Memory Card Save File Preservation - PS1, PS2, N64, Dreamcast, Xbox, & GameCube / MY LIFE IN GAMING
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มิ.ย. 2024
- Coury returns to look at different ways to back up the save files on consoles that use external memory cards - PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, original Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube!
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Coury Carlson
My Life in Gaming
P.O. Box 72172
Newport, KY 41072
Marc "Try4ce" Duddleson
My Life in Gaming
P.O. Box 2684
Indian Trail, NC 28079
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My Life in Gaming makes documentaries, deep dives into retro console hardware, and more.
► Episode Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:31 - PlayStation Overview
05:42 - PlayStation 3 Memory Card Reader
08:30 - PlayStation 1 Memory Cards
16:16 - PlayStation 2 Memory Cards
20:53 - Nintendo64 Controller Pak
27:11 - Dreamcast VMU
32:44 - XBox Memory Unit
36:46 - XBox360 Memory Unit
37:30 - GameCube Memory Card 59, 251, 1019 - เกม
MLiG is the National Geographic of retro gaming.
I'm late for work because if this channel... lol
I did not know that you can use a PS2 to copy PS1 saves to a PS2 memeory card. That is extremely useful info. I can now use just one PS2 memory card to backup my saves from multiple PS1 memory cards. Sweet!
You can actually save ps1-ps2 save files on ps3 too
Saw u on Reddit
Memcard pro is on sale for like 45 dollars. A great option!
@@theneedforspeeder9575 With the optional Memory Card Adaptor. I bought one before I bought a PS3 because I thought it could be connected to a PC and could save on a hard drive. I couldn't. But I still used it to save games on my PS3
@@brandonkick yes. Considering a 1gb micro SD card could hold about 8,000 memory cards worth, that’s a WAY better deal and considering this is saves we are talking about, you don’t have to worry about legal trouble with the contained files. Even a 32GB micro SD card costs less than $10 nowadays if you know where to look for them! So, yeah, less than $100 to get just about any micro SD card and the device itself, versus 8,000 memory cards. There’s no reason NOT to get it unless you have don’t have a PS1/Early PS2
I wish you guys had a DVD set with all these episodes in it. These are too damn good for TH-cam.
Ah no need you can use a program called All Video Downloader, I have it registered (torrented) you can download and save any video up to 8k res if it's supported 🙂
For real it’s so good DVD and/or BD would be entertaining
@@RealSergiob466 I'm genuinely considering making my own DVD set of my favourite episodes.
@@hajilee4539 okay that’s cool as long as for personal use
@@RealSergiob466 I'm pretty sure even if I tried to sell it no one would buy. These guys aren't super popular xD
The PS3 Memory Card Adapter is a Godsend. Legend of Legaia has a game breaking bug about 3/4 through the game, that happens almost consistently when playing the game on a PS3. But with the adapter I managed to transfer the save to my PS1 memory card, get past the point where the glitch happens, save the game, and transfer it back to my PS3. It worked like a dream.
[Try4ce] I did the same thing with Soul Reaver 2 to get around a PS3 glitch, although I did finish the rest of the game on my PS2.
I had no idea they were as rare as they are, thankfully I bought a few a decade ago lol
why not just use original hardware? seems like hassle to transfer saves from ps3 to ps1 memory card.
@@Viciouspiked I keep my PS2 hooked up via Component permanently, and PS1 games do not display via Component output, and the only TV I have that I can hook up my PS1 to is a heavy as hell CRT that I keep for console and game testing, and I have to move it every time I need to use it.
@@RohanSpartin if you can, keep an eye out on the PS1DIGITAL. Shit is a dream come true. an actual HDMI port on my PS1.
i forgot how much i missed these
BTW in case you missed it, if you delete a saved game on a PS1 (and maybe PS2) memory card, you can hit all four trigger buttons at once to restore it to your card without having to use outside programs.
Damn I didn’t know this wow
Would have been 100x better if they had just put a button on the menu for undoing the deletion but that's just my opinion.
Hmm, doesn't seem to work on a ps2
Multiple times throughout my childhood, I would leave a PS1 or 2 on for days on end because we didn’t have a memory card. 😂 Now as a collector, I love picking up memory cards and finding old saves on them from 15-20+ years ago. It’s like a look back in time. Might be weird but it’s always fun to imagine the fun the original saver was having at the time of the save. Another great video! I also recently found out how local you guys are to me. So pumped to see so many local collectors and to find such a good channel in my own back yard. Keep up the great work!
Love to see you guys tackling topics like this! This type of data preservation is ignored all too often.
Two interesting bits worth mentioning regarding ps1 menory cards.
1. You can restore deleted saves by holding L1L2R1R2 in the menory card menu as long as it wasn't overwritten.
2. Later on some demo discs came with saves for certain games that you could copy onto your own menory card and use.
Glad to see you fellas back can't wait for the other 2 parts of Analog Frontiers, the updated Game Room Tour, and any other future projects you guys have in store
A cool thing I stumbled upon with the Memcard Pro (I'm assuming its possible with the Dexdrive/Mega Drive Rex too) is that the .mcd files can be read by the ePSXe emulator- thus, you can switch back and forth between emulation and real hardware (and vice versa). Nicely done, Coury - I'm glad to see the creative well has sprung forth again
That's how I played Rockman X5: part hardware, part ePSXe.
Yes! I discovered this feature "accidentally" some years ago and I was blown away by this!
I've been using Datel PS2 Max Memory cards since the early 00s with no issues. Bought the Gamecube version 10 years ago and I've never had it fail on me. They are great cards if you want a ton of space.
I was just rewatching MLiG videos and wondering when there'd be a new one - so glad to see this!
So glad you guys are back. I love your videos. Definitely a happy - nostalgic place for me to enjoy online.
i am SOOOO happy this video came out. I was struggling to figure out how to do do PS2 saves for a while since there didn't seem to be anything too comprehensive that I could find. Watching this helped give me a better understanding of what to do and I was able to get the right tools and programs for the job!
What an excellent video on memory card save file preservation. Only you guys can do a topic like this justice. The retro gaming scene of TH-cam would not be same without this amazing channel.
You can also just email saves to yourself on Dreamcast if you have that set up. Great video!
The VMUs (visual memory units) in the controllers.
@@mariokart8715 yes. You can use the Dreamcast to email saves from the VMUs to yourself. In this way it's possible to back up sav s on the computer, load them in emulators, even load your saves into the grandia 2 port on steam from your DC game.
So good to see a new video from you guys!
Was just thinking yesterday about how much I would love a new MLiG video
Wow this takes me back to the frustration of the n64 and ps1 limited save file days. Thanks!
This was great! I was finally able to use my PS3 Memory Card Adapter to back up PS1 Saves! Lots of other great info in there. Loved the "What is this?" clip!
I think you guys are the best retro gaming channel for getting the best retro gaming set ups : )
Thanks! You always do a great job on your videos. Appreciate the pointers to so many great github projects.
Great video my friend. Memory cards are awesome and I love being able to save games to a portable storage. The Sega Dreamcast VMU's are my favorite memory cards. You shared some pretty amazing tips and tricks for backing up our save files. I love preserving my save files, as it's a great way to visit your gaming past. Keep up the great work!
Dreamcast VMUs were amazing. They didn't have much space per card and the batteries got emptied within a week of replacing them but they were still an amazing experience with screens and being able to do so much with them. The Dreamcast experience in general was pure magic.
More maintenance with that.
NeoGeo AES memorycards are my fave for the aesthetics, simple regular PCMCIA in black with a fine looking sticker of texture on top, the most serious business memorycard in gaming there ever was, and also the first. Kinda wanna grab an AES again. Been too long.
Neo Geo is a beautiful machine.
