PSA Validates Rare 1998 Pokemon Prototype

A single bidder placed a $25,000 bid on a prototype Pokémon Red cartridge for the Nintendo Game Boy. The item is currently listed on the Goldin auction platform as of October 23, 2026. Retro Dodo first identified the cartridge, calling it incredibly rare.

Specialists at PSA authenticated the device. They could not read the entire data file, but they accessed the first 32KB of the contents. PSA labeled this partial read as technically unique. The agency stated that the readable data is completely identical to the U.S. retail version. PSA expressed confidence that the unreadable sections also match the standard release.

The authentication report identified two specific differences in the ROM header data. Neither change affects gameplay. The Mask ROM version at offset 0x014C is set to 55 instead of 00. This error causes the calculated header checksum at offset 0x014D to read CB rather than the standard 20.

The physical cartridge carries a sticker reading DMB-MBC-16M-FLASH. The part number is DMG-(F)KGDB-01. The report suggests DMB refers to Dot Matrix Game, the original internal codename for the Game Boy. MBC likely stands for Memory Bank Controller. The 16M designation probably indicates 16 megabits of flash-writable memory. The cartridge is physically longer than a standard Game Boy shell.

Goldin describes the internal board as a previously undocumented development unit. However, the Rare Gaming Dump wiki lists the same part number for a development cartridge from 2000. That earlier item also used a 16-megabit Sharp flash chip labeled U1 FLASH MEMORY. Close-up images in the current listing show a nearly identical design. The wiki entry shows a slightly different sticker reading DMG-MBC3-16M-FLASH.

Pokémon Red launched in 1998 alongside Green and Blue. The combined titles are reported to have sold more than 31 million copies. A reader comment on the original report suggested this specific copy is a master version that can be powered on and played normally. The commenter also noted that a Nintendo employee sold a batch of demo cartridges in 2015 that were kept rather than destroyed. These details have not been independently verified.

Several days remain before the auction ends. The current bidder holds the $25,000 position. The final price may increase before bidding closes.