2nd Gen Gold/Silver annoying save problem.

I have had the Gold and Silver cartridges since like around when they first came out in 2000 and like many years later the batteries inside the cartridge died. I replaced the batteries in both cartridges using 2 Duracell DL2025 batteries and I put electrical tape on the top of the battery to prevent it from moving around and messing with my data. I close the cartridges and test the games out on my classic gameboy. I did notice something interesting. When I leave the cartridge in the gameboy it will save but when I remove the cartridge and put it back on the gameboy it erases and I have to start all over again while it could also say a disturbing message such as save file corrupt. Does this happen because when I touch the cartridge the battery moves or is it something else? JUST PLEASE TELL ME WHY IT IS TRYING TO DO THIS TO ME! If nothing works then I may either buy a Mega Memory Card for my Gameboy Color or just simply play it on an emulator. And I would like to thank everyone that tries to help me out here.

I hope you come back to the forums to check for answers. My advice would be to contact Nintendo. To my understanding, they stillvoffer services such as changing the batteries for you. So if they are willing to do that, maybe they would be willing to restore any faulty device within the cartridge. I personally don't like emulators, they don't feel the same. And honestly, you simply don't get the same reactions when people watch you play an emulator as opposed to whippin out a good ol' GBC in school ;)

I've done some research for your specific question and I'm having a hard time finding anyone with a situation like yours.

TheFishMan said:

I hope you come back to the forums to check for answers. My advice would be to contact Nintendo. To my understanding, they stillvoffer services such as changing the batteries for you. So if they are willing to do that, maybe they would be willing to restore any faulty device within the cartridge. I personally don't like emulators, they don't feel the same. And honestly, you simply don't get the same reactions when people watch you play an emulator as opposed to whippin out a good ol' GBC in school ;)

I've done some research for your specific question and I'm having a hard time finding anyone with a situation like yours.

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I'll try playing it while leaving it in the console and we'll just see how that goes. If nothing works then I'll buy a memory card for the GBC or just like U said an emulator.

It sounds like your battery is losing contact with the rest of the circuitry in the cartridge, or else you bought a dead/dying battery. You may want to look into buying tabbed batteries online (there are a number of places that sell them, though it's been a while since I looked myself, so you'll have to search around a bit), and then soldering them into your cartridge using the tabs (there are some existing video guides of how to do this). That way, you won't risk blowing up the battery by applying heat to it directly, but you'll attach it much more securely and in a manner more similar to how the original battery was installed. If you don't want to/can't solder things yourself, there should be places where you can get that work done for you.

Alternatively, the cartridge could just be giving out in some way, though what you're describing sounds more like the symptoms I experienced when my original battery was dying (would save when in the gameboy, but would corrupt the file when I removed the cartridge, etc.). If it's a cartridge issue more generally, then there probably isn't a lot you can do. I've seen several Blue cartridges act really weird/permanently corrupted in similar ways, though if the game still plays normally, I still think the problem is likely with the battery.

Imperator161 said:

It sounds like your battery is losing contact with the rest of the circuitry in the cartridge, or else you bought a dead/dying battery. You may want to look into buying tabbed batteries online (there are a number of places that sell them, though it's been a while since I looked myself, so you'll have to search around a bit), and then soldering them into your cartridge using the tabs (there are some existing video guides of how to do this). That way, you won't risk blowing up the battery by applying heat to it directly, but you'll attach it much more securely and in a manner more similar to how the original battery was installed. If you don't want to/can't solder things yourself, there should be places where you can get that work done for you.

Alternatively, the cartridge could just be giving out in some way, though what you're describing sounds more like the symptoms I experienced when my original battery was dying (would save when in the gameboy, but would corrupt the file when I removed the cartridge, etc.). If it's a cartridge issue more generally, then there probably isn't a lot you can do. I've seen several Blue cartridges act really weird/permanently corrupted in similar ways, though if the game still plays normally, I still think the problem is likely with the battery.

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I bought the batteries fresh in box from Rite Aid and they were new so it couldn't have been that and also it erased once again while inside the console. I don't know what's going on. If I don't find a solution soon then I'll find a Mega Memory Card for GB/GBC and i'll use that to avoid all saving problems or I'll hit the emulators or play the game online at Playr.

Instead of taping the battery on you really should solder a tab battery instead. Using tape like that isn't going to make a very good connection (or a connection at all) Soldering is pretty easy but make sure you have someone around in case you burn yourself or need an extra pair of hands.

I remember this problem cropped up a while ago, it was the battery not connected properly. ^with the above do keep in might that soldering the battery it's self will make it explode, hopefully you have one with soldering tabs...

Another problem I experience is that the game erases when I put the gameboy down on a table or something.

