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Hey Everyone,

Having a PC-Engine duo-R, what is the best method of backing up internal game save memory? I know Tennokoe Bank cards exist, but they seem to require opening these days and soldering on a new battery. Is there any other alternative that can backup internal saves?

Would a flash cart like the Turbo Everdrive be able to somehow do save game backups?

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The Tennokoe Bank 1 works great, I don't think there's a "battery" in there persay.

I believe the internal "battery" is like the one in the Dreamcast - i.e. a rechargeable battery that charges when the system is plugged in. The capacitor unless bad should keep you running.

It gives you 4 Boxes to store data. However, it's not like a typical memory card.

You can only copy over whole banks. So, What I did is move all the saves I want to specific Banks and then copy over that whole bank (box) when I want to play a specific game.

Any issues, just PM me.

Wynd

There is a lithium button cell in 'em, wynd.  My pair still work with the original batteries, but I suppose it's just a matter of time before they croak.

Your only other option is the MB128 (https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=14565.0) (or the functionally identical save kun thingy), which works similarly to a Tennokoe Bank.  Instead of a button battery it uses AAs (maybe AAAs?) and it doesn't have its own file utility for swapping banks so you'll need one of the games that has such a utility.

P.S. - no on using a flash cart to back up internal saves.

For the PC-Engine Duo-R capacitor, do you need to have the machine running every day to keep it alive, or does simply having it plugged in work just as well? From what I remember hearing, it only lasts for like a day or so unpowered?

If the cap is draining that quickly, it needs servicing.  I think they only need to be plugged in to recharge (system on or off), and they'll last weeks (probably months) before discharging enough to wipe the saves.

I have not been playing my system a lot recently, My Duo R lasted over 2 weeks  with saves intact powered off, the first time but somewhere shy of three weeks 3.5 weeks the second time.