Genesis owners...the time to change your batteries is now.

[bust3dstr8]

I opened up around 20 or so carts over the last few days and noticed that more than 50% of them
where starting to leak. They ranged from slightly corroded to completely trashed.

I took a look at my SNES games also, they seemed to have a much higher quality battery.
None of them had leaked and only a few where just starting to oxidize.

So if you have any beloved Genesis save carts I'd remove that old battery sooner than later

[Parodius Duh!]

I dont even bother buying carts that have battery save functions anymore....Ive encountered this problem way to often, after paying $75 for a corroded Earthbound, never again, Ill stick to emulators and buying carts with newly confirmed battery swaps only.

[DK1105]

I have never opened any of my games. When I get some free time I'm going to have to take a look soon.

[Aussie2B]

I guess we were about due for yet another topic that's going to turn into a huge debate over battery life spans and if batteries should be replaced preemptively or not. :P

[bust3dstr8]

I wasn't intending for a debate. More like a friendly reminder...sorta like when your doctor tells you it's
time for another prostate exam

[wiggyx]

Damn, I didn't even think there were 20 Genesis games with a battery backup !

That's lame. I've never had this issue, but I don't even think I currently own a Genny game with a backup. Gotta go check...

[Aussie2B]

While it really sucks that that happened to your games, I don't think it's necessarily a sign that everybody else could be facing the same problem. For that many batteries to not only die but also leak acid, I would guess that some environmental factor came into play. If you take a look at, say, this topic, you'd see that most collectors can count on one hand the number of bad batteries they've encountered, and these are people who have handled hundreds/thousands of games:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/show...hem-holding-up

[wingzrow]

What Genesis carts have save batteries? Landstalker & phantasy star 2 are the only i know of.

[Atarileaf]

What Genesis carts have save batteries? Landstalker & phantasy star 2 are the only i know of.

I would think all the sports games would use save batteries wouldn't they? Certainly not a crisis considering the sheer number, low desirability, and cheap prices of Genesis sports games.

[sloan]

For that many batteries to not only die but also leak acid, I would guess that some environmental factor came into play.

This.

In fact, the OP reminds me of alarmist politics we often see from government leaders, where a singular event prompts calls for massive legislation.

I have bought thousands of games at yard sales, goodwill, etc. Every one of those is taken apart and cleaned inside and out. I have never seen an internal battery in the condition shown in those two pictures. They literally must have been submerged in a flooded basement to be in that condition.

[BlastProcessing402]

What Genesis carts have save batteries? Landstalker & phantasy star 2 are the only i know of.

You know of Phantasy Star 2, but didn't think of Phantasy Star 3 and 4?

Anyway, most RPG's would have a battery ie Super Hydlide, Sword of Vermillion, Shining in the Darkness, Shining Force 1 & 2, etc

People might think of the SNES as the RPG system of its day, but Genesis really had a decent amount as well.

[Greg2600]

There's usually an environmental reason as to why so many of your games are leaking.

[Gameguy]

I would think all the sports games would use save batteries wouldn't they? Certainly not a crisis considering the sheer number, low desirability, and cheap prices of Genesis sports games.

Not all of them, plenty use EEPROMS instead. Of the Genesis games that use EEPROMS more sports games do than non-sports games.


For a list of Genesis games that use batteries(or EEPROMS) there's the list below. I've previously bookmarked the thread that was in as I found it useful.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/show...=1#post1614576

[Kitsune Sniper]

This.

In fact, the OP reminds me of alarmist politics we often see from government leaders, where a singular event prompts calls for massive legislation.

I have bought thousands of games at yard sales, goodwill, etc. Every one of those is taken apart and cleaned inside and out. I have never seen an internal battery in the condition shown in those two pictures. They literally must have been submerged in a flooded basement to be in that condition.

It's still a good reminder of what may happen to batteries eventually. We've all picked up old battery-powered toys and LCD games filled with acid inside, haven't we?

I'll probably start doing this with the few cart games I own in the near future.

[bust3dstr8]

There's usually an environmental reason as to why so many of your games are leaking.

There may be as these games where all gathered from one place.
A buddy of mine owns a small game shop and he gave me few boxes of shit games from his
overflow storage room. Most of them where sports games with batteries.

This was a fairly good sample size (70ish) of battery carts all stored in the same place for years.
The Genesis carts leaked and the SNES did not.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I opened up around 20 or so carts over the last few days and noticed that more than 50% of them
where starting to leak.

I'm curious. Did you happen to buy your games all from one source? If so, wherever they were stored may have had an effect on the condition.

I haven't come across a Genesis game with a dead battery in my entire life, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check.

[Aussie2B]

It's still a good reminder of what may happen to batteries eventually. We've all picked up old battery-powered toys and LCD games filled with acid inside, haven't we?

I'll probably start doing this with the few cart games I own in the near future.

I've come across tons of leaking batteries, but they've always been your standard AAs, AAAs, Ds, etc., never coin cell batteries. It seems far less common with coin cell batteries.

And even then, there have been very few devices I couldn't save by merely removing the batteries and cleaning the area in which they leaked, so even if a game has a leaking battery, I wouldn't automatically write it off as unsalvageable.

But I'm not worried about my game batteries dying in any shape or form any time soon since even the oldest of games with batteries still have the vast majority of their original batteries functioning just fine. When and if the apocalypse comes to The Legend of Zelda, then I'll start to worry about what the future will bring to my SNES and Genesis games. :P But I expect most coin cell batteries to die cleanly, with a simple replacement being all that's needed to keep it going for decades more.

[RP2A03]

I'm not even sure that battery leaked as most of the damage is away from the battery and I can see no evidence of electrolyte attacking the silk screen. In fact, aren't coin cells dry?

[CatTehBus]

Just wondering how easy is it to replace batteries? Like Gameboy games, any solder needed?

[wiggyx]

^^^ Yup, just like GBA and SNES.