Pokemon DS game erases data

By Ellie Gibson Published 29 November, 2005

From GBA cartridges.

Nintendo Japan has issued a warning to Pokémon fans after it was discovered that the latest DS instalment in the series can accidentally erase save data on Game Boy Advance cartridges.

Pokémon: Fushigi no Dungeon Blue was released in Japan on November 17th alongside a GBA version, titled Pokémon: Fushigi no Dungeon Red. If players have both games inserted in their handheld, they can access GBA data in the DS game.

However, if a different GBA game is present in the cartridge slot, there's a risk that any save data stored on it will be deleted. Nintendo has instructed users not to take that risk by leaving the slot empty whilst playing Fushigi no Dungeon Blue, unless the GBA game in question is FnD Red.

Nintendo has also offered to swap copies of FnD blue for new versions which don't erase game data, which are due for release on December 8. And since they've already fixed the problem over there, it's highly unlikely that there will be a problem with the European versions of the game - whenever they might arrive.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (16) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Talha #1 6 years ago

    /scratches head

    Erm, I didn't get a friggin word.

    Can you actually insert a GBA cartiridge into a DS? If not, what is the problem?
    Edited by 1 at 29/11/05 @ 12:35

  • Kami #2 6 years ago

    Find bug, squash bug, replace bugged copies. Fair enough.

    I'm going out on a limb though that they didn't test it with other games in the GBA slot...

  • Darkedge #3 6 years ago

    sloppy testing it seems

  • TILT #4 6 years ago

    Talha: Yes you can, it's got separate slots for DS and GBA games. There have been a few games already that give you some goodies if you have certain GBA games in your DS at the same time. (Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for instance) And it's quite useful to have a second game to choose from... I always carry FFTA in the GBA slot, so the problem is not as farfetched as one might think.
    Edited by 2 at 29/11/05 @ 12:50

  • drumbaby #5 6 years ago

    Pika Pi --

  • Talha #6 6 years ago

    @TILT: Thanks. Wow, I never knew this about DS...Ninty sure know what they are doing when it comes to handhelds.

  • CosmonautX #7 6 years ago

    Darkedge --

    Perhaps. But consider the quick, professional and decent response when the problem became apparent.

  • doctor_nick #8 6 years ago

    Talha: That's partly why getting a DS can be a bit of a no-brainer; I missed out on any kind of Gameboy in the past so, with my DS, have the whole GBA back catalogue to choose from in addition to DS games. Since the DS launched I've found I've played more GBA games than DS ones. And the battery lasts longer as only one screen is being powered :-)

  • Psi #9 6 years ago

    i've got FFTA in mine too, damn if you lost you're save's you'd have to kill someone.

  • myiagros #10 6 years ago

    i fthey didn't test it for this, then what else havn't they tested?

  • Natius #11 6 years ago

    @ Talha: There is even a rumble pak shaped like a GBA cart that comes out for the DS, which will be used for a few games :)

  • Tiger_Walts #12 6 years ago

    Heh, it doesn't even check if the correct cart is inserted, how daft is that. When you first learn to use IO streams in programming you always make sure the location you are writing to is correct.

  • smelly #13 6 years ago

    When you first learn to use IO streams in programming you always make sure the location you are writing to is correct.

    Yes, it sure does sound like you know more about DS programming than they do. Maybe you should go and show them how its done?

    *sigh*.

  • twinbee #14 6 years ago

    At least the problem was caught and fixed by Nintendo.

    Unlike Soul Calibur III (or was that just NTSC version?)...

  • Pirotic #15 6 years ago

    They've also changed the slogan to

    "gotta' catch 'em all.... again"
    Edited by 1 at 01/12/05 @ 12:37

  • louyfitz #16 6 years ago

    Is this game going to be online????