Gamers has sold retro games in Nebraska since 1993, so we see plenty of tired old hardware. We repair and refurbish retro consoles of every generation and brand, plus cartridges, with same-day service in Omaha, at our Lincoln store, or by mail.
Cartridge save-battery replacement
Many cartridges from the ’80s through the early 2000s (Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy III/VI and plenty of others) keep saves on SRAM backed by a CR2025 or CR2032 coin cell. Those batteries are now 20–35 years old. When yours dies, saves vanish every time you power off, or a “the internal battery has run dry” message appears.
We replace the cell with a new tabbed battery and solder it properly rather than taping a coin cell in. Note: replacing the battery erases the existing save on most SRAM carts. If your save still loads, tell us before we start.
Gen 3 Pokémon (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) use the battery for the real-time clock only, so your save survives but berries and time-based events stop working until the battery is replaced.
Retro consoles
- NES: blinking red light (72-pin connector), region-lockout chip issues
- SNES / N64: no power, no video, dirty or worn cartridge slots
- Game Boy family: screen lines, speakers, battery contacts
- GameCube / PS1 / PS2: disc read errors, lasers, drives
- Sega Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Gear: power and video faults
- Atari, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo, original Xbox and everything else: if it’s a game system, bring it in
Shop retro while you’re here
The Gamers store at our Lincoln location stocks tested retro consoles and games. Browse gogamers.com.
Fees, turnaround and warranty
| Diagnosis | Turnaround | Return shipping | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | Free. $40 only if the item can’t be repaired. | Same day | n/a (bring it in) |
| Lincoln store | $25 paid at drop-off, credited toward your repair | 3–5 days | n/a (bring it in) |
| Mail-in | Free. $40 only if the item can’t be repaired. | 3–5 days after it arrives | Always free |
We quote before any repair work, and nothing is fixed until you approve. Repair prices depend on the model and what we find inside, so we don’t publish a flat price list. Every repair has a 30-day limited warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Will replacing my cartridge battery delete my save?
On most battery-backed SRAM cartridges, yes. The save is lost when power is removed. Tell us before the repair if you want to try to keep it.
How long does a new save battery last?
A fresh coin cell typically lasts many years, often 10 or more, depending on the game.