On the Sega CD Backup RAM Carts: Indeed, they have batteries in them. They aren't standard CR-2032s though, from what I've heard...
I did a big console save-types list thing a while ago, found here:
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5965 (I should probably just create a thread somewhere on this forum with a copy of it too...)
... I need to edit in some new Saturn info, now. But anyway, on the Sega CD, this is the only thing I've seen on what's in them: a CR2450. Not one I've heard of other game systems using... Are those batteries indeed in all Sega CD Backup RAM Carts? Source here: http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showpos...8&postcount=24
On the Saturn:
Sega actually did release two (technically three) different models of the Saturn memory card in Japan... only one was released in the US and Europe, but Japan got three. I was just wondering what the differences between the models were, and whether one used a battery and the other the flash memory Saturn memory cards were known to have...
Japan
--
HSS-0111 (11/22/94, Japan launch day)
HSS-0138 (7/5/96)
HSS-0513 (9/27/96, "Sakura Wars" label card) -- same as HSS-0138 but with a new label and color?
Europe
--
MK-80300 (first availability?)
US
--
80101 (first availability?)
Later on there was also a US special edition "Dragon Force" labeled card, but like the Japanese "Sakura Wars" one it was almost certainly just a new face on a standard card. There are also other special edition cards, such as a Tamagochi one in Japan; Sega only lists the Sakura Wars one on the Sega Japan Saturn memory card page, though.
So... is that cart official?
The pic in that other thread point out that that board has no "C Sega" logo on it... the cartridge shell looks official, though, but is the board inside a fake? Or did Sega indeed have some battery-backed carts?
It's also interesting that it appears to use a CR2032 in a coin-cell holder. That's all, for a card with 512KB of save memory, while the 64KB Sega CD Backup RAM Cart seems to have had a much bigger one? And if that is a coin-cell holder (and not solder), that's also interesting. Other than the Saturn, older consoles virtually always have soldered batteries, particularly first-party stuff... like how first-party N64 controller paks have soldered batteries like all Nintendo carts with batteries, while Performance's third-party cards actually have coin-cell holders in them, with no solder. Other third parties did solder, but obviously not Performance... but anyway, it is odd that that cart has a battery. It does say Sega on the back of the cart, but that doesn't mean it's definitely real... I would like to know for sure, though.
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117601
http://assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3937
http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/ss/memory.html
http://shenmue001.chez-alice.fr/ref_sat.txt
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