March 16/07
If you haven't heard already, here's the bad news concerning GOLD/SILVER & CRYSTAL Games just sent in by Matt: Apparently the internal batteries in the second generation games (Gold, Silver, Crystal) have died out around the world. Players turn the game on to find the continue option gone, and after trying to start again, their new save file erased. This is because the game is dependant on it's battery for the clock, save files, etc. What's worse: it's believed that first generation games, whose batteries have less to hold and store (I.e. no clock, fewer cities, Pokemon,) will be next. But there is some good news. Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald players may have experienced battery dying, but the game is stored on the chip for the GBA games, instead of the battery. Clock based events will cease, but not much more will happen. Even better, since Diamond and Pearl will be on a chip, there will be no battery whatsoever. But it will be hard to get over the years we spent playing RBYGSC, knowing that we can't go back. Fire Red and Leaf Green can take us back to Kanto, and there is a developer trying to privately program a computer version of Johto, so not all is lost.