Lost Pokémon Game Resurfaces After Two Decades

One of the hidden gems of the Nintendo DS was its Download Play feature, which allowed players to enjoy temporary game demos using just a single cartridge. Among these experiences was a lesser-known 2005 Pokémon title called PokéPark Fishing Contest DS. As the name suggests, this fishing-themed Pokémon game was only available for a limited time. Recently, a PokéPark cartridge has surfaced online.

Preservationist Tiramisu090401 brought attention to this find on social media, sharing an auction listing where bids have already surpassed $9,000. In the game, trainers aim to catch Pokémon, with scores based on the size, level, and rarity of the creatures. These scores could be submitted at Pokémon Center locations in Japan. A somewhat similar idea was explored in Pokémon: Magikarp Jump in 2017, a mobile game where players catch and raise meme-worthy fish of varying sizes and abilities.

The rarity of PokéPark stems from its limited accessibility. Initially, the fishing game was only playable at a Japanese theme park that operated for six months, rewarding the first 200 players who caught a digital fish each day with scratch cards. The experience later expanded to other events and Pokémon retail locations. Additionally, players could only engage with PokéPark for a maximum of 12 hours, and the game would become inaccessible once the DS was turned off.

In 2021, a fan recreated a version of the game, though it wasn’t an exact replica. Manuel Matesanz, the creator, also ported it to the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, introducing a “modern” mode that showcased the Pokémon with enhanced graphics compared to the original. While some players have managed to obtain ROMs of the original game, the files are not publicly archived.

Given the original PokéPark’s status as a relic, preservationists are working to gather support and funds to outbid private collectors for the cartridge. However, there’s uncertainty about whether this cartridge contains the full game. As Tiramisu090401 noted, it might have been used solely for tracking and submitting scores.

Fingers crossed that whoever ends up spending a fortune on this cartridge doesn’t discover it’s non-functional. As of Thursday morning, the auction still has two days left before it concludes.