anywhere in the UK (London if possible) that I could buy either a fully functioning NSTC to PAL adapter, a NSTC Super Nintendo or a clone console like a Retro-Duo?

[Galbalan]

Or it could simply be that...they're old? Games from the cartridge era with battery save systems tend to have issues 10, 20 years later. Given how a battery is, well, a battery and doesn't last forever, they do die. It's possible to replace them on your own -- something I haven't tried -- but if you get desperate, you may wanna look that up.

[imsilly]

Or it could simply be that...they're old? Games from the cartridge era with battery save systems tend to have issues 10, 20 years later. Given how a battery is, well, a battery and doesn't last forever, they do die. It's possible to replace them on your own -- something I haven't tried -- but if you get desperate, you may wanna look that up.

The first thing I did was replace the batteries in the carts. It had no effect. I suspect that it's the adapter (Action Replay) I'm using if anything. I wondered if anyone else had a similar issue when using an Action Replay with saves with saves. The games effected are Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III and Earthbound btw.

[Emuaust]

Its the model of Action Replay, there is nothing wrong with your carts or consoles, it has something to do with the AR not connecting a pin on the cart, I had the same issue with Zelda and Illusion of Gaia, I booted the carts up on an actual NTSC snes and they saved fine, in fact when I put the carts back into the PAL snes it doesn't even show a save in the save slot but put it back in the NTSC snes and it's there.

[imsilly]

Thanks just what I needed to know.

Would an old Universal Adapter Expert work, I see them on eBay from time to time?

[imsilly]

Oops double post.

[Drixxel]

I found a good discussion on another forum relating to your question, imsilly, and in it are mentioned a handful of converter options. They're specifically tackling the matter of Earthbound running on a PAL SNES. Take a look here: http://fangamer.com/forum/Games/Mother2/Earthbound-on-PAL-SNES-with-converter. The OP over there had success getting Earthbound to work, presumably free of frustrating save deletion, with the UA Universal Adapter Expert Version. So yeah, if you're seeing those on eBay, might be worth exploring.

[imsilly]

I found a good discussion on another forum relating to your question, imsilly, and in it are mentioned a handful of converter options. They're specifically tackling the matter of Earthbound running on a PAL SNES. Take a look here: http://fangamer.com/forum/Games/Mother2/Earthbound-on-PAL-SNES-with-converter. The OP over there had success getting Earthbound to work, presumably free of frustrating save deletion, with the UA Universal Adapter Expert Version. So yeah, if you're seeing those on eBay, might be worth exploring.

Cool, I guess the waiting game now begins.

Which will come up first on eBay a NTSC Super Nintendo or a Universal Adapter Expert?

[Emuaust]

you could just keep an eye out on the buying and selling forums here, maybe someone will be able to ship you an NTSC snes.

[theclaw]

NTSC snes units naturally appear in thrift shops on occasion. They won't be the prettiest shape but many of us have a chance at finding one.