In terms of flash memory it can be prone to accelerated deterioration or wear, so the aforementioned ORAS issue could be down to a poor batch of memory, and if the component failed it could take the game's functionality with it. In the case of the 3DS it appears to be purely flash memory, albeit with different types handling game and save data, for example. It seems that DS cartridges may have a form of masked ROM for media up to a certain size, which is non-writable, with a small amount of flash memory at the very least for save data.

However, the perceived make-up of those generations of cartridges seems to vary depending on source, without a great deal of clarity in any case both generations of the cartridges / memory were supplied by Macronix. With DS and 3DS cartridges, it's worth highlighting that doomsday scenarios of swathes of game copies dying imminently seem very unlikely. In the case of the physical box and cartridge existing, yes, that could be true to a degree, but the functionality of the technology is something else entirely. There's a tendency, especially in debates between those that prefer digital game purchases to physical copies, for collectors to suggest their copies are 'forever'. So what sort of lifespans are we looking at? Well, it depends.

It's important to recognise that cartridges, like their disc-based chums, will encounter reliability issues down the line due to acknowledged lifespan limitations.

All ds games with slot 2 features