mottZilla, I saw a bit earlier in the thread a dude who was having issues with Link's Awakening; I've tried a couple different ROMs with your latest (1.2?) patch, and I'm getting stuck at the same place. It will not retain a save after I rescue the BowWow.
I think the end of the conversation was you saying you'd take another look sometime; I'm wondering if you ever did get a chance to, or if I'm doing something wrong.
Attached is a save file right at the entrance of the cave where you rescue it.
When I go in, fight the baddies, rescue the bowwow, walk out, and save+quit to title, I can then immediately load the save slot again and resume the game, at the cave entrance with the bowwow.
But if I power cycle, and then try to resume my game, I'm placed at the cave entrance, pre-bowwow. It only retains the save while it's running, not on power off.
roms I've tried (perhaps I'm just using the wrong ones):
one
two