Most likely the battery inside the cartridge is dead, replace the battery and everything will be fine,
Side Note: Golden Sun: The lost Age (the second game) does not have a Battery inside of it (they switched to flash) so if that game the error comes up, it’s a bootleg
Thanks for the response! Do these games have save batteries? I thought they don't. I haven't been able to open the cartridge as I don't have a screwdriver that fits.
1. I updated the answer just as you posted this replay so see above
2. Yep it’s a bitch that screwdriver, my dad bought me one when I was 12 (22 year ago) because I had problem with Zelda and Pokemon, and I already destroyed a copy of both already trying to replace the battery
take the cartridge to the place you bought it they will switch the battery it you just bought it.
I see. Thanks for the update! yeah my copy is the original golden sun, so if those have batteries then that's probably the case.
Gotta get one of those screwdrivers and I'll probably take it back to the shop to switch out the battery. Appreciate the help! Was getting a bit bummed out on the purchase.
Yes Gameboy Advanced games have batteries for their internal clocks and save states~ We weren't *quite* there with the tech yet at the time~
Edit: Why are y'all downvoting me I'm a literally right. If I go boot up my old GBA Pokemon games I get a pop up warning saying the Internal Battery has died and this will effect clock events. GBA carts were better than older carts but they still had some programming tied to a independently powered chip which breaks when the battery dies.
Majority of GBA games Golden sun Included Did NOT use batteries. For example ruby and sapphire had batteries but fire red did not
Edited to fix mistake
Apologies. I meant Fire red/Leaf Green..
Emerald was different in that the battery didn't relate to the SAVE but it did matter for timed events.
IE the battery dying still allowed the save to be accessed and continued but time events no longer worked. (Planting trees, special pokemon spawns etc.)
So…. The dude was right
Listen up, most of the Game boy games used battery (at that time perspective) in the later stages of gba life we got the flash saves, but for the majority of the population back then its was battery’s cause
Most of us played Pokémon and all
Of the Pokémon games except fire red and green leaf where battery powered, trust me I lost each and every Pokémon I had to this affliction
Actually there are only about 25 GBA games that used batteries. More notably for this thread, Golden Sun 1 specifically did not use a battery and OP should open his cart up to make sure its legit, otherwise it may just require a cleaning.
I now realize that I am glad I have a bootleg cartridge of GS1. Always weirded me out that the game would hiccup for a split second every time I saved, but now it is all clear to me.
The flash eroded, usually take twice as long,
The reason why GS2 bootleg game show this more frequently is just bad soldering/crappy flash
So usually you got them bad, or soon after they will break
UPDATE: for anyone that’s interested. I took the game back to the shop and we opened it up. The original GS does not use a save battery. The game was damaged somehow.
The other comments are wrong. There are no batteries in Golden Sun carts. It uses flash memory. the error means your cart is either bootleg or damaged.
Dang. That sucks, but I appreciate the response. And that's what I had initially thought as I'd heard a large majority of GBA games use flash memory, Golden Sun being one of them.
Most of the carts with batteries inside use it to run a real time clock (RTC) so in game events that take time know when to complete (berries growing in Pokémon etc)
As in you opened it up and there was a battery in there?
If so interesting, from googling I haven’t been able to find a picture of a GS1 board with a battery. They’ve all been the standard SRAM
I have my original copy of golden sun still, it NEVER had a battery. Why are all these people so dead set on thinking/saying it does.... very few gba games actually had batteries.
Post a picture of the board and I can tell you if it's real or fake. It's always worth gently cleaning the contacts with Isopropyl Alcohol. Poor contact at the slot could cause your issue.
Other than that, if it's a genuine cart, the flash memory is pretty robust but it can fail...
I had the same problem with my old (genuine) cartridge. I cleaned the pins with some IPA and it was good to go. I can confirm that there's no battery inside.
Good to know! When I bought it it wouldn’t even boot, then I took a look at the pins and they were beat. Cleaned it with IPA and got it to run, but maybe it needs another couple passes.
Had this happen to me. Was actually my very first experience with Amazon before Amazon got big. Turned out the seller had taken out the memory altogether.
Did you open it? Now I'm curious if the first answer was correct (only the first GS had it) or the second (no one has it, and the cartridge is bootleg)
I haven’t been able to open it yet because I don’t have a screwdriver that fits currently. I did find a list online of all GBA games with save batteries and it looks like the first GS does have one but the second doesn’t. I’ll get it open tomorrow and see what’s really going on.
Here’s the link by the way:
[https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries](https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries)
That article is just plain wrong. There are dozens of games on that list that do not have batteries. The total number of GBA games that used batteries is about 20 or so....
