By Dexerto | Created at 2026-07-29 14:28:03 | Updated at 2026-08-04 02:07:16
5 days ago
A Nintendo DS cartridge connected to the long-lost PokePark Fishing Contest DS has resurfaced on eBay more than 20 years after the Pokemon game was distributed at events in Japan.
PokePark Fishing Contest DS was a fishing mini-game released through the Nintendo DS Download Play feature in 2005. Players could catch Pokemon and earn points based on their size, level, and rarity, with high scores submitted to rankings displayed at Pokemon Centers.
However, the game was never released on a traditional retail cartridge. Downloaded copies disappeared after the Nintendo DS was switched off and were also limited to 12 hours, leaving the title largely inaccessible once its distribution events ended.
That could now be about to change, as a development cartridge seemingly connected to the game has been listed on eBay for €7,999, which was approximately $9,100 at the time of writing.
The listing, posted by German seller catbearpaws, describes the item only as a “Nintendo DS Development/Test Cartridge.” Photos show the cartridge running software labeled “Poke Park Let’s Play DS” on an original Nintendo DS.
Pokemon preservationists question what is on the cartridge
Pokemon collector Professor Rex brought attention to the listing on X, describing the game as long-lost media and hoping that the cartridge would be purchased by someone willing to preserve its contents.
“Hopefully it will fall into the hands of someone who wishes to preserve it so everyone else can experience it once more,” he said, later asking whether other collectors would be interested in contributing toward a group purchase.
If you’d consider chipping in on a group-buy to preserve the software please DM me ~ I’m not sure if we would have any chance to get this before it goes to a private collection but we may as well try 😅
— Professor Rex🇨🇦 (@RexProfessor) July 29, 2026
However, it has not been confirmed that the cartridge contains the software used to send PokePark Fishing Contest DS to players.
Japanese Pokemon fan Tiramisu, who initially shared the listing, later clarified that the cartridge is definitely related to the PokePark software but may have served a different purpose.
The screen shown in the seller’s photos displays text that translates to “Ranking transmission,” suggesting it may have been used to receive or manage player rankings rather than to distribute the game itself. High scores from the fishing game were submitted to a master ranking that could be viewed on machines at participating Pokemon Centers.
Even if the cartridge does not contain the full downloadable game, it could still hold previously unavailable software from the original 2005 event.
At the time of writing, the auction had received no bids. Exactly what is stored on the cartridge will likely remain unknown unless it is purchased and its software is examined by preservationists.
