Looking Ahead: Nintendo DS Game Preservation at Curiosity

As physical games continue to age, game preservation is becoming an increasingly important topic for collectors and players alike. Nintendo DS cartridges, in particular, rely on flash memory, which was never designed to last forever. As time passes, these cartridges face a growing risk of data failure that cannot be repaired once it occurs.

Because of this, Curiosity is introducing our Nintendo DS Backup and Update Backup services as a forward-looking preservation option.

This service exists to help protect games and save data while the original cartridge is still functional. Our goal is not to replace physical ownership, but to support it. The original game remains the centerpiece of ownership, with the backup serving as a one-to-one preservation copy tied directly to that cartridge.

We understand that many collectors already handle their own game preservation, and that is great. If you already maintain your own backups and archival process, this service may not be necessary for you. That does not change the importance of offering accessible and legal preservation options for customers who do not have the tools, experience, or comfort level to do so themselves.

Game preservation should not be limited to those with technical knowledge. It should be something everyday players can access safely and responsibly.

It is important to note that sourcing or being in possession of backups for games you do not physically own is illegal. This includes owning devices advertised as containing hundreds of games, downloading game files from unauthorized websites, or playing titles on phones, PCs, or other devices when the original cartridge is not in your possession.

Our preservation services are built around legal ownership. We work only with customer-owned cartridges that are present at the time of service. Backups are created one-to-one and are intended solely to preserve that specific game and its save data.

If a Nintendo DS cartridge later becomes unreadable due to age, we can offer supported solutions that allow customers to continue playing their legally owned copy on official Nintendo DS hardware using their existing backup. This ensures that ownership, preservation, and play remain connected.

This service is not about shortcuts, emulation culture, or replacing physical games. It is about protecting them.

As the industry continues to move toward digital-only access and temporary licenses, preserving physical ownership has never been more important. Our Nintendo DS preservation services exist to help ensure that the games you own today can still be enjoyed tomorrow.

If you have questions about whether this service is right for your collection, our team is always happy to talk through your options.

Stay Curious.

What about other consoles?

The good news is that most cartridge-based games released prior to the Nintendo DS era use mask ROM technology and are expected to remain functional well into the year 2100 under normal conditions.

Nintendo DS games represent the first major shift to flash-based game storage, which is why preservation efforts are becoming important now rather than decades from now.

As for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch titles, we do plan to expand preservation services to those platforms in the future. While their storage technology has improved, they still rely on flash memory and will eventually face similar long-term concerns.

Our goal is to approach preservation responsibly, legally, and with long-term ownership in mind as gaming continues to evolve.