GoKawiilUnreleased Pokémon Red prototype cartridge hits auction with $25,000 bid
A prototype development cartridge of Pokémon Red for the Game Boy is up for auction, having drawn a single bid of $25,000 so far. PSA authenticated the cartridge, reading the first 32KB of its data and finding it matches the U.S. retail release aside from two minor header differences that don't affect gameplay. The board itself, labeled DMG-(F)KGDB-01, is described by the auction as a previously undocumented development board, though that part number has surfaced before on a separate 2000-era cartridge.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Prototype game cartridges offer collectors and historians rare physical evidence of how games were tested and developed before release, which can explain their high value despite being functionally near-identical to retail copies. The incomplete data read and unique header quirks noted by PSA suggest this specific unit may represent an unusual or early stage of Pokémon Red's development hardware, though the full extent of its differences from the final game remains unconfirmed since not all data could be read.
- A Pokémon Red prototype cartridge is up for auction with a current bid of $25,000.
- PSA could only read the first 32KB of data but found it matches the U.S. retail version aside from minor header discrepancies.
- The cartridge uses a development board part number previously seen on a 2000-era cartridge, despite being called 'previously undocumented.'
Nintendo Game Boy Color Console — If this ultra-rare Pokémon Red prototype has you craving some classic Game Boy nostalgia, grabbing a Game Boy Color is a great way to relive the era. You can play original Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow cartridges just as players did back in 1998, complete with that iconic handheld feel.
See Nintendo Game Boy Color Console on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Ben Stockton, 2026-10-23
Published there as: “Extremely rare and 'previously undocumented' Pokémon Red prototype cartridge surfaces at auction, starting at $25,000”
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