● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Rare Pokémon Red Prototype Cartridge Auctioned, Starting at $25,000
Key points
- Pokémon Red prototype cartridge is at auction for $25,000.
- PSA authenticated 32KB of readable data, identical to retail game.
- Cartridge uses a previously undocumented development board.
- Header data shows minor differences from the retail version.
Prototype Cartridge Surfaces
A prototype copy of Pokémon Red for the Nintendo Game Boy, originally released in 1998, is being auctioned. The current bid stands at $25,000. This cartridge was identified by Retro Dodo as an "incredibly rare" item.
Authentication and Data Analysis
Specialists at PSA authenticated the cartridge, confirming 32KB of readable data. While a full data read was not possible, the accessible data is "completely identical" to the U.S. release version of the game. PSA expressed confidence that any unreadable data would also match the retail version.
The PSA report noted two differences in the ROM's header data: offset 0x014C, which denotes the Mask ROM version, is set to 55 instead of 00, and offset 0x014D, a calculated header checksum, is CB instead of 20. These changes do not affect the game's content.
Development Board Details
The prototype development cartridge has a sticker reading DMB-MBC-16M-FLASH and a part number DMG-(F)KGDB-01. DMB likely refers to Dot Matrix Game, the Game Boy's original codename, and MBC likely indicates a Memory Bank Controller, which allowed games to exceed the Game Boy's 32KB ROM limit. 16M suggests a 16 megabit flash-writable memory limit.
The auction notes this uses a "previously undocumented" development board, though the DMG-(F)KGDB-01 part number has appeared in other contexts, such as a 2000 development cartridge listed on the Rare Gaming Dump wiki. Close-up images show a design almost identical to the wiki entry, despite a slightly different sticker on the wiki's example.
Historical Context and Auction Status
Pokémon Red, alongside Green and Blue, was instrumental in launching the global Pokémon franchise in the 1990s, with Red and Blue combined selling over 31 million copies. The auction for this prototype has several days remaining, and the final sale price may exceed the current $25,000 bid.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A prototype cartridge of the 1998 Nintendo Game Boy game Pokémon Red is currently up for auction, with a starting bid of $25,000. The cartridge features 32KB of readable data authenticated by PSA, which confirmed the game data is identical to the US release version, despite minor header differences. This discovery provides insight into early Game Boy development hardware.