Packaging History

for Mattel Electronics Intellivision Games

Part Numbers

US Box history

Sears boxes

French Canadian boxes

International boxes

British English boxes

Australian releases

Digiplay releases (coming)

Part Numbers

Mattel part numbers were of the form xxxx-yyyy, where xxxx is the number of the game and yyyy is the number for the part. These are the standard uses for the listed part number, but there are exceptions to many of them. There are other numbers as well.

Box History of U.S. Releases

As most everyone who cares knows, there were eight games released with the standard text on the front mentioning the Keyboard Component, but with the "For Color TV Viewing Only" text up in the main artwork. These were eight of the first fifteen boxes released, but were not the first eight, though the last two, which were released a month after the others, were both test marketed. NASL Soccer and Space Battle appear to have avoided that text despite being released in the first two weeks of official releases. These are all made in the US, in a gatefold box with a tray, and the title part number on top. I call these GFFCTVVO. The box part number on all of these end in 0910.

Then the For Color TV Viewing Only was moved to its permanent location in the lower right of the front of the box. Through the end of 1980, the Keyboard Component text remained. Still Gatefold with a tray and part number on the top, all nineteen games released by the end of 1980 were printed in both US and Hong Kong. I call these GFUSKC and GFHKKC. These boxes all have the 0910 part number (even if they were previously released in the earlier form), except for Auto Racing and NHL Hockey, which have 0810 part numbers. The NASL Soccer HK box also exists in a 0910-G1 version. At least seven of the Hong Kong boxes also exist with a sticker on the bottom (matching the box color) that indicates the Catalog is printed in the USA in addition to the overlays. At least some of those titles also exist without the sticker.

In 1981, the Keyboard Component text was removed and the part number taken off the top. At least nine games were printed in the US while retaining the tray, which I call GFUS (shown below). Six of those were reprints, while Bowling, Space Armada and Triple Action got a tray in their first US boxes. The Hong Kong boxes continued with the tray with at least 43 games printed this way. Hockey is the only older game with no HK box reported. At least two of the Hong Kong boxes exist with the sticker indicating a US catalog along with overlays, and at least three others exist with stickers stating that everything is made and printed in Hong Kong (including the overlays). At least one has a sticker indicating a US catalog and overlays with the balance from HK. Boxes for games that were new in 1981 or later mostly have the 0910 part number. Ones that had previously been released, plus Space Spartans and Roulette, have 0910-G1. Space Battle has a Hong Kong box with 0910-G2 in addition to 0910-G1. Soccer has a 0910-G2 box because it had previously had a G1 box. NBA Basketball has a G2 box with the text matching the everthing made in Hong Kong sticker, but prited directly on the box. Boxing joins Auto Racing with a 0810 box. Hockey does not appear to get a box without the Keyboard Component text.

The US printing quickly switched to the no-tray gatefold (GFUSNT), and 33 games are reported in this format, including ALL the 1981 and 1982 releases. Twelve of the 1980 releases are not listed as having this version and two of those are not even reported as existing without the Keyboard Component text. Most of the eight games which got GFUS releases and GFUSNT are indistinguishable in a shrinkwrap copy. Most of the other 1980 and earlier releases got 0710-G1 part numbers for this box, while the new releases got 0910. Boxing got 0810, 0710 and 0710-G1 releases. Skiing and Space Armada got both 0910-G1 and 0710-G1, while Bowling got both 0910 and 0710-G1.  Football got only 0910-G1. Lock 'N Chase, Sharp Shot and Space Spartans, despite being new releases, got 0910-G1 boxes.  Las Vegas Poker Blackjack had a Gatefold Taiwan printing, with a tray. Vectron added a multi-origin trayess box.

In 1983, the FOR COLOR TV VIEWING ONLY text disappeared. At least six games were printed in gatefold boxes in Singapore, including BurgerTime, Buzz Bombers, Mission X and three ECS games - Melody Blaster, Mind Strike and Scooby Doo's Maze Chase.  All the 1983 releases, including those that got gatefold release, were printed in flip top boxes, like the Intellivision Inc and INTV Corp boxes to follow. The first few quickly moved to multi-origin info on the bottom of the box, but the rest moved that information to the back of the box and put the game name on the bottom. These boxes got 0210 part numbers.

For more information on box variants for specific games, see INTVFunhouse.