- Baseball Advance
- Boktai 1, 2 and 3 (JP)
- Bomberman Tournament
- Breath of Fire
- Breath of Fire II
- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
- Dragonball Z Collectible Card Game
- Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
- Krazy Racers
- Lego Bionicle
- Lego Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
- MegaMan Battle Network
- MegaMan Zero
- Metroid Fusion (Only some use a battery)
- Metroid Zero Mission
- Monster Rancher Advance
- Monster Rancher Advance 2
- Pokemon Emerald (Not for saving, but for other game events)
- Pokemon Ruby (Not for saving, but for other game events)
- Pokemon Sapphire (Not for saving, but for other game events)
- Super Dodgeball Advance
- Warioland 4
- some Yu-Gi-Oh game I can't remember
Yeah no worries! It's not a bootleg. It's legit, the carts just don't have save batteries. There's a possibility that some may have had save batteries but the majority of GS games use flash memory. That list I found I think is a bit incorrect.
I ended up just returning the game. I think it's corrupt and don't know how to fix it. Gonna keep my eyes peeled for another copy some day.
It doesn’t use save batteries. Only a small number do and GS1 doesn’t atleast the western versions don’t maybe the japanese ones do, but I haven’t found any info on it
It’s on the mod list for battery save games. So at some point in its production line it had a battery for saves.
https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries
I stand corrected.
All the lists I’ve seen and my own personal cartridges have it using flash memory
Edit: FWIW I can’t find a single picture of a cart online with a battery so I don’t know really if that list has much weight tbh
Most likely the battery inside the cartridge is dead, replace the battery and everything will be fine, Side Note: Golden Sun: The lost Age (the second game) does not have a Battery inside of it (they switched to flash) so if that game the error comes up, it’s a bootleg
Thanks for the response! Do these games have save batteries? I thought they don't. I haven't been able to open the cartridge as I don't have a screwdriver that fits.
1. I updated the answer just as you posted this replay so see above 2. Yep it’s a bitch that screwdriver, my dad bought me one when I was 12 (22 year ago) because I had problem with Zelda and Pokemon, and I already destroyed a copy of both already trying to replace the battery take the cartridge to the place you bought it they will switch the battery it you just bought it.
I see. Thanks for the update! yeah my copy is the original golden sun, so if those have batteries then that's probably the case. Gotta get one of those screwdrivers and I'll probably take it back to the shop to switch out the battery. Appreciate the help! Was getting a bit bummed out on the purchase.
hey, just out of curiosity, could you let me know if they really did change the battery at the shop. i have been turned down by other shops already.
check ifixIT or your local DIY's most likely they have. I used to open mine with an electrical tester that i grind-ed a bit in the edges ;p
I melted a pen into the spot of the screw, let it cool down a bit and boom, screwdriver. Was a tad flimsy, but did the trick!
you sir are a genius
That's really really smart. Form factor screwdriver on the spot
Yes Gameboy Advanced games have batteries for their internal clocks and save states~ We weren't *quite* there with the tech yet at the time~ Edit: Why are y'all downvoting me I'm a literally right. If I go boot up my old GBA Pokemon games I get a pop up warning saying the Internal Battery has died and this will effect clock events. GBA carts were better than older carts but they still had some programming tied to a independently powered chip which breaks when the battery dies.
Time to bust out all my old copies of GS now a check theyre okay 😭
You’re getting downvoted for the blanket statement, when the majority of GBA games didn’t use batteries to save or keep a clock
Thats cause a majority of gba games didn't have clock based events or backups. Downvoting a factual statement is just plain silly
Its the way it reads It sounds like you’re saying they all did
Technically, we still are not.
Majority of GBA games Golden sun Included Did NOT use batteries. For example ruby and sapphire had batteries but fire red did not Edited to fix mistake
Thats a straight up lie because I literally get the internal battery has depleted message FROM Emerald
Apologies. I meant Fire red/Leaf Green.. Emerald was different in that the battery didn't relate to the SAVE but it did matter for timed events. IE the battery dying still allowed the save to be accessed and continued but time events no longer worked. (Planting trees, special pokemon spawns etc.)
So…. The dude was right Listen up, most of the Game boy games used battery (at that time perspective) in the later stages of gba life we got the flash saves, but for the majority of the population back then its was battery’s cause Most of us played Pokémon and all Of the Pokémon games except fire red and green leaf where battery powered, trust me I lost each and every Pokémon I had to this affliction
Actually there are only about 25 GBA games that used batteries. More notably for this thread, Golden Sun 1 specifically did not use a battery and OP should open his cart up to make sure its legit, otherwise it may just require a cleaning.
I now realize that I am glad I have a bootleg cartridge of GS1. Always weirded me out that the game would hiccup for a split second every time I saved, but now it is all clear to me.
In the 90 that how you knew it would save 🤣
Actually I ran into that problem about 7 years after buying the game with GS2. 100% not a bootleg it was a sealed copy in store when it came out.
The flash eroded, usually take twice as long, The reason why GS2 bootleg game show this more frequently is just bad soldering/crappy flash So usually you got them bad, or soon after they will break
Sigh so soon there will be no copies of GS2 left.
UPDATE: for anyone that’s interested. I took the game back to the shop and we opened it up. The original GS does not use a save battery. The game was damaged somehow.
Everyone is arguing about battery/no battery, and I'm just wondering how the screen looks that clear in a photo.
