this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
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The Open Source Cartridge Reader is a great diy project for dumping your own roms and saves. If you order a kit with the surface mount components already installed, it's also a great beginner soldering project.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Awesome project.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I thought the saves were in my memorypak though?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Most N64 games don't actually use the controller pak, instead using their own battery saves

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Hmmm, I still have my N64, all my old games, etc and could test. Do you know if there is a way for me to check the memorypak to see what games actually saved to it?

Now that you mention it, I recall either OoT or MM saving to the cart directly.

Edit: May have found my own answer:

HOLD THE START BUTTON DOWN and turn your console on. Make sure to HOLD THE START BUTTON DOWN while it boots up. This will pull up the data management screen where you can view and delete your stored data on your memory card.

Will check and report back.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

To add to this, the reader also has a N64 controller port so you can also dump memory cards via a controller.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

IIRC none of the games that require the expanded RAM module (DK64, OOT, Majora) actually utilize its RAM under normal conditions. For instance, DK64 only used it as a means to stave off a memory leak.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's a myth, the ram was a requirement by management at the beginning of development to showcase it's use. The ram was heavily used for the dynamic lighting. Sources: https://www.gamesradar.com/how-the-n64-confidently-signposted-our-way-into-the-3d-future/ and https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/11/feature_donkey_kong_64_devs_on_bugs_boxing_and_20_years_of_the_dk_rap

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Oh well shit, that’s metal

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Love my retrode 2 but this one looks awesome.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The retrode was a good device when you could buy it. What I like about this one is that you can dump all the popular cart systems without needing adapters, while being able to build additional adapters for less common systems.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Cloud saved banjo kazooie runs. The future is now.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The closest thing I ever used that backed up actual hardware was a Playstation 1 card reader. At the time I was backing up game saves and porting them to the ps2 for emulation or something i forget exactly.

It was wild to do something like that on your computer back then. A Sony memory card in your PC? Bonkers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Once I extracted my Fire Emblem 7 GBA cartridge's save to keep stuff I had unlocked and play it elsewhere.

It was easy, I didn't need any special hardware beside a DS and a flash cart, and a bit of homebrew software.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nice! I got my Save the Hero Builders OSCR and it's fantastic. Backed up my whole cartridge collection

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah they make pretty solid prebuilts, this was a diy kit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Awesome project. Please crosspost this to [email protected]

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks and done