When thinking of rare Pokémon games, titles like HeartGold, Gale of Darkness, or Crystal usually come to mind, alongside high-value collector items like Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire. However, a piece of lesser-known lost media has just surfaced online. A developer cartridge for PokePark Fishing Contest DS has appeared on eBay after over 20 years, carrying a starting price of approximately $9,137.
Quick Facts
- Game: PokePark Fishing Contest DS
- Platform: Nintendo DS
- Asking Price: Starting at approximately $9,137 on eBay
- Origin: Originally distributed locally at the temporary PokePark theme park, Pokémon Festa, and Pokémon Centers in 2005
What Was PokePark Fishing Contest DS?
Originally distributed locally at Pokémon Centers, Pokémon Festa, and the temporary PokePark theme park in 2005, PokePark Fishing Contest DS operated as a digital-exclusive minigame. Players caught fish of varying sizes, levels, and rarities to build a score displayed on master lists at distribution machines inside the centers. Because the software featured a strict 12-hour time limit, deleted itself after shutting down the Nintendo DS, and never launched on the public DS store, it became lost media over the ensuing decades.
The eBay Listing and Preservation Concerns
The physical development and test cartridge was acquired as part of a private lot with no further provenance documentation available. When tested on a retail Nintendo DS by the seller, the cartridge boots to a Japanese-language screen indicating a high-score ranking communication program. DSi and 3DS compatibility remains unconfirmed.
Pokémon collector Professor Rex initially brought the listing to the community's attention, expressing hope that a buyer might preserve the contents and share them online so players could experience the software again. Rex also rallied followers to consider contributing to a group-buy to secure the cartridge before it ends up in a private collection.
Does the Cartridge Actually Hold the Game?
While the listing has drawn significant attention from collectors, questions remain regarding its exact contents. Japanese Pokémon fan Tiramisu pointed out that the display text on the boot screen translates to "Ranking transmission." This indicates the cartridge may house the software used to manage player rankings at the 2005 events rather than a playable build of the fishing minigame itself.
Regardless of whether the hardware contains the full minigame or simply ranking transmission software, the cartridge holds previously unavailable developer material tied to a historic piece of Pokémon history. The auction remains active with three days left and no bids placed yet.