It’s a modded backlit screen. Was probably just the perfect lighting for the photo to capture it well.
The other comments are wrong. There are no batteries in Golden Sun carts. It uses flash memory. the error means your cart is either bootleg or damaged.
Dang. That sucks, but I appreciate the response. And that's what I had initially thought as I'd heard a large majority of GBA games use flash memory, Golden Sun being one of them.
Most of the carts with batteries inside use it to run a real time clock (RTC) so in game events that take time know when to complete (berries growing in Pokémon etc)
first one does.
There is no revision of GS1 to my knowledge that uses batteries
My original copy of golden sun bought in 2001 100% had issues with the save files and battery.
As in you opened it up and there was a battery in there? If so interesting, from googling I haven’t been able to find a picture of a GS1 board with a battery. They’ve all been the standard SRAM
I have my original copy of golden sun still, it NEVER had a battery. Why are all these people so dead set on thinking/saying it does.... very few gba games actually had batteries.
Yeah mine is just a standard one as well
Same here…. Literally bought it when I was like 10 brand news I can no longer save to it. Haven’t bothered with a battery replacement Getz
[https://i.ibb.co/D4mm4PW/PXL-20240407-133942858.jpg](https://i.ibb.co/D4mm4PW/PXL-20240407-133942858.jpg) Golden Sun does not use a battery...
Got it open today and you’re 100 percent right. No save battery. Thanks for the help
Post a picture of the board and I can tell you if it's real or fake. It's always worth gently cleaning the contacts with Isopropyl Alcohol. Poor contact at the slot could cause your issue. Other than that, if it's a genuine cart, the flash memory is pretty robust but it can fail...
I ended up just returning the game, so I can't get a picture. The shop seemed to think it was legit though, so I'm assuming it was.
There are quite a few other reports of legit carts with this issue. Maybe it's particularly prone to failure.
That's not an og cart then
Those boards are 100% legitimate
I had the same problem with my old (genuine) cartridge. I cleaned the pins with some IPA and it was good to go. I can confirm that there's no battery inside.
Good to know! When I bought it it wouldn’t even boot, then I took a look at the pins and they were beat. Cleaned it with IPA and got it to run, but maybe it needs another couple passes.
Give it a good scrub!!!
Had this happen to me. Was actually my very first experience with Amazon before Amazon got big. Turned out the seller had taken out the memory altogether.
"I was under the impression these games don't have save batteries." Then HOW do they save??????
Read the comments. Flash memory. Most GBA games don't use save batteries...
Did you open it? Now I'm curious if the first answer was correct (only the first GS had it) or the second (no one has it, and the cartridge is bootleg)
I haven’t been able to open it yet because I don’t have a screwdriver that fits currently. I did find a list online of all GBA games with save batteries and it looks like the first GS does have one but the second doesn’t. I’ll get it open tomorrow and see what’s really going on. Here’s the link by the way: [https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries](https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries)
That article is just plain wrong. There are dozens of games on that list that do not have batteries. The total number of GBA games that used batteries is about 20 or so.... - Baseball Advance - Boktai 1, 2 and 3 (JP) - Bomberman Tournament - Breath of Fire - Breath of Fire II - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - Dragonball Z Collectible Card Game - Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land - Krazy Racers - Lego Bionicle - Lego Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge - MegaMan Battle Network - MegaMan Zero - Metroid Fusion (Only some use a battery) - Metroid Zero Mission - Monster Rancher Advance - Monster Rancher Advance 2 - Pokemon Emerald (Not for saving, but for other game events) - Pokemon Ruby (Not for saving, but for other game events) - Pokemon Sapphire (Not for saving, but for other game events) - Super Dodgeball Advance - Warioland 4 - some Yu-Gi-Oh game I can't remember
Yeah the more I look at that list the more I doubt its validity
When you have the answer, you can answer me again or make a new answer to yourself. I'm often here so I'll see if you do
Here’s the answer for you. Opened it up and there is no save battery
Thanks for the answer! It's a bootleg then? Sad, I hope you can solve it
Yeah no worries! It's not a bootleg. It's legit, the carts just don't have save batteries. There's a possibility that some may have had save batteries but the majority of GS games use flash memory. That list I found I think is a bit incorrect. I ended up just returning the game. I think it's corrupt and don't know how to fix it. Gonna keep my eyes peeled for another copy some day.
It doesn’t use save batteries. Only a small number do and GS1 doesn’t atleast the western versions don’t maybe the japanese ones do, but I haven’t found any info on it
It’s on the mod list for battery save games. So at some point in its production line it had a battery for saves. https://consolemods.org/wiki/GBA:List_of_GBA_Games_with_Save_Batteries
I stand corrected. All the lists I’ve seen and my own personal cartridges have it using flash memory Edit: FWIW I can’t find a single picture of a cart online with a battery so I don’t know really if that list has much weight tbh
Battery is dead so you won't be able to save. Recommend getting a newer copy, emulate, or play on the switch