Difference between revisions of "Battery backup"

From Sega Retro

(Created page with "{{stub}}Commercial video games are usually sold on read-only mediums such as ROM cartridges or CD-ROMs, to stop users from inadvertently breaking their game or commit acts of...")
 
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{stub}}Commercial video games are usually sold on read-only mediums such as ROM cartridges or CD-ROMs, to stop users from inadvertently breaking their game or commit acts of piracy. However, as the 1980s came to a close and games became bigger, being able to save the current status of a game, to be picked up at a later date, became a more desirable feature.
 
{{stub}}Commercial video games are usually sold on read-only mediums such as ROM cartridges or CD-ROMs, to stop users from inadvertently breaking their game or commit acts of piracy. However, as the 1980s came to a close and games became bigger, being able to save the current status of a game, to be picked up at a later date, became a more desirable feature.
  
−
While later consoles would see the concept of dedicated "memory cards" be used to save data, earlier cartridge-based system had to rely on '''battery backups''' - where memory would be held in RAM, and kept alive by a physical battery. Once the battery died (which, given the low power requirements is usually after several years, if not decades), a game would not be able to retain saved data when the console was turned off, however (with home consoles at least) it would not stop the game from running.
+
While later consoles would see the concept of dedicated "memory cards" be used to save data, earlier cartridge-based systems had to rely on '''battery backups''' (バッテリーバックアップ) (or '''memory backup''' (メモリバックアップ ) as it was often known in Japan) - where memory would be held in RAM, and kept alive by a physical battery. Once the battery died (which, given the low power requirements is usually after several years, if not decades), a game would not be able to retain saved data when the console was turned off, however (with home consoles at least) it would not stop the game from running.
  
 
These types of system are not uncommon in electronics (most real-time clocks use a similar system), though as the price of flash memory dropped, save games in consoles such as the [[PlayStation]] were able to maintain saved states without the need for external power. Battery backup systems were prevalent in the previous generation - the [[Sega Mega Drive]] and [[Super NES]].
 
These types of system are not uncommon in electronics (most real-time clocks use a similar system), though as the price of flash memory dropped, save games in consoles such as the [[PlayStation]] were able to maintain saved states without the need for external power. Battery backup systems were prevalent in the previous generation - the [[Sega Mega Drive]] and [[Super NES]].
Line 10: Line 10:
  
 
==List of games which use battery backups==
 
==List of games which use battery backups==
−
<!-- note: the plan is to automate this -->
 
 
===Master System===
 
===Master System===
 +
{{SaveList|SMS|battery}}
  
 
===Mega Drive===
 
===Mega Drive===
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
−
*''[[Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen]]''
+
{{SaveList|MD|battery}}
−
*''[[Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday]]''
+
|cols=4}}
−
*''[[College Football's National Championship]]''
+
 
−
*''[[College Football's National Championship II]]''
 
−
*''[[Crusader of Centy]]''
 
−
*''[[Greatest Heavyweights]]''
 
−
*''[[IMG International Tour Tennis]]''
 
−
*''[[Might and Magic: Gates to Another World]]''
 
−
*''[[NBA Action '94]]''
 
−
*''[[NBA Action '95 Starring David Robinson]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL '95]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL 98]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL Football '94 Starring Joe Montana]]''
 
−
*''[[Pebble Beach Golf Links]]''
 
−
*''[[PGA European Tour]]''
 
−
*''[[PGA Tour 96]]''
 
−
*''[[PGA Tour Golf]]''
 
−
*''[[PGA Tour Golf II]]''
 
−
*''[[PGA Tour Golf III]]''
 
−
*''[[Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium]]''
 
−
*''[[Prime Time NFL Football Starring Deion Sanders]]''
 
−
*''[[Rings of Power]]''
 
−
*''[[Shining Force]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''
 
−
*''[[Starflight]]''
 
−
*''[[The Story of Thor: A Successor of the Light]]''
 
−
*''[[Sword of Vermilion]]''
 
−
|cols=3}}
 
 
===Game Gear===
 
===Game Gear===
 +
{{multicol|
 +
{{SaveList|GG|battery}}
 +
|cols=4}}
 +
 +
===32X===
 +
{{SaveList|32X|battery}}
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 05:19, 15 March 2021

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

Commercial video games are usually sold on read-only mediums such as ROM cartridges or CD-ROMs, to stop users from inadvertently breaking their game or commit acts of piracy. However, as the 1980s came to a close and games became bigger, being able to save the current status of a game, to be picked up at a later date, became a more desirable feature.

While later consoles would see the concept of dedicated "memory cards" be used to save data, earlier cartridge-based systems had to rely on battery backups (バッテリーバックアップ) (or memory backup (メモリバックアップ ) as it was often known in Japan) - where memory would be held in RAM, and kept alive by a physical battery. Once the battery died (which, given the low power requirements is usually after several years, if not decades), a game would not be able to retain saved data when the console was turned off, however (with home consoles at least) it would not stop the game from running.

These types of system are not uncommon in electronics (most real-time clocks use a similar system), though as the price of flash memory dropped, save games in consoles such as the PlayStation were able to maintain saved states without the need for external power. Battery backup systems were prevalent in the previous generation - the Sega Mega Drive and Super NES.

The added circuitry for battery backup system added to the cost of manufacturing cartridges (which more often than not was then passed to the consumer), meaning generally such systems from this era are only seen in certain genres such as RPGs, with the rest having to make do with password systems (or no form or saving at all). When costs dropped, they were utilised for other features, such as saving high scores.

Whether a game can save is often a clue as to whether the cartridge is official - for the cost reasons described above, bootleg cartridges rarely add the battery.

List of games which use battery backups

Master System

Mega Drive

Game Gear

32X

References

Retrieved from "https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=Battery_backup&oldid=657389"