Save management
Save Management
The N64 stores saves in a few different ways, and understanding them is the difference between keeping your progress safe and losing decades-old files. Aging save chips in original cartridges are a real concern, which is why save backup features matter.
Where saves live
- Cartridge save chips: built into each game cartridge. Different games use different chip types, and these slowly degrade with age.
- Controller Pak: a removable memory card in the controller for games that save there.
- Flashcart SD card: for backups, saves are written to files on the SD card instead of a chip.
Backing up cartridge saves
The EverDrive-64 X7 and SummerCart64 can read the save off an original cartridge and store it as a file on the SD card. You can later write it back to the cartridge, effectively rescuing saves from a dying chip.
| Cart | Read cartridge saves | Restore to cartridge |
|---|---|---|
| EverDrive-64 X7 | Yes | Yes |
| SummerCart64 | Yes | Yes |
| EverDrive-64 X5 | Limited | Limited |
Never power off or remove the SD card while a save is being written back to a cartridge. An interrupted write can corrupt the cartridge's save.
Keep a second copy of every backed-up save on your computer. saves