Metroid Zero Mission saves wiped! (On the cartridge)

2015-03-18 12:38:17 am

Hello,

I recently got my good ol' Game Boy SP working again and I was hoping to play some Metroid Zero Mission and check my old save files on the game. But everything is gone, even the bonus ending art and original Metroid unlock are gone. I would just restart, but I am afraid if I do, the saves would freak out again and just wipe out. I am at a loss where to go, and Zero Mission was one of my favorites, so I guess all I can ask is does the game run on a battery for saving or anything? Maybe it can be repaired? I don't know if anyone on here knows anything about that.

Thank you for reading and hopefully for any advice or help on this, I would greatly appreciate it. Have a good evening!

(I would have posted this in the Zero Mission section, but it just suddenly came to my attention this site is mainly for speed running, so I thought the General section would be better for this. Sorry on that, first time here!)

Thread title:

BioSpark

2015-03-18 12:45:27 am

if the saves are gone they're gone, sorry man. just try starting a new game and saving right away to see if the file stays there

SJthehero

2015-03-18 12:58:09 am

Quote from BioSpark:

if the saves are gone they're gone, sorry man. just try starting a new game and saving right away to see if the file stays there

Well, looks like I got another game to play, plus a trip down memory lane. Thanks for at least telling me the advice on that bit. The save did work, so something must of wiped the files either it was a bug or just age. Either way, I am happy the game still works. Again, thank you, looking forward to playing through once again!

Tyjet66

2015-03-18 10:19:05 pm

What'd you say?

It sounds like the battery in the cartridge might be dead. Once that happens, all save files get deleted. I've had to replace batteries in dozens are GBC and GBA carts. The only problem is you need a special tri-wing bit to get the carts open.

UchihaSasuke

2015-04-12 11:33:17 pm

my umbrella goes directly to Bankai

this is one reason to get the VC version on Wii U.

(now, if they actually went and released it in america...)

SJthehero

2015-04-16 05:54:10 pm

I actually thought long and hard about it as I was playing through the game again (Having nostalgia trips and whatnot), and I think I may have remembered why my saves got wiped. At one point when I was younger, I was able to get a Game Shark for the GBA (Mind you the only reason I got it was not for the purpose of being a cheating scumb bag and not actually beating the games I owned), I got it because I wanted to have some extra fun with my games by going crazy and doing stuff that just wasn't possible.

So I think at one point, I remember playing Zero Mission with a metric butt ton of cheats on. I mean like, ALL OF THEM. Just had Samus going in, opening her eyes with all her stuff on and her unknown items like the gravity suit and plasma beam, using power bombs everywhere, infinite missiles, messing around on by passing areas and just jumping straight up the moment you start in Brinstar. I didn't care about seeing the extra art pics, I just wanted to do some crazy things in the game!

Then, well, you know those warnings on older games that tell you NOT to save with cheats on? Well, I think I know why now, and man those warnings hit HARD now that I think about em. I have learned my lesson and I won't ever save with cheats or cheat devices being used ever again, because man, losing all your save data to one of your favorite games really makes you live and learn.

I actually thought long and hard about it as I was playing through the game again (Having nostalgia trips and whatnot), and I think I may have remembered why my saves got wiped. At one point when I was younger, I was able to get a Game Shark for the GBA (Mind you the only reason I got it was not for the purpose of being a cheating scumb bag and not actually beating the games I owned), I got it because I wanted to have some extra fun with my games by going crazy and doing stuff that just wasn't possible.

So I think at one point, I remember playing Zero Mission with a metric butt ton of cheats on. I mean like, ALL OF THEM. Just had Samus going in, opening her eyes with all her stuff on and her unknown items like the gravity suit and plasma beam, using power bombs everywhere, infinite missiles, messing around on by passing areas and just jumping straight up the moment you start in Brinstar. I didn't care about seeing the extra art pics, I just wanted to do some crazy things in the game!

Then, well, you know those warnings on older games that tell you NOT to save with cheats on? Well, I think I know why now, and man those warnings hit HARD now that I think about em. I have learned my lesson and I won't ever save with cheats or cheat devices being used ever again, because man, losing all your save data to one of your favorite games really makes you live and learn.

