A listing on eBay has ignited excitement among Pokémon preservationists, potentially representing the rediscovery of PokéPark Fishing Tournament DS, a title that saw extremely limited release over two decades ago. This game was exclusively available at Pokémon Centers and special pop-up events in 2005, including a short-lived theme park called Pokémon The Park.
In PokéPark Fishing Tournament DS, players could catch various "Poké-fish," earning points based on their weight, level, and rarity. The game also featured a leaderboard that transmitted scores to be displayed at Pokémon Centers. Its nature as a download-only title, which would delete itself from the Nintendo DS when the console was powered down, makes it a significant challenge for preservation efforts.
A Mysterious Listing
The current eBay listing is priced at approximately $9,100 USD, but the preservation community harbors reservations. A key concern is the mention of a "sub-card" within the listing's description. This has led to speculation that the cartridge may not contain the full game but rather a peripheral device used for wireless sharing or leaderboard management. Professor Rex, a Pokémon fan known for previous preservation hunts, has suggested organizing a group purchase to secure the cartridge for preservation, rather than allowing it to enter a private collection. They are seeking community interest for a potential group buy, acknowledging the high cost and uncertainty of acquiring the item.
The listing itself notes that inserting the cartridge into a DS displays a Japanese-language screen indicating a "high-score ranking communication program." This further supports the theory that the item might be a technical cart rather than the complete fishing game. Despite these ambiguities, some fans are hopeful that the cartridge can be acquired and its contents preserved for the wider community.