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$9,145 and counting for a cartridge: Long-lost Pokémon fishing game causes feeding frenzy on eBay
A previously download-only Pokémon fishing game, PokéPark Fishing Contest DS, has appeared in an eBay auction, prompting intense interest from collectors and game preservationists. The game matters because it was distributed only at Pokémon events and deleted itself shortly after download, leaving little surviving evidence beyond videos and fan recreations.
The listing is believed to involve the internal hard drive from a kiosk used to distribute the game rather than a conventional cartridge, despite the auction description. Bidding had exceeded $9,100 at the time of publication, although archivists caution that the hard drive may contain only download data or may not hold the game itself; they hope its eventual buyer will archive and share any recoverable material.
In short
- A rare Pokémon event game has resurfaced on eBay.
- Bidding exceeded $9,100 amid preservation concerns.
- Archivists question whether the listing contains the full game.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The auction offers a rare chance to recover material from a game that was distributed briefly and may otherwise be lost, making it valuable to collectors and preservationists. A high price could reward the effort of bringing obscure gaming history to light, and a buyer who archives and shares recoverable data could benefit the wider community.
The case against
The item may be only a kiosk hard drive and might not contain the game, so the bidding price could reflect uncertainty more than the value of a verified artefact. Preservationists may also argue that private ownership and an expensive auction make access depend on one buyer, when documenting and sharing any recoverable material would serve the public record better.
Explained simply
PokéPark Fishing Contest DS was a Pokémon game offered at events as a temporary download to Nintendo DS consoles, rather than sold in shops. The download was designed to disappear soon afterwards, so few copies are known to have survived.
The auction item is believed to be a kiosk hard drive used to distribute the game, rather than a standard game cartridge. It is unclear whether the drive still contains the game or only data used for downloads.
Collectors are interested in the item’s rarity, while game preservationists hope any recoverable material can be archived and shared. A surviving copy could help document a little-known part of Pokémon’s history.