Retro Video Game Security Bit and Battery Cross-Reference Matrix

Retro Video Game Security Bit and Battery Cross-Reference Matrix

Starting to collect retro video games is HUGE fun but you always come across annoyances along the way.  One of those annoyances is games that will no longer save and other games that just won’t play because the contacts are corroded/dirty.  And what about that console you bought which needs the nicotine stains removed but you don’t want to do it without opening it up first!  You grab your tool box and then notice some weird screw staring back at you.  What the hell is that???  Power Up Gaming has the answer for you!  Just buy this one single kit and it will give you ALL the bits you need!

This cross-reference was made for you in mind.  It gives you the information about the bit that is required to get into whatever game or console you need.  It also lists what batteries are typically in those games that no longer save.  I will also provide a link to each item for convenience in case you choose to buy from Power Up Gaming.  It is my hope that I can help solve your frustration and get you back to enjoying the sport of collecting again.

The most common bits are the 3.8mm and 4.5mm game bit which to the best of my knowledge is only used in the video game industry.  The good news is that these two bits open up the majority of the stuff that you would ever want to open.  The other item for the newer stuff is the Tri-Wing screwdriver which is used with Nintendo Consoles, namely Gameboy Advance and newer.  With these three items you are set!

Batteries are another beast altogether and that is also covered in our matrix as mentioned.  NES and SNES games for the most part will not cause you any problems with save games but dead batteries are starting to show up more and more.  If you are looking at always owning the games then it might be in your best interest to make sure that you have freshly soldered in batteries to keep your saves on the cartridge.  Pokemon games, mainly the gold and silver games, eat through batteries since they have live timers in the games which keep track of how long has passed since you last played the game.  Soldering in batteries can be done by anyone with basic soldering skills and only takes a few minutes on average.  We will have videos up in the near future to show you how to go about changing batteries yourself.  We also provide this service to our customers for a small fee. 

Please do yourself a HUGE favor and stay away from YouTube fixes for battery replacement which features using tape to hold the battery in.  If that tape moves even the slightest to loose contact with the battery then your save progress is GONE.  I should also state the obvious and mention that changing a battery will make you lose your save game data.  J

Here is the matrix, we will attempt to keep it updated as technology changes: