Long-Lost Pokémon Game Appears on eBay After 20 Years

A long-lost Pokémon game briefly available in Japan 20 years ago appears to have popped up on eBay, priced at around $9,000.

A Pokémon game called Pokémon Fishing Contest DS, previously only playable at special events and Pokémon Center locations in Japan for a few months in 2005, has resurfaced on eBay with a price tag of €7,999 (around $9,145). The game, distributed via Wi-Fi like other Nintendo DS Download Play titles, could only be played until the console was turned off and was available for download from May to August 2005. The software was believed lost due to its inability to be saved, but now a Nintendo DS test cartridge containing its files is being sold.

The test cartridge, which is rare and typically used by Nintendo and third-party DS game developers, is being sold by a German eBay seller known for selling Pokémon plushies. It remains uncertain if the cartridge holds a playable version of Pokémon Fishing Contest DS or server code for high score collection. Fans hope the game will be acquired by someone who will share it with the Pokémon community for preservation purposes.

The eBay listing specifies that the cartridge is in working condition, boots to a Japanese-language screen indicating high-score ranking communication, and its compatibility with DSi and 3DS is unconfirmed. The seller notes that no further history or documentation is available, and the item is sold as-is.