Delta said:

I remember this problem cropped up a while ago, it was the battery not connected properly. ^with the above do keep in might that soldering the battery it's self will make it explode, hopefully you have one with soldering tabs...

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That is why I prefer the electrical tape method rather than the soldering method. Also is there an easy way to do it with the electrical tape rather than the solder method? If so then please reply with a reasonable answer and I will get back to you.

View attachment 75267
View attachment 75268
These pictures may give U all an idea of what I did. The one on the left is Gold and the one on the right is Silver.

I did everything I could for now. I will try and solve this by-
1 Buying tabbed batteries.
2 Buying a Mega Memory Card.
3 Having it repaired by a professional.
Tell me if these are good suggestions and please reply with the best answer possible.

Ah I see. I used electrical tap too, but rather than putting it over the battery, I did it only over the tabs to hold them down. I also used double sided under the battery to hold it too the board.
Il try to get pictures

IMO the only way to play them now is via an emulator.

Hopefully one day they'll get a DS remake with a "retro mode" where you can play the exact original versions untouched on your 3DS, wouldn't that be cool?

jasonthedrag0n said:

IMO the only way to play them now is via an emulator.

Hopefully one day they'll get a DS remake with a "retro mode" where you can play the exact original versions untouched on your 3DS, wouldn't that be cool?

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Actually they already made the DS remake like 6 years ago called Heartgold And Soulsilver in case U haven't realized that and I played Heartgold many years ago. Also I have Crystal downloaded onto an emulator because I don't actually have the game Crystal and I just beat it like 2 days ago.

POKEGAMERZ9185 said:

Actually they already made the DS remake like 6 years ago called Heartgold And Soulsilver in case U haven't realized that and I played Heartgold many years ago. Also I have Crystal downloaded onto an emulator because I don't actually have the game Crystal and I just beat it like 2 days ago.

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I must have missed the "retro mode" remake then ;) ... :P

jasonthedrag0n said:

I must have missed the "retro mode" remake then ;) ... :P

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Heartgold and Soulsilver does not have a retro mode in it.

POKEGAMERZ9185 said:

Also I have Crystal downloaded onto an emulator because I don't actually have the game Crystal and I just beat it like 2 days ago.

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That's against the law.

It is not illegal because I own Gold and Silver and they are related to Crystal.

I did exactly what you did for my Crystal cartridge, electrical tape and all, and it's fine. You have to really tape it in there so that the battery won't move AT ALL and lose contact with the circuitry, or your game will be erased when there's no power (like when the game's not on). I taped a bit thicker than recommended, because I wanted the plastic cartridge case to push it down as well when I screwed everything back together as extra security that it would stay in place.

Just try again, you'll get it. There's no reason to solder or go to a professional or anything, and once it's done you'll be good for another decade or so.

EDIT: And owning Gold and Silver doesn't make it legal for you to have a Crystal ROM, but it's not like Officer Jenny is going to break down your door when you boot up your emulator, so it's whatever.

Lawyer here : in the rare case where you get sued for "illegal" use of a ROM, while I can't account for the laws in every country and state, they can ONLY prosecute you if they get you to confess to,, accept or understand that you committed theft. Often an officer or prosecutor would ask something along the lines of "Do you accept/understand that you stole GF's software by downloading it and running it without paying for a licence to use it, or without their explicit consent?" "Yes, I'm sorry, but I didn't know!" - That would land you a guilty verdict, in theory (of course this scenario will 99% never ever happen). If you, however, don't ever confess or confirm that you accept or understand, but instead make a counterclaim by asking whether or not GF can prove any loss or damages caused by your use of the software. Since they can't submit any evidence of this, there's no evidence of a theft.

If you steal a chocolate bar, the chocolate bar is no longer in the possession of the owner, but it is in your possession, there is loss, there is therefore a theft.
If you download software, you in fact create for yourself a clone of intellectual property, they still have their game data, they have lost nothing. UNLESS you somehow make a monetary gain or you distribute the software in some way which prevents GF from making the profits that they should, you've deprived them of sales, then there's direct evidence of cause of a loss of earnings, which is theft.

tl;dr version : If you download it, play it and never redistribute it, as long as you never confess to theft, or answer yes when asked if you accept or understand that it's theft, you CANNOT be prosecuted or sued for using any pirated game, or listening to pirated music.


... Does that make it ethical to do so? NOPE, but it's legal by way of pretty exploitable loophole via the common law definition of theft, which is why they don't bother to prosecute for it.


Sorry for the boring legal stuff :P but it's there just in case anyone does get in trouble for piracy... Note, I DO NOT ENDORSE OR CONDONE PIRACY, it is unethical.