Arcade machines have employed various clever methods to preserve high scores and game data through power cycles. In the golden age of arcades, most cabinets used battery-backed RAM (Random Access Memory) for data retention. A small battery, typically a 3.6V lithium cell, would maintain power to the memory chips even when the main cabinet was turned off, allowing high scores and settings to persist for months or even years.

As technology advanced, many manufacturers transitioned to EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) chips, which could retain data without any power source. These non-volatile memory solutions became more reliable than battery systems, which occasionally failed when batteries died or were replaced.

Some modern arcade machines utilize flash memory or even cloud-based storage systems, though these are less common in traditional cabinets. The specific implementation varies by game and manufacturer, with some classic titles like Pac-Man using specific memory mapping techniques to track score data.

The persistence of this data wasn't always perfect - many arcade operators would occasionally perform a "factory reset" by removing the battery or using a dedicated reset button, clearing all saved scores and returning the machine to its original state. This explains why you might occasionally encounter a classic arcade game with mysteriously blank high score tables despite regular play.