Anyone with experience swapping batteries on NES carts? (1 Viewer)

[James D S]

I want to play Zelda again, but that batteries gotta be over a decade old. I popped the cart to find the battery tack-welded, I can remove it, but replacing it will be a chore.
Is there an easier solution?
(Besides EMU )

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Emulation is the easiest answer (and only one I know of). Since you own the cart, its not illegal (I heard somewhere that you have the right to make a backup but not purchase a backup, so just don't pay for the ROM-download it for free).

 

[Carl Johnson]

This is what Nintendo.com has to say about ROMs.......

Can I Download a Nintendo ROM from the Internet if I Already Own the Authentic Game?
There is a good deal of misinformation on the Internet regarding the backup/archival copy exception. It is not a "second copy" rule and is often mistakenly cited for the proposition that if you have one lawful copy of a copyrighted work, you are entitled to have a second copy of the copyrighted work even if that second copy is an infringing copy. The backup/archival copy exception is a very narrow limitation relating to a copy being made by the rightful owner of an authentic game to ensure he or she has one in the event of damage or destruction of the authentic. It is well established by judicial decisions in the United States that this limited exception does not apply to game data contained in ROM semiconductor chips in video game cartridges. Therefore, whether you have already an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i.e. 24 hours, it is illegal to download and play a Nintendo ROM from the Internet.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

But you can still create your own ROM and run it on an emulator (since emulators are not illegal, unless they are gotten illegally). Its OK if you create your own ROM.

 

[BrianB]

But you can still create your own ROM and run it on an emulator (since emulators are not illegal, unless they are gotten illegally). Its OK if you create your own ROM.

And lots of people have EPROM readers handy to do that

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Nothing In Particular

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Luckily, the Sega carts had a little battery holder on most Master system stuff. Reminds me I need to replace Phantasy Star's
Oh, and Nintendo is bullshitting you. The courts ruled you have the right to make a backup copy. There is nothing that says that someone can't make it for you. As long as you own the cart, you're clear
Jeff Kleist

 

[Morgan Jolley]

You can have someone make a copy of it for you, but if you download it from someone, there is a risk that it has been tampered with. Some people would reprogram small parts of SNES games to include a little animation saying who made the ROM or something. If you get a ROM in its entirety that has not been messed around with and you also have a legal copy of the original game, you are OK.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Emulation has its place, but there is no substitute for plopping down on the couch and using the television and the real controller. Fix the cart.

 

[James D S]

Luckily, the Sega carts had a little battery holder on most Master system stuff. Reminds me I need to replace Phantasy Star's.

I had also heard that later runs of Zelda (and other batteried games) had these holders for just such a problem.
I would rather (not much rather though) play the system with the original hardware, but without a fresh battery, I don't have much of a choice.
EMU would be a perfect solution, but I would still like to restore the pak.
Seems I'm gonna have to invest in a solder iron and have a go at it.
Heat will be an issue though, I'm sure. Are there any preps I should make before the surgery? Any tips?

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

I don't get it. Nintendo doesn't make any money off of NES games any more. They haven't for almost a decade now. I can't believe they would give a rats ass about emulating those old games. I can understand it if they worry about copying their current software (N64 and GCN mostly), but copying the old stuff doesn't cost them any money since they don't make any revenue from it.
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-J.Fo
"Why do I always get a warped one?"

 

[James D S]

Nintendo doesn't make any money off of NES games any more. They haven't for almost a decade now.

This stumps me as well. In the spirit of protecting the profitability of software, I don't see how it applies to decade old carts whose fab plants have long since outgraded the machines used in their production.
(Then what of Intellivision games? Or games from companies who have since gone out of business? It's this grey area that detracts from the validity of "intellectual property" copyrights as a whole.)
In either case, it seems I have no choice but to pursue EMU right now as soldering the battery will allow for more harm than good. I just don't have an option. I can't play a game I paid for unless I seek alternate methods. Vive Le Nester.