A rare Pokemon game long thought to be lost to time has suddenly resurfaced on the internet, with a development cartridge for PokePark Fishing Contest DS going up for sale on eBay. The DS Pokemon game was only available through DS Download Play and never received a full release.
While the massively popular monster-catching franchise is most known for its main-series video games, Pokemon has welcomed a wide variety of spin-offs. The early years of the series were filled with many Pokemon spin-off games that brought the franchise into new genres, such as Pokemon Pinball and Pokemon Puzzle League. The Nintendo DS era saw the Pokemon franchise extensively experiment with the handheld console’s touchscreen, including the racing game Pokemon Dash, thepuzzle game Pokemon Trozei, and the unique capture mechanics of Pokemon Ranger. Now, a Pokemon spin-off that was thought to be lost media may have resurfaced online.
Development Cartridge for PokePark Fishing Contest DS Appears Online
A development cartridge recently listed on eBay reportedly contains the files for the long-lost PokePark Fishing Contest DS. The listing was posted in late July, and the cartridge boots to a Japanese-language screen with text related to high-score communication. An image featured in the listing shows a DS console running the cartridge, bringing up software for PokePark Fishing Contest DS. The cartridge was originally listed for 7,999 Euros on eBay, and ultimately sold on July 31 for 9,505 Euros. No information has come forward about who bought the cartridge for the elusive Nintendo DS Pokemon spin-off, nor what their plans for the game are.
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The re-emergence of PokePark Fishing Contest DS could finally rescue one of the franchise’s rarest games from lost-media status. PokePark Fishing Contest DS was extremely limited in its availability during its promotional run, only being playable through DS Download Play at PokePark 2005, at Pokemon Center stores in July and August 2005, and at Pokemon Festa 2005. The game was not a permanent download as well, as the data for PokePark Fishing Contest DS disappeared after 12 hours or when the DS console was turned off.
The Pokemon franchise has grown into one of the biggest multimedia brands in the world since its origins with Pokemon Red and Green. The series extends from a wildly popular anime adaptation that has run for nearly 30 years to a hugely successful trading card game and a broad merchandising empire. The Pokemon Company is currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of the franchise, which has seen the brand release exclusive apparel, merchandise, and even Pokemon-themed Pop-Tarts and Goldfish crackers. The company also gave fans a first look at the future of its video games in early 2026.
The Pokemon Company officially revealed Pokemon Winds and Waves during the 30th anniversary Pokemon Day livestream. The new games will whisk players to a tropical island region inspired by Southeast Asia, filled with both old and new Pokemon for fans to catch. The reveal trailer for Pokemon Winds and Waves even introduced the three starter Pokemon that will be available in the games, showing off Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua. Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary has been both a grand celebration of the franchise’s storied history and a preview of what’s next for the series.