@@paulclinton6414 I'd say about 75% of my PSP use is Neo Geo emulation.
You can take your Aes memory card and play your saved games in the arcade!
I bought one of those USB PS memory card adapters at a thrift store with no idea what it was. Glad I watched this video 👍
I am so excited to watch this when I get home!
The beginning of so many PS1/2 and Gamecube games are permanently burned into my mind from when I had no memory card. I remember any time I got a new console, I usually didn’t have enough money for a memory card until later or received one as a gift, so all my games would be reset whenever I turned off the console. It’s definitely a huge perk to have internal console storage.
100% believe they should have packed one in when you bought the system. Glad the 360 did that.
And the later consoles after that. The OG Xbox has an internal hard drive.
Thanks for making this video. I just recently 100% Sonic Adventure 2 Battle on my childhood save file, now I know how to back it up.
I was just thinking of this topic and here it pops up on my feed 😏 excellent stuff guy 👍
Hell yeah. Thanks for this one!
Definitely interesying alternatives ways for those memory cards to preserve your games progressions🙏
I will never forget playing through the first few hours of The Wind Waker, eagerly waiting for my mom to come home with a memory card so I could save my game. When I plugged it in, there wasn't enough space to save (it was used) so I had to replay the first chunk of the game over again. I was so frustrated that places like Gamestop hadn't formatted the card and deleted the data.
great video Coury, you and Try make some fantastic content, keep it up!
Excellent as usual! I was a little taken back to not see the Neo•Geo AES (and MVS) show up here, as it's the very first game console that used a memory card (at least that I'm aware of). I ordered one back in August 1990, and then they tossed in a free one with my AES Gold System + Baseball Stars Pro (pack-in) + Top Player's Golf). That was on 12/23/1990. I have to admit it was pretty neat to be able to save games at home and then use them on arcade games. I did this first with Magician Lord. It Allowed you to start at the last level and beat Dr. Muckly.. A few people there wanted to see the ending of it.
Great video, thanks for the info!
a great nostalgia. great video.
i have one Neo Geo AES memory card.
good memories
lots of memories unlocked from this but I totally forgot about @32:18. Soooo yeah, thanks for that 😂😂
Great content as always!
For Xbox originals, you can actually use a PSP connected as usb media if you're struggling to find a compatible usb flash drive for backing up or exploit installs.
Amazing info here I didn't even know. Also, glad to hear a memcard pro is being made for PS2 🙏
Given the sheer amount of memory device slots the initial-model PS3s have, it's surprising they didn't put a PS memory card slot into it.
The green title bar on the wood grain background is superb.
21:48 Fun fact: It's SRAM (not SDRAM). SRAM is static while SDRAM is dynamic and needs to be refreshed very often. Anyway, amazing video! Really enjoyed it. Thx!
Great stuff. Thanks guys.
This is great for a lot of people to learn how to preserve their save files from the generations that use memory cards. Also the ps3 memory card adapter is a godsend for people who play ps1/2 classics on the ps3 with a lot of games having save data bugs that can erase all progress if encountered. Like most of the smt and persona releases on ps3 have these save data bugs that don't happen on original hardware so if you have those versions and have a way to play them on original hardware you can back up the save data to the original hardware and play them there to avoid game breaking save data bugs.
Yay a new episode!
Yusssss. More MLiG is always good.
Oh man, I still have my original PS2 memory card, would love to see if it still works. Cheers and rock on!
I have to say, I love the cheap wood paneling PC desktop background keeping with the 80’s aesthetic 😎
I loved those VMUs. You can also manage the saves right on the VMU and send files to another just by connecting them together
Thanks for this great video!
Swiss for the Gamecube also has memory card emulation. It automatically switches cards when playing Japanese games so you don't have to worry about formatting. It's very easy to transfer all your physical card saves and backup the emulated memory card files.
