Any point collecting N64 games?

[Ernster]

I love the N64 infact its my 2nd favourite console of all time..sure beats the pathetic PSX:) Anyway I have 7 N64 games and would love to collect every Australian released N64 game as it wouldnt be too difficult. However heres my problem...N64 carts contain batteries to save data and everntually the battery will run dry and you cant save your game.

Most N64 games (I think) actually saved the game on the cart and just little stats, high scores on the controller pak. I know theres an accessorie that allows you to save your controller pak data on a PC, so the data can atually last forever. However if I save a game of Super Mario 64 for example it would save on the cart not the controller pak, so the game would still be useless since i cant back the data up on a PC

[classicb]

I love the N64 infact its my 2nd favourite console of all time..sure beats the pathetic PSX:) Anyway I have 7 N64 games and would love to collect every Australian released N64 game as it wouldnt be too difficult. However heres my problem...N64 carts contain batteries to save data and everntually the battery will run dry and you cant save your game.

Most N64 games (I think) actually saved the game on the cart and just little stats, high scores on the controller pak. I know theres an accessorie that allows you to save your controller pak data on a PC, so the data can atually last forever. However if I save a game of Super Mario 64 for example it would save on the cart not the controller pak, so the game would still be useless since i cant back the data up on a PC

well I'm not an expert on this subject but I do believe that you can replace the batteries when they die. Yes it requires you to do a little surgery but from what I understand it really is a little as in unscrew and replace.

The N64 does rock and I hope you continue to collect for it.

I'm sure someone elese can give you a better answer than me though

[Nez]

I have never looked inside one of my N64 carts but I o have the bit for it. When I get home I'll take a look inside and tell what I find. I hop the battery isn't like the one in the action replay.

[Ernster]

Yeah but I couldnt possible bother to change the batterys....plz say theres some other way around my problem. Because just say I end up getting all 200+ N64 games...it would cost too much to replace each battery and I coiuldbt be bothered replacing them in the 1st place with new batteries nor another copy of the game.

[sisko]

Assuming the batteries use the traditional CR2032 batteries, they aren't that expenisve ($1 each). You don't have to replace them all at once either. My battery from Zelda 1 STILL works.

Don't let this prohibit you from collecting a great system.

[anagrama]

If you really like the system and want to fully explore it's catalogue, then I wouldn't let the batteries stop you.
Yes, they will die eventually (and can be replaced), but as sisko said you've got a long time yet before you have to worry about it. None of my NES or SNES games have had battery die yet.
What I'd be more worried about is the large proportion of duff games in the N64 library ;)

[YoshiM]

if you based a classic collection on battery life, you'd be depriving yourself of some very excellent games like Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2, Final Fantasy, Super Mario World, Super Mario All Stars, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, Super Metroid...need I go on? What about controller wear, why buy a system when the controllers are going to wear out? Or CDs that could get scratched? There are so many reasons one can come up with but that doesn't necessarily make them good ones :) .

With many collecting type hobbies you're going to run into maintenance and touch up. Toy collectors repaint any pieces that get light bleached or nicked, car collectors tune and replace parts, etc. For video games we still have to clean controllers, clean the cartridge ports and the cartridges and do physical clean up of the units. Fixing controllers (just replaced all the sticks on my N64 controllers) and possibly replacing batteries in cartridges is all part of the game...if you chose to do it.

I'd say don't let this stop you. You'd be depriving yourself of a pretty solid library of games. But if you don't collect N64 games, well that means there's more for others you do LOL .

[musical]

(scratching head)

I thought N64 was the first system to use flash ROM?

[Gast]

Not on all games. I've also heard that Sonic 3 uses it, not sure about that one though

[dbiersdorf]

I'm trying to collect for Nintendo 64 as well, just be warned it isn't an easy market. Outside of Sports games it hard to get a game for lower then $10 complete.

[Mr. Smashy]

I don't think that Paper Mario requires a battery to save your game progress on the cart.

[Ernster]

WOW thanks for the response. I havent decided what Im going to do.....I think i need a bit more convincing lol. But I am interested in this flash ROM thing...so Paper Mario doesnt need a battery....any other games that you know of?

