Question about an old NES game.

Compnewbie01

Senior member
Aug 8, 2005
603
4
81
I've been wanting to play this game for awhile and was going to buy it on ebay soon. However I have to ask about the game's save system. I hear the cartridge uses a battery for game saves and was wondering if such batteries would still be good because I can't really play the game if I can't save it. This is assuming that the game would take 2+ hours to beat.
 

CKent

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2005
9,020
0
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It's a long game requiring saves. Are you sure you want to play it? I have a lot of fond memories of old games as well, but when I play them I can't take it for more than 30 seconds. Whoever said graphics don't matter must wear coke-bottle glasses.

If you're dead-set on it, there are NES emulators available for the PC.
 

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
30,246
578
126
Probably not. There are other ways to play the game though if you know what I mean. ;)
 

Compnewbie01

Senior member
Aug 8, 2005
603
4
81
Well there is this one emulator site that I found (here on AT actually) and it seems to be good. I don't think saving is possible though since the ROMs were not downloaded. Sucks that I may not get to play this game all the way through. The graphics don't matter much at all to me. To me, graphics seem to help with the initial grab of a game, but ultimately it is the gameplay that makes it playable. Deus Ex is a shining example. I recently bought it on Steam ($20 for Deus Ex 1 and 2) and it was HARD to get into it. But after a couple hours of eye-melting graphics it no longer mattered and the game kicked ass.

 

Vortex22

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2000
4,976
1
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If you have a Wii (which I doubt you do if you're asking this) it's available to download for 500 points.
 

snapper316

Member
Feb 16, 2006
58
0
0
i have a NES w/ zelda original and so far haven't lost my saved game...its been a while since i have played it though. ...unfortunately i also have a SNES with the SNES version and somehow lost my entire save game on that about 2/3 of the way through and just havent replayed it yet.

I think on the NES you have to hold in reset and then push power once you've saved and back to the title screen or some crazy stuff......

i'd go emulator as you can save at almost any point you want
 

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
I think the batteries can last for a LONG time (talking like 30+ years), but I also think it's kind of hit and miss. I had quite a few old carts that had no problems, but I had a Final Fantasy cart that started losing saves (the cart was probably about 15 years old when it started this). Some batteries will just crap out sooner than others. I don't think it's very difficult to open the cart up and replace the batteries with the right tools. I think you need a special screwdriver for the cart and an iron to unsolder the old battery and put a new one in. IIRC they're just standard flat batteries.

That being said, why not just get the ROM? If you want I could just email it to you, then download an emulator and you're good to go. Much less of a hassle than trying to get a 20 year old console and cart working. Of course the major downside is you don't have the console feel like you would on a TV.
 

VIAN

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2003
6,575
1
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Originally posted by: Compnewbie01
I've been wanting to play this game for awhile and was going to buy it on ebay soon. However I have to ask about the game's save system. I hear the cartridge uses a battery for game saves and was wondering if such batteries would still be good because I can't really play the game if I can't save it. This is assuming that the game would take 2+ hours to beat.
The battery will probably be gone by now. You could always buy it and then DL the Rom.
 

jman19

Lifer
Nov 3, 2000
11,225
664
126
Originally posted by: CKent
It's a long game requiring saves. Are you sure you want to play it? I have a lot of fond memories of old games as well, but when I play them I can't take it for more than 30 seconds. Whoever said graphics don't matter must wear coke-bottle glasses.

If you're dead-set on it, there are NES emulators available for the PC.

:roll:

Whether or not you need good graphics to enjoy a game is simply a matter of opinion.

I enjoy good graphics, but they aren't a requirement for a positive gaming experience.
 

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
What's the point, who's going to care if you download the ROM of a 20 year old game? Aren't most NES games public domain by now??
 

Matthias99

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2003
8,808
0
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Originally posted by: frostedflakes
What's the point, who's going to care if you download the ROM of a 20 year old game? Aren't most NES games public domain by now??

No, they're not. Copyrights are (life of the creator + 75 years) in the US currently -- yes, this is utterly absurd, but Congress keeps folding under pressure from big media companies like Disney. Note that Nintendo is still selling old NES games on their 'Virtual Console' platform for the Wii, so you can't exactly argue that they aren't still being sold.

Some games have become 'abandonware' by virtue of the copyright owners going out of business -- while they're not technically 'public domain', there's nobody really around to sue you for copyright violations.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: CKent
It's a long game requiring saves. Are you sure you want to play it? I have a lot of fond memories of old games as well, but when I play them I can't take it for more than 30 seconds. Whoever said graphics don't matter must wear coke-bottle glasses.

If you're dead-set on it, there are NES emulators available for the PC.