Your voice is magic! Thanks for this vid
Nice video! I still got my PS1, PS2 and N64 memory cards. lol It was definitely a different experience compared to previous consoles during that time period. I remember being amaze at the moving character animations in the PS2 memory card. They make sad faces and reactions if you try to delete the data. lol It was defiintely a different experience back then when it comes to saving data compared to today's huge capacity HDDs and SSDs used on consoles. It was only in the kilobytes for PS1 and megabytes for the PS2. There's also the third party memory cards that can hold more storage. Nowadays Gigabytes have become the normal and soon Terabytes and so on and so forth.
Yooooo, content. I is happy. Found my warm blankey.
I actually have a few of the PS2 memory card adapters for PS3 just sitting in a box. I didn't know how rare they were til I looked it up recently.
There was a save backup for Dreamcast back in the day. It was like the dex drive, but it used a parallel port
This video could not have come out at a more perfect time (for me).
I recently bought a retrode2 with an N64 adapter to back up my game saves from the games themselves (controller packs were corrupt) as well as some SNES saves, burned freemcboot onto a cd and backed up my PS1 and PS2 memory cards, and bought a dreamshell adapter for my Dreamcast to back up my vmus.
Also backed up my Wii, Wii U, and Gamecube memory card saves via soft modded hardware.
The Wii & Wii U didn’t make their own memory cards, but the Wii has GC memory card slots.
@@mariokart8715 I meant to say my Wii and Wii U saves but I was too lazy to edit.
32:45 FLOIGAN BROTHERS! Fantastic choice of a background game!
37:29 one practical use I saw for the xbox 360 mem card was when i used to work for a video game-centric tv channel and one of the in-house gamers/hosts used to save their xbox gamertag to their memory card so they could play as themselves at home and at work. It seemed to work pretty seemlessly.
I am happy that latest firmware of Terraonions MODE allows you to dump the entire volatile backup RAM on a Saturn to the SD card. Also there is an "application" that allows save management on the Saturn too via MODE.
Just a pain in the bum accessing the memory card to back up further, unless you're using an extension cable, I may have to get one. But it's a start.
I actually bought a PS3 memory card adapter back when they were new and being clearanced and I didn't have a PS3 at the time. The USB interface just told me it would be valuable for preservation one day. Another tip is that with a bit of software online you can make your own FreeMcBoot on your PC with the PS3 memory card adapter. Don't have a direct link but Google is your friend.
I've got a 64mb GameCube and PS2 memory cards and love them. I might need to look into keeping backups of them 🤔
That's a great subject, I've been digging into it myself for some years so it's good to have a video showing those methods for those who hadn't thought about that yet. I've been using the exact same methods, in fact I've been using uLaunchElf to transfer PS1 saves from/to a Memory Card using a PS2 since the PSP times, I used Sony's old portable system to finish some PS1 RPGs like Final Fantasy VII and IX and then converted the saves to MCR files using cwcheats, converted them to raw files on the PC and then transferred them to a PS1 Memory card using a PS2 and uLaunchElf, good old times.
The Retrode wasn't cheap but it was a good investment, I've been using it for save backups for the last couple of years and I highy recommend it. I even bought the Master System module even though Phantasy Star, Ys and Ultima IV are pretty much the only games where a save backup is needed 😂
By the way, you can boot the Dreamshell ISO using an ODE but you still need the serial-to-SD adapter, there's no way avoiding it.
You seemed to cover everything except for the Saturn. I know the Saturn had built in memory as well an external memory card you could plug into the expansion port. However, I have not found any great way of backing up and restoring saves off that system. I have a fenrir but it only seems to backup the entire flash memory at once and Pseudo Saturn Kai's memory manager seems to give me mixed results as far as backing up and restoring saves. Kinda wish there was something more robust for the Saturn.
I don't miss memory cards. Buying multiple cards. Juggling memory slots. So much easier and cheaper today. Its great new tech is keeping retro gaming alive and making it so more convenient today.
Great and very informative video as always thank you! What kind of label printer did you use to label your PlayStation memory cards?
