I'm not quite sure if this is the right board to ask this on, but my childhood pokemon silver cartridge just doesn't work anymore, even after a battery replacement. Trying to troubleshoot online seems very difficult on a surface level since almost every solution I see is "just replace the battery lol" "clean contacts lol" which i've already done. guy at a repair shop looked it over and said it might be some kind of ram issue, but he didn't want to do any troubleshooting or repair on it. does anyone here have any advice on where to start? if it's not too crazy difficult i'm looking to turn this into a side project so i can learn more about soldering and repairing these old game cartridges. Can't take a picture of the board right now since I lost the screwdriver, have another one coming this week.

>>105826277 (OP)
>>>/vr/

>>105826277 (OP)
If it wasn't the battery or contacts then you're boned, sorry. I don't think there's anything else you can really replace by hand

>>105826299
thanks anon, honestly i forget /vr/ exists, i'll ask over there.

>>105826310
i only entertain repair as a solution because i saw this video a few years back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKR1NIwxSdo
i'm waaaaaaaay below the skill level for this, i can barely solder a new battery on, but working with a cartridge that is more than likely already toast makes for some learning and practice at least.

>>105826343
Everything on one of these carts beyond the battery tabs and the clock crystal are tiny surface-mount devices, you'd need a heatgun or those heated tweezers and shit to work on them. If the issue isn't a corroded leg on one of the chips or a broken trace somewhere, you'll need to source a replacement and swap it which I'm pretty sure is fairly advanced soldering. Good luck.

Stop sending these fuckers to /vr/
We’re done helping paste eating retards
Don’t send them anywhere but fucking google

>>105826277 (OP)
>>105826343
Yeah first open it up and actually inspect it (for corrosion, bad traces, bad solder joints for some reason) like he did on the video. Learn how to use a multimeter so you can actually check traces.
I'm assuming you already ruled out the gameboy itself being bad with another cart?

>>105826277 (OP)
Get a rom/ram dumper for gbc/gba, if what you get on the pc is playable then your gameboy is the problem.

>>105826277 (OP)
you'd need someone who can actually solder.
reflow all the solder for a start. if the ram is bad you can replace that. if the problem is the pcb there are new replacement pcbs. nothing is unfixable, but it's going to require skills you don't have, and the random solder monkey who replaces game boy batteries doesn't have either.
the easiest way is to buy a working version with a fucked cart, or a quality single-game flash cart with RTC, and swap the PCBs. it will look like your childhood game and work just the same.

>>105826277 (OP)
I'm guessing that it boots up and plays normally, but if you shut off the Gameboy the save file is gone?
One thing to test: Start a game and save. Now push A+B+Start+Select. This does a soft reset -- you're rebooting the game without removing power from the RAM chip. You'll see one of 2 outcomes:
1. Your save is there and loads normally. The RAM chip works fine but loses data when the power goes out. Either you fucked up installing the new battery, installed a dead battery, or something is wrong with another component between where the battery power goes in and where it powers the RAM chip.
2. Your save is gone, or is there but it says it's corrupted. Fault inside the RAM chip or one of the RAM chip pins isn't soldered well. Or one of the contacts that go to it is still dirty -- I've had contact issues even after a thorough scrubbing sometimes.
Another test: If you have another Gameboy, GB Player, Super Gameboy, or N64 Transfer Pak + Pokemon Stadium 2 (I think; unsure if the emulator caches the save file in system RAM though), do the same test as above on that. If it behaves differently, the cartridge connector inside your Gameboy is dirty. You can also try another cartridge that has saving in the same Gemeboy.
Cleaning GB slot contacts: I've had the best luck with a piece of corrugated box cardboard. Cut it to the width of the edge connector on the PCB inside the cartridge. Wet the end with IPA rubbing alcohol. Push it in and out of the cartridge slot repeatedly to scrub the pins. Always in and out, never back and forth or you might bend a pin.
Cleaning a GB cartridge connector: Dip a q-tip in IPA, press out excess so you don't dribble it all over inside the cartridge. Stick it into the end (it's a tight fit) with the connector facing down so any drips go out not in. Scrub back and forth over and over. For stubborn cartridges, open the shell and use a pink pencil eraser like picrel to erase the dirt off the pins.

>>105826277 (OP)
why bother when you can emulate it?

>>105826640
The older Pokemon games are just better on a handheld, and touchscreen d-pad and buttons on a phone are obnoxious.

>>105826784
You can use a controller with a PC or phone. Emulating it on a modern handheld like a 3DS is another option.

>>105826784
A good handheld with an ips screen, open source linux firmware etc can be had for around 50 bucks.Check out the handheld general on /vr/.

>>105826277 (OP)
>guy at a repair shop didn't want to do any troubleshooting or repair on it.

What a lazy ass.

Also Silver version is the worst version of gen2, but I understand the worth it has a game of your childhood.