You're completely misinterpreting the "graphics don't matter" argument. Insofar as graphics affect the playability of a game, they do matter very much. If you're just adding eye candy, they matter little. I think this console generation is the first time in the last 5 generations that graphics will give at most a marginal improvement in playability of games. I can see higher resolutions being useful for FPSes where it can be difficult to distinguish a distant enemy, but for the most part I think we'll be getting higher resolution textures for purtier pictures.

To put it a different way - up to this point, every generation's graphical improvements have opened the door to new genres of games/different types of gameplay. I don't see that happening this generation.


To answer the OP's question - I wouldn't count on it working. I'd play the ROM - you can still buy the game so it's still on the "up and up." Unless you don't want to play on your PC. Better yet, buy A Link to the Past. Much better Zelda game, and still very enjoyable even after more than 15 years.
 

Cabages

Platinum Member
Jan 1, 2006
2,918
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I think they have a version of it on Gameboy Advance, or theres Wii, or theres various modded consoles/handhelds that could play it.

If your dead set on playing it on NES, there are ways to replace the battery for saving. I dont know exactly how, but I think I google search could turn up something.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,051
877
126
My batts died on that game cart years ago. Got my hands on the GC zelda promo disc that has all of the old zelda games. Also have it for the GB.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
The old-school Zelda is a lot of fun but as people have already pointed out, the NES was actually a difficult system (compared to todays systems).
It was very sensitive to heat and abuse and you had to hold in the reset while turning it off (for save games). Also, most cartridges only hold about 3 saved games.
Better to go with one of the remakes for gameboy advance or Wii or just get the ROM and an emulator.

Having said all that, I think the original Legend of Zelda offers play quality that is still difficult for modern games to achieve. Its just so FUN! :)
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,051
877
126
Originally posted by: shortylickens
The old-school Zelda is a lot of fun but as people have already pointed out, the NES was actually a difficult system (compared to todays systems).
It was very sensitive to heat and abuse and you had to hold in the reset while turning it off (for save games). Also, most cartridges only hold about 3 saved games.
Better to go with one of the remakes for gameboy advance or Wii or just get the ROM and an emulator.

Having said all that, I think the original Legend of Zelda offers play quality that is still difficult for modern games to achieve. Its just so FUN! :)

QFT! When I let my son play the promo disc on his Wii he laughed at the "Archaic" graphics. After playing it a bit, I cant pull him away! Definately in the top 10 best games of all time!
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
33
91
It is a risky thing to trust saving on the old cartridges. I remember having issues with some Genesis games due to the save games not being held properly on the cartridge. Personally I would just buy the Wii and go through the store to play it if you are dead set on being completely legit.
 

Evander

Golden Member
Jun 18, 2001
1,159
0
76
Maybe you could try a homebrew zelda remake. Googling "zelda freeware" gave me this as the first result:
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=1293

"Zelda Classic is a tribute to Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda". It is an almost exact replica of the NES version that we all know and love. Beyond that, Zelda Classic allows the development of new quests that can use either the traditional graphics or enhanced graphics, as well as new enemies, items, and challenges."
 

Compnewbie01

Senior member
Aug 8, 2005
603
4
81
I really would like to play on the console, but a ROM would be alright I guess. I just hate the fact that I'll be using a keybord instead of a controller because that really does take a lot away.
 

Matthias99

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2003
8,808
0
0
Originally posted by: Compnewbie01
I really would like to play on the console, but a ROM would be alright I guess. I just hate the fact that I'll be using a keybord instead of a controller because that really does take a lot away.

USB gamepad (maybe $10-20) FTW? It's not quite the old-school NES controller, though...
 

PhatoseAlpha

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2005
2,131
21
81
PS2 -> USB converters exist, and does the X360. Not quite the old square pad, but I'm hard pressed to believe anyone would really want that thing apart from nostalgia.

As for graphics, Z1 graphics don't bother me.
The inability to go diagnolly though......
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Matthias99
Originally posted by: Compnewbie01
I really would like to play on the console, but a ROM would be alright I guess. I just hate the fact that I'll be using a keybord instead of a controller because that really does take a lot away.

USB gamepad (maybe $10-20) FTW? It's not quite the old-school NES controller, though...

:thumbsup:

I actually bought a couple of SNES knock-off controllers hoping to turn them into USB controllers, but the quality was terrible. So I'm stuck with my Dualshock-shaped gamepads.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Any time somebody asks about emulators I always have to recommend my controller.
http://www.playgame-pc.biz/images/se61.jpg

You may have to dig around to find it but its really nice. Normally only about 20 bucks and you may get it cheaper, it copies the NES and SNES controller closely enough to make reliving your old moments much easier.