Do you remember the multilayered Memory Cards? It was basically four Memory Cards in one. There was a button used to swap between them, and an LED indicator which let you know which Memory Card you were using. I use to have one.
Nice, a new video!
VERY COOL AND AWESOME TOO MY FRIEND
One thing probably worth noting about the Xbox 360 is that original Xbox saves are completely locked to the removable internal hard drive; I believe there's an official way to transfer from an OG Xbox to a 360, but once they're there, no copying or moving or even cloud saves with the Xbox One BC versions.
At that point, you will need a Xbox 360 hard drive to USB adaptor to directly access the saves via a PC and specialised software (and still no transferring to XBO)
For Dreamcast, you can use the Web Browser 3.0 on the Dreamcast itself and access an FTP site of your creation to upload/download saves. This is what I did. Of course you will need a dialup connection or a broadband adapter.
It wasn't covered in this video, but it's something that stung me recently; some Xbox 360 games are region locked, and the same goes for the save games with said games. This happened to me with Eternal Sonata where the NTSC game did not pick up my (near complete) PAL save game.
So excited for this! Cheers guys
Virtual memory cards in OPL changed the game for me. It makes backups so much easier.
I remember back in the day there was this thing called Virtual Memory Card System or V-Mem by Interact which goes on the accessory port of the PSX. I was so disappointed when I found out my system didn't have the port.
You can barely see any surviving images about it today but yeah I remember it vividly.
wow what a usefull episode that was!
I didn't know a Memcard Pro for the PS1 existed. Very fancy!
(This is also my first time hearing about the Dreamcast's Memory Card 4×.)
I had a BC PS3 on release and never knew there was a device to transfer my old memory card saves until last year. Also, getting my FF7 save from my PS3 to work on DuckStation was a lot harder than expected, it was really cool that was even a thing I could do
[Try4ce] It's always been interesting to me how many people's minds I've blown over the years telling them that the memory card accessory for PS3 exists. I saw that in Best Buy the day I bought my PS3 in 2008, and went back the next day to buy it because of course I'd need that... seemed completely essential to me.
@@mylifeingaming It did blow my mind haha, so many saves were lost. I don't blame you, I would've bought it asap if I knew it was a thing.
The kings are back!
EMS made something called the Double Power that you can connect to a computer to backup VMU saves. You need the cable that also allows you to connect their Nexus memory card to a computer.
This channel is the GOAT as far as gaming is concerned
Xbox 360 Memory Units back in the day were AMAZING for getting your GamerTag onto another X360 in the fastest way possible. If I remember correctly you had to use the MU to transfer Gamertags or I guess you could recover your Gamertag by entering your email address and password in front of everyone. I could be wrong about the next part but I remember there being quirks recovering your account onto another X360, and it leaves the possibility of someone signing into your account on another X360 and booting you while you were playing on XBL. The MUs are useless today, lol.
My Gamertag permanently resided on a MU.
Blessed upload.
I have one of those fairly janky cheap serial to SD adapters for my Dreamcast. Actually works great and I'm even able to play games off it with no apparent issues.
Another option for N64 memory packs is the the Hyperkin Admiral. The dongle has a micro SD card slot that allows you to dump/write mpk files from/to the memory card plugged in to the dongle.
I recall there was a sort of DexDrive-ish device for the Ps2, I had one. But it was convoluted and a mess. It was called SharkPort and was a dongle with two USB ports on either side. You connected one to your PS2, the other to your PC, ran the PS2 disk (Or later versions of the PS2 GameShark had support built-in) and application on your PC to transfer saves. Issue was that on top of it being slow, for some insane reason they would REMOVE all the 3D icons from the saves and replace them with a cube that showed their logo. This not only caused issues with some games, but it also meant that if you were to restore these saves you would just have a bunch of icons all with the same image on your memorycard, making telling which save is which a much bigger hassle.
