Memory Card

A Memory Card is a video game accessory that has been apart of many gaming consoles. Essentially it is an external memory database where game data is saved.

Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64 was the first Nintendo system to have a memory card. It plugged into the controller's accessory slot. The memory card however wasn't necessary for many games as the cartrages the system used allowed for data to be directly save onto it (much the same as the cartridges for the Nintendo Gameboy). Many games just used the memory card for storing non-main game data. An example of this was Mario Kart 64 where all race data was saved onto the game but Ghosts from time trials were saved onto the memory card).

Nintendo Gamecube
Unlike the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo Gamecube was very dependent on the memory card. As with all disc using games, data was either saved on internal memory or on a memory card. The gamecube has no internal memory and has two slots for memory cards. Games played without the memory card inserted act as if it was being played for the first time and data cannot be saved.

Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii is less dependent on memory cards. It has files of internal memory for saving game data (unlike the gamecube). It does however have a slot for a Sandisk 2 Gigabyte memory card (also used in cameras and other devices). This memory card can store the Wii's channel data and some gamedata. Pictures taken on a camera saved on a sandisk can be displayed on the Wii's Picture Channel. Some games use the Sandisk to store non-main game data (like Mario Kart 64 did on the N64). An example of this was the pictures that can be taken in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. These pictures can be saved onto either the Wii itself or the Sandisk.