Save File Preservation?
Im reading that the Retrode is the best option for pulling save files off of carts. Are there any other options? I remember reading an advertisement in a gaming mag for a product that I believe was called Naki. Google didnt yield any results for that.
Slate (09-26-2019)
If anyone is interested, I found out the product is the Game Saver by Naki. They have one for SNES carts. It allows someone to power off a game, console, and TV at any point in the game and pick up where they left off previously. Precursor to save states, kind of. I dont know much about it beyond that.
The product I want is a Retrode, which allows one to pull save files off a cart and then put them back on, so you dont lose your progress when you change the battery. They come up on eBay now and then it looks like. They dont make them anymore
I have a case of those Naki Game Saver+ for the SNES kicking around somewhere in my storage totes.
I've never actually used one before. I'm pretty sure I got one as a curiosity and there was a whole 6-pack of them for sale for the same price as a single one, so I said meh, why not? Just never got around to testing it out. That was like 15+ years ago.
Maybe I'll dig them out and finally give it a try.
The Retron 5 will pull (most?) game saves from a variety of systems. SMS save support wasn't supported a while back but it might be now. You can also write saves to your cart.
Its a gamble any time you insert a battery-backed cartridge into a Hyperkin product. I lost my Donkey Kong Country save file when I used a SupaBoy and I feel like this happened with a seperate game when I used the Retron 5. Ive heard of this happening to other people as well. The pin connectors are so tight that I worry about the PCB contacts getting worn down from usage
Yeah I watched that. MLiG is the best gaming channel on Youtube. I learned a ton about RGB from them
So I finally caved and purchased a Retrode. I should get it in the mail next week. I plan on doing a Youtube video on it give my impressions
I have wanted a way to pull cartridges saves onto digital form for years and didnt know this technology existed so I am very excited
Where did you get the Retrode? Been looking for one for ages.
Proud owner of a Neo 25 Neo Geo Candy Cab!
eBay.Originally Posted by megasdkirby
just got it. it does what its supposed to do... so far at least.
im disappointed that there is no support for NES or Famicom though as those are the save files that are most likely on the verge of extinction and need to be saved.
ok so far Ive backed up three different SNES cartridges. it does exactly what it is supposed to do and the process is extremely fast and painless.
in the manual it says there is a risk that your save files can accidently be deleted while using the device so that scares me somewhat but I am currently sitting at 3 for 3 with the success rate so I dont think i have much to worry about. i am sure he wrote that in there to avoid potential lawsuits and the actual chance of it happening is less than 1%.
I dont plan on replacing any more batteries until my save files get erased due to battery death. The worst that can happen now is instead of having to play through 100% of the progress I lost, I only have to play through 10-20% of unsaved progress to go back to my last backed up save file.
I havent tried any Genesis games yet but I am sure the process will be similar. from what it sounds like, hacked and repro carts dont work but since I dont have any, it doesnt really affect me.
this product gets my full recommendation as of right now. if anything goes wrong or I lose my data or a cartridge ROM becomes corrupt, you guys will be the first to know
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