[sisko]

WOW thanks for the response. I havent decided what Im going to do.....I think i need a bit more convincing lol. But I am interested in this flash ROM thing...so Paper Mario doesnt need a battery....any other games that you know of?

I don't know which games use a flash ROM, but I'll try to convince you some more.

Security bits you need to open up the cart cost AT MOST $7, and you'll use that bit over and over again for many things, not just N64 games.

CR2032 batteries cost about $1 each, less if you buy in bulk. Given the life of batteries I've had in my NES games, the batteries can last 15+ years. Thats 15+ years before you even have to deal with the problem! Then once you DO fix it, you'll have another good 15+ years (probably more seeing how battery technology will inevitably improve).

The batteries won't all die at once either. Meaning, you don't need to go buy all 200 replacement batteries at once. You can just buy one at a time as you need it. Its a lot easier to drop $1 at a time than $200 after all!

Do you really want to get rid of some of the greatest and most revolutionary games because you don't want to pay the $1 upkeep every 15+ years? :)

[christianscott27]

as a collector i'm partial to the N64 for a bookend, it marks the end of the cartridge era (yes i know about the GB but thats a portable). everything after it is just a compact disc, not rugged enough to endure the kids room to cellar to thrift store route. i've got a feeling the N64 will be very collectible in the years to come. i've pursued it with more attention than the DC or PS and will continue to do so, cartridges are special to guys like me who came from the 2600 era.

[Dobie]

I don't understand your question Ernster. Aren't you the creator of the NES Land website and the NESLand forums, as well as an NES collector? If you collect the NES, then you HAVE to know carts depend on batteries to save games. N64 is no less collectable than the NES if you're considering battery life. Most NES games are still plugging away. I have only had to replace one battery so far in my 400+ NES game collection. I think its a minor problem, even in the long run.

[Leo_A]

I'm not aware of any N64 game that uses batteries for saves. They all use eprom (Flash rom, or whatever its called), or use the controller memory pack that contains the same kind of memory. Some, such as Perfect Dark, can use both.

[YoshiM]

Just now I opened up my Mario 64 cart. No battery. So then it's flash ROM and I'll bet that's what it is for all N64 carts that allows for cartridge save.

I think it's safe to collect N64 games now :P

[Ernster]

Yes your are correct Im a NES collector but the difference between NES and N64 is that 90% of NES games didnt allow you to save...and dont have a battery for saving besides a few RPG's like Zelda. N64 on the other hand, most of the games saved on to the carts internal battery.

[Leo_A]

Most N64 carts saved to the memory pack. Other than Nintendo and 2nd parties such as Rare, I can't really think of many more. I'd say 75% of my 30 carts save to the controller memory pack.

[Dobie]

Just now I opened up my Mario 64 cart. No battery. So then it's flash ROM and I'll bet that's what it is for all N64 carts that allows for cartridge save.

I think it's safe to collect N64 games now :P

Zelda 64 uses batteries. I cracked it open once. Weird thing is, it also appears to have an EPROM in it too. I'm pretty sure that most of the heavier carts have batteries in them.

[YoshiM]

Just now I opened up my Mario 64 cart. No battery. So then it's flash ROM and I'll bet that's what it is for all N64 carts that allows for cartridge save.

I think it's safe to collect N64 games now :P

Zelda 64 uses batteries. I cracked it open once. Weird thing is, it also appears to have an EPROM in it too. I'm pretty sure that most of the heavier carts have batteries in them.

Didn't think of cracking open Zelda. Was getting late when I remembered "ooo, I was gonna open a save-to-cart N64 game" and Mario 64 happened to be out in the open.

I wonder why Zelda has a battery, perhaps to cut costs on the cartridge?

If I get a chance this weekend I've got other games that have cartridge save. This is really interesting as I've never really thought about battery save.

[Ernster]

So what your saying is that most N64 games use flash rom so they will last forever and wont need replacing? 8-)

[YoshiM]

So what your saying is that most N64 games use flash rom so they will last forever and wont need replacing? 8-)

I'd like to lean on the "yes" side to that but I gotta do some more research first before I give a definite answer. I've got a mix of carts that have on-cart save so I'll be checking those out hopefully this weekend. I haven't been able to really find a site that states what does or does not have battery backup as it's pretty much assumed that "cart + save=battery".

