A rare prototype copy of Pokemon Red for the original Nintendo Game Boy has surfaced at auction, with bidding currently set at $25,000. The cartridge, which dates back to the 1998 release of the game, was identified by Retro Dodo and is listed on the Goldin auction platform. According to Tom’s Hardware, the item is described as “incredibly rare” and represents a significant piece of gaming history.
PSA Authentication and Data Analysis
Specialists at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) have examined the cartridge to verify its authenticity. The PSA report notes that while a complete data read of the entire ROM was not possible, the first 32KB of data was successfully read. This amount of data is technically unique to this specific prototype. The authentication service expressed confidence that the remaining data, if readable, would match the final U.S. release version of the game.
The PSA analysis identified two specific differences in the ROM’s header data. These changes do not affect the actual gameplay but are notable for collectors. The first difference is at offset 0x014C, which denotes the Mask ROM version. On this prototype, the value is incorrectly set to 55, whereas the standard release uses 00. This error changes the calculated header checksum at offset 0x014D to CB instead of the expected 20.
Hardware Specifications and Development Board
The cartridge itself bears a sticker reading DMB-MBC-16M-FLASH, along with the part number DMG-(F)KGDB-01. The “DMB” likely refers to Dot Matrix Game, the original internal codename for the Game Boy. “MBC” stands for Memory Bank Controller, a custom chip designed to allow games to exceed the Game Boy’s standard 32KB ROM limit. The “16M” designation likely refers to a 16 megabit limit of flash-writable memory.
Retro Dodo observed that the prototype cartridge is physically longer than a standard Game Boy cartridge. The auction notes that the cartridge uses a “previously undocumented” development board. However, the Rare Gaming Dump wiki lists the same part number, DMG-(F)KGDB-01, for a development cartridge from 2000. That entry also featured a 16 megabit Sharp flash chip with U1 FLASH MEMORY printed on the board. Close-up images from the Goldin auction page show a design almost identical to the wiki entry, though the sticker on the wiki version reads DMG-MBC3-16M-FLASH.
Pokemon Red, along with its counterparts Green and Blue, helped launch the global Pokemon franchise in the 1990s. Combined with Pokemon Blue, the titles have sold more than 31 million copies worldwide. The auction has several days remaining, meaning the final sale price could exceed the current $25,000 bid.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
