View Full Version : How are N64/SuperNES games stored on carts?
theaveng
09-24-2002, 09:58 AM
I know NES carts use battery-backed RAM.
How about Super Nintendo and Nintendo64 cartridges? Flash ROM?
CrazyImpmon
09-25-2002, 12:45 AM
All of the SNES I've checked uses battery and all the N64 I've checked uses EEPROM. (aka NVRAM aka Flash ROM)
FWIW all Gameboy and CGB uses battery and all but one GBA I've checked uses EEPROM. The one that didn't is the Castlevania game that used battery.
theaveng
09-25-2002, 07:19 AM
How long do the batteries last?
How long before the Flash ROM quits working?
CrazyImpmon
09-25-2002, 08:49 AM
How long do the batteries last?
In theory, about 5 years. But it varies depending on treatment and condition. I have the original Legend of Zelda I got new the first Christmas it was out, and it's still holding.
How long before the Flash ROM quits working?[/quote]
In theory, about 100,000 write cycles before it quits working. So it could be a problem a couple decades from now when some N64 darts won't save anymore as it's not easy to replace EEPROM. I hope Nintendo still replaces those like they do to batteries now.