[Ernster]

Ok thanks..well I look foward to your finding, please dont forget to post in this thread :)

[Daria]

You know I've never had to replace a battery on a game... and considering I collect RPGs (which usually are the games requiring batteries) I think that it's a pretty good indication that game batteries last longer then you'd think.

[poe]

So what your saying is that most N64 games use flash rom so they will last forever and wont need replacing? 8-)

What I've heard (no source to quote on this though) is that flash rom degrades based on total number of uses, but to actually wear it out on a cartridge, it has to be written in excess of a thousand or so times.

I just did a (very) quick search on google for flash memory degrading. Some info on from Intel/Sundisk, specific to things like USB drives, says it's more like 100,000 rewrites. I believe the technology is similar in cartridges/memory cards, but if anyone knows differently...

[vincewy]

as a collector i'm partial to the N64 for a bookend, it marks the end of the cartridge era (yes i know about the GB but thats a portable). everything after it is just a compact disc, not rugged enough to endure the kids room to cellar to thrift store route. i've got a feeling the N64 will be very collectible in the years to come. i've pursued it with more attention than the DC or PS and will continue to do so, cartridges are special to guys like me who came from the 2600 era.

Well actually Neo-Geo will be the last one, we just got the last official console cartridge game at sky high $359, ouch! It hurts my wallet a little but in the long term I'm sure I won't regret. Ironicly no collector in Neo-Geo scene cares about battery lives or how long the game can last, but the condition and appearances of games' artworks.

For exactly the same reason, once I started collecting Dreamcast and Gamecube games, for my own collection, I have a own strict rule of getting NEW GAMES ONLY. As the sole owner of games I keep them absolutely scratch free, used games on eBay are hit and miss, I have had Gradius 3/4 PS2, advertised as like new, but once getting it, the disc was scratched like hell, even after going to my buddy's game store to get repolished, there're still some deep scratches.

[YoshiM]

Sorry for the delay. I cracked open about 10 carts that I knew had on cartridge saving (the newest game being Conker's Bad Fur Day) and NONE had a battery. The only one that did was Zelda: OoT and I don't have Majora's Mask so I can't say if that one has a battery. The only thing I can think of is that Nintendo used battery back up on OoT to save manufacturing costs as the cart packed more chips than usual.

Can anyone confirm or deny Majora's Mask having a battery?

[Dobie]

My copy of Majora's Mask does not have a battery. F-Zero X does (same circuit board as OOT). Can't confirm any more battery-save carts, but I'm sure they are out there.

[Nuadha]

I collect mostly NES and Sega Genesis and I'd like to add my voice to the people who've never had a bad battery. Since most of my collection is now over 10 years old and many are 15 years old, I wouldn't think you'd need to worry much about the N64 games.

[Doonzmore]

I've been at collecting n64 games for about 5 months now and out of the 65 that i own, only 33 of the games have a box with a complete manual.

[Kamino]

I've been at collecting n64 games for about 5 months now and out of the 65 that i own, only 33 of the games have a box with a complete manual.

boxes and manuals are horribly overrated.
boxes just take up extra space, and real men don't read the manual anyway....

[Doonzmore]

Real men don't try to offend or intimidate people over the internet.
Sorry to give your hopes up but you have failed to do both and just made a fool of yourself.


Nice try

[YoshiM]

Real men don't try to offend or intimidate people over the internet.
Sorry to give your hopes up but you have failed to do both and just made a fool of yourself.


Nice try

I have a pretty good feeling Kamino's post was more of a joke than anything, ribbing the post because it was off topic. Just because it didn't have emoticons doesn't mean it's serious and degrading.

Frankie says Relax... :D

[PapaStu]

Real men don't try to offend or intimidate people over the internet.
Sorry to give your hopes up but you have failed to do both and just made a fool of yourself.


Nice try

I have a pretty good feeling Kamino's post was more of a joke than anything, ribbing the post because it was off topic. Just because it didn't have emoticons doesn't mean it's serious and degrading.

Frankie says Relax... :D

Actually Kamino was being serious. Hes one of those who perscribes to the no box no case mantra for all of his games, be them new or old.