>>105826399
i'm not a paste-eating retard dumbass. i've tried the cartridge on multiple consoles and done simple fixes within reason like the aforementioned battery and cleaning the contacts. with gameboy games especially battery issues bloat the search engine and make finding actual solutions a pain in the ass.
>>105826434
>>105826450
the console is not the issue, i've tried it on 3 GBA SPs, an original GBA (001) an analogue pocket, and a GB operator (which can dump roms) that displays a question mark and "unknown cartridge" on the software (if it even registers the cart is inside) and boots to a blank screen.
>>105826480
this is what i figured lol. thanks anon.
>>105826535
While it's definitely possible I could have fucked up the battery replacement, I don't think that's quite the issue considering the cartridge has been doing this since before I even replaced the battery. Everything else you suggested i've already tried.

I do vividly remember the last time I actually played it (must have been 13 years ago) the cartridge started acting all weird, forced me back to the title screen, my save was gone, but the palette was all fucked up and had the colors of the battle i had been in before it forced the reset. perhaps that was the game's last sputter of life.
>>105826640
>>105826801
look, i love emulation, it's great, but i have a large physical game collection, and i love handhelds. i think it's fun to just walk around or go to the park with my gameboys. if this was just about playing the game, i already own the virtual console re-release of all the gen 2 pokemon games on my 3DS. I would like to be able to trade with my generation 1 pokemon games and my pokemon crystal that i've been playing over the last year in order to complete the pokedex without having to swap the save from cart to 3ds constantly.

Personally I would get a low end Everdrive or an EZ Flash for regular play, and throw the real cart in a drawer until I have time to fix it

>>105826801
Emulating on a PC and not having it as a handheld feels weird with the old games. And I've yet to find a phone controller that isn't awkward one way or another. 3DS is an excellent option though, and probably my go-to for gen 1-2 Pokemon these days. Especially given they got wireless link cables working, can import directly to Pokemon Bank, patched Yellow so Pikachu's Beach can be played without linking to Stadium, and best of all patched Crystal so you can finally do the Celebi event without a Gameshark or a Japanese cartridge and a time machine.

>>105826867
The little Anbernic RG{34,35,40}XX series ones are the best I've found for GB, GBC and GBA emulation. That's my go-to for GBA Pokemon romhacks and nuzlockes since it's powerful enough to do a reasonable fast forward, which I tend to want in challenge runs and similar where I'm likely to lose, restart, and have to click through the same cutscenes and battles again.

>>105826277 (OP)
1. Make sure you didn't put the battery holder on backwards.
2. Send it to Steve at TronicsFix.

without decent resolution photos of the board, nobody could even guess at the problem outside of "dirty contacts" or "bad battery", which is why you see those so often

>>105826943
>I do vividly remember the last time I actually played it (must have been 13 years ago) the cartridge started acting all weird, forced me back to the title screen, my save was gone, but the palette was all fucked up and had the colors of the battle i had been in before it forced the reset. perhaps that was the game's last sputter of life.
This is a big clue. That would be an issue with the ROM chip, or bad connection to the GBC (which is a lot less likely if it does the same on an Analogue Pocket or GB Operator).
One dumbass thing you can try as a test once you have a screwdriver: Open the cartridge and put the PCB and bottom half in an SP. With one hand, squeeze the ROM chip down to the PCB with your thumb on the chip and finger on the back of the cartridge. With the other hand, turn on the SP. If that makes it work or at least get further, it's pretty much diagnostic of bad solder connections on the ROM chip and you should get a soldering iron and some small solder and reflow it.

>>105827001
>2. Send it to Steve at TronicsFix.

>>105826277 (OP)
>>105826943
It's usually because the cartridge was bent and some pins aren't soldered down properly anymore, or because some traces have had water damage. You can resolder the pins with a normal fine soldering iron and some flux by dragging the tip over the legs.

>>105826943
When you get the screwdriver, take as clear and high res pictures as you can of both sides of the PCB. Cracked solder joints may or may not be visible, but breaks in traces and other damage usually will. And if there's not other visible issues, it's probably cracked solder joints.

>>105826277 (OP)
it's dead and blame cosmic ray and fucking big bang

>>105826277 (OP)

Get a GB Operator and see if you can dump it. Otherwise just get an Everdrive x7 with RTC and play it there.

>>105827975
>>105826943
>the console is not the issue, i've tried it on 3 GBA SPs, an original GBA (001) an analogue pocket, and a GB operator (which can dump roms) that displays a question mark and "unknown cartridge" on the software (if it even registers the cart is inside) and boots to a blank screen.

>>105826277 (OP)
The electronics is quite simple. If cleaning doesn't fix it and you don't see corrosion, there aren't many points that could be broken. If it doesn't start at all, it might be the ROM chip.

>>105826371
cute
CUTE

>>105826943
post photos on >>>/diy/ohm/ when the screwdriver arrives, people will help you there

>>105826943
>the search engine is too bloated to use
Kys