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The Harvest Moon GBC Game Won't Save

Like many other classic cartridge-based video games, many Game Boy Color games use batteries to store save files. When cartridges stop saving games (or when your saved games disappear) the most likely reason is that the battery needs to be replaced. This process requires some technical know-how, but it can add years to the life of your classic games.

Things You'll Need

Soldering iron and solder
Solder pump or wick
3.8mm gamebit screwdriver
CR2025 or CR1616 battery with solder tabs
Long-nosed pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Unscrew the single 3.8mm screw from the back of the cartridge and set it aside. Slide the front of the cartridge casing down, then lift it up to remove it and expose the circuit board. Remove the circuit board from the back of the cartridge casing by simply lifting it out.
- 2
  Determine whether your cartridge uses the CR2025 or CR1616 battery. One of the two numbers is printed on the circuit board near the battery (in the upper right corner of the board).
- 3
  Remove the old battery by heating the solder on its tabs, and removing the heated solder with a pump or wick. Grip the battery with a pair of long-nosed pliers and gently pull the tabs off of the circuit board (you may need to apply more heat to the tabs with the soldering iron while pulling).
- 4
  Use the long-nosed pliers to bend the tabs on the new battery so that they do not make contact with the battery's edge, which could case it to explode once it's connected to the board. Try to match how the tabs are bent on the old battery if you have any doubts. Position the new battery on the circuit board exactly as the old battery was positioned, with the negative side facing up. If either of the new battery's tabs is too long, clip it with the long-nosed pliers to make it fits (but be careful not to make it too short). Solder the tabs onto the board.
- 5
  Place the circuit board back into the cartridge casing, then slide the front of the casing back into position. Finally, replace the 3.8mm screw to close the cartridge.

Game Boy