Also for the Dreamcast I recall I had a device called the "Sega Dreamcast Double Power" or something like that. It looked like a miniature DreamCast with a red button in the middle. And while it's main purpose was to clone one VMU to another (Not sure why you would want to do that though?) the other feature, and the only thing I used it for, was that it could also connect to a PC to transfer to/from a VMU to PC.
There was a DexDrive-alike on PS2 - it was called Xport here in Europe, and I think it was just a renamed version of the Sharkport in North America. It let me and my friends download and flash option files for PES on PS2, which was a formative part of our collective youth. It also meant I could get loads of created wrestlers on Smackdown Here Comes the Pain. It was ace, if not a wee bit clunky.
lol
I just bought one of those Xbox 360 HD transfer cables. This made me want to actually use it
Excellent episode as always! But, if my memory serves me right, doesn´t the Sega Saturn also had an external Memory Cartridge to save games? Or am I wrong?
The Saturn had a 32 kb internal memory, and 512 kb external memory cards (looking a bit like mega drive cartridges). There was also a floppy drive option in Japan.
one thing i noticed you didnt mention was some of the web browser apps on the dreamcast back in the day. I grew up with a dreamcast, using it with my 56k dial up internet for alot for games and web browsing. You could download and upload game saves using the browser back in the day on a select few sites tailored to work on the dreamcast browser
Way back I used a serial "coders cable" to back up my Dreamcast saves to my PC. Poking around I'm pretty sure the program is called Dream Explorer. It's a bit convoluted to get going but worked pretty well.
There's a guide on a blog called dashwood
Around the Summer of '21, I found a third-party PS1 memory card on the floor beside some dumpsters, not too far from my place. Worked without even having to clean it. Its owner was 'David', with the following files:
Micro Machines V3;
Bust-a-Move 2;
Driver (with the profile name 'RVD' » Rob Van Dam);
FIFA 2003;
Tekken 3;
and Beyblade.
These memory cards, too, are grey, but - obviously - lack the PlayStation logo, being only inscribed with "1 Mega" on a very rudimentary font.
I own another one of the same type, that for years, assumed as not working, when all it took was cleaning the contact points...
The only anomaly I've experienced with these: Not being recognized at a first try in Final Fantasy IX, through a PS2 (SCPH-50004). By the second try, it'd work.
This bug doesn't seem to occur on PS1, at least with the games I've tried thus far...
On the other hand, one of my buddies from class got a GameCube for birthday, coupled with Wave Race; Luigi's Mansion and an unofficial memory card. Now, THAT one would never be recognized and I felt really bad for him. It didn't impede us from having a blast, an explosion and implosion with that system, though, through the whole Summer!
Another, next-door friend that owned a Dreamcast managed to complete Sonic Adventure by leaving the console ON for three days.
When I got my DC at 8-years-old, I somehow had the foresight of asking to buy a VMU the very next day. Brought it up while buying groceries for the whole week, and my Dad didn't mind driving me to the next town over, leaving Mom to do the need-be. It was worth it, as Shenmue was amongst the first lineup I got, along with an equally long Rayman 2: The Great Escape and the even longer and confusing Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future.
I was tempted to buy a dexdrive the other day, floppy disks and all ☺️
you guys always make great content and its worth the wait
It feels like forever MLIG release a new vid.
I deleted my Animal Crossing save from my GameCube memory card sometime in my late teens. I've tried recovering it using the memory card manager but it's not there, even though a lot of my other deleted save files are recoverable. It must be because the AC save was so big and parts of it have already been written over.
RIP my childhood memories.
I adore memcardrex, I was able to get save files off an emulation handheld and convert them to raw saves, put them on a USB and used a freemcboot ps2 to transfer them to a memory card.
Luckily I have 2 of the PS3 memory card adapters.
Bought them for 20$ each back in the day.
I did not know that I could use them to transfer the save data onto a flash drive, assuming for emulation use?? Now that’s awesome!
29:00 The NFL games also had an option to use the VMU for playcalling to prevent screen peeking.