Zip, zap and away! The idea here is simple: replace the soldered cartridge battery with a holder so that the next battery replacement does not require desoldering anything. SNES cartridges that use battery-backed SRAM rely on that battery to preserve their save data while the console is switched off.

Just solder in a holder and… well mine didn’t have enough clearance inside the cartridge shell, but maybe yours does! Check the height and shell clearance of the holder before soldering it in. A perfectly good electrical solution is not terribly useful if the cartridge will no longer close.

This is for the upcoming EarthBound cartridge I am making from terrible EA Sports games. If you object, you have no soul!

Let’s face it, your old saves weren’t that good anyway. Do better this time, you’ve got ten years… hopefully. Go!

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