Tyjet66

2015-04-16 11:11:24 pm

What'd you say?

That would typically explain a corrupted save (or all of them), it would not explain why you can no longer keep saves. I'm willing to bet (insert dollar amount here) that it's a dead battery. You can do it solderless, or with solder.

For some games, once the battery gets low, clock based events no longer work. After it fully dies, you can no longer keep saved games. I have numerous GBA and GBC carts that no longer save. I have fixed a few by replacing the battery and saving now works for those carts.
You need a tri-wing bit and a CR#### (commonly 2025 or 1616) battery. The battery can be found at any home improvement store, or store such as Wal-Mart. The tri-wing bit may be found at hardware stores (unlikely), or you can purchase it online.

SJthehero

2015-04-18 05:25:59 pm

Quote from Tyjet66:

That would typically explain a corrupted save (or all of them), it would not explain why you can no longer keep saves. I'm willing to bet (insert dollar amount here) that it's a dead battery. You can do it solderless, or with solder.

For some games, once the battery gets low, clock based events no longer work. After it fully dies, you can no longer keep saved games. I have numerous GBA and GBC carts that no longer save. I have fixed a few by replacing the battery and saving now works for those carts.
You need a tri-wing bit and a CR#### (commonly 2025 or 1616) battery. The battery can be found at any home improvement store, or store such as Wal-Mart. The tri-wing bit may be found at hardware stores (unlikely), or you can purchase it online.

Well the cart still saves, so the battery can't be dead. Also I am not sure if it uses a battery or not, I tried looking up some info about Zero Mission last month before I came here, and I found some people online claiming Zero Mission is a GBA game that does not use a battery. I am not gonna open my cart to find out, but if it still saves, then I am guessing it works just fine or the battery (if it has one) is still working.

I should look into getting the battery replaced in my Pokemon Blue cartridge though.

[quote="Tyjet66"]That would typically explain a corrupted save (or all of them), it would not explain why you can no longer keep saves. I'm willing to bet (insert dollar amount here) that it's a dead battery. You can do it solderless, or with solder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTMozvB74oU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BIeARi_CSQ
For some games, once the battery gets low, clock based events no longer work. After it fully dies, you can no longer keep saved games. I have numerous GBA and GBC carts that no longer save. I have fixed a few by replacing the battery and saving now works for those carts.
You need a tri-wing bit and a CR#### (commonly 2025 or 1616) battery. The battery can be found at any home improvement store, or store such as Wal-Mart. The tri-wing bit may be found at hardware stores (unlikely), or you can purchase it online.
[/quote]

Well the cart still saves, so the battery can't be dead. Also I am not sure if it uses a battery or not, I tried looking up some info about Zero Mission last month before I came here, and I found some people online claiming Zero Mission is a GBA game that does not use a battery. I am not gonna open my cart to find out, but if it still saves, then I am guessing it works just fine or the battery (if it has one) is still working.

I should look into getting the battery replaced in my Pokemon Blue cartridge though.

Opium

2015-04-18 07:17:27 pm

Both my NA and JP ZM cartrdiges still hold a save after all these years.

Strange that ZM isn't available in the eshop yet.

BioSpark

2015-04-18 08:52:51 pm

it's probably because your cheats corrupted the save files. it's probably fine now

SJthehero

2015-04-19 01:25:03 am

Quote from BioSpark:

it's probably because your cheats corrupted the save files. it's probably fine now

Thats what I explained in my post about the Gameshark fiasco of yesteryear. After dealing with that, I hate to imagine what other games might be corrupted on other platforms that I played back in the day. But man, one thing that is weird going back to this game is NOT having an 11 hour save file up to the Chozo Mural boss fight.

Tyjet66

2015-04-20 01:26:05 am

What'd you say?

Quote from SJthehero:

Well the cart still saves, so the battery can't be dead.

I didn't notice that bit, sorry.

SJthehero

2015-04-21 01:50:12 am

Quote from Tyjet66:

Quote from SJthehero:

Well the cart still saves, so the battery can't be dead.

I didn't notice that bit, sorry.

Ah don't worry, its ok!