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Mattel Electronics Portable Electronic Games

Contributed by Stephen Coles on Feb 3rd, 2015. Artwork published in
circa 1976
.
    Football, 1977
    Source: www.museumofplay.org Photo © Museum of Play. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Football, 1977

    “Mattel began making handheld electronic games in 1976, beginning with a handheld version of Missile Command. Games such as Auto Race and Football soon followed, and were sold through Sears. By 1978, these games were huge hits, selling as many as 50,000 per week. Mattel eventually turned their attention to the production of the Intellivision console system, but these early handheld games continue to remain an important part of their history with electronic games.” — Museum of Play

    The Mattel Electronics logo appears to be Gemini Computer with customized ‘M’, ‘A’, and ‘N’.

    Baseball, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Joe Haupt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Baseball, 1978

    Auto Race, 1976
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Joe Haupt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Auto Race, 1976

    Soccer, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Joe Haupt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Soccer, 1978

    Sub Chase, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com License: All Rights Reserved.

    Sub Chase, 1978

    Football 2, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Joe Haupt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Football 2, 1978

    Basetball 2, 1979
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Joe Haupt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Basetball 2, 1979

    Armor Battle, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Corey Holms. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Armor Battle, 1978

    Football, 1977
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Corey Holms. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Football, 1977

    Missle Attack, 1976. Logo a customized Futura Display?
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Corey Holms. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Missle Attack, 1976. Logo a customized Futura Display?

    Basketball, 1978
    Source: www.flickr.com Photo by Corey Holms. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Basketball, 1978

    Typefaces

    • Gemini Computer
    • Yagi Double
    • Breite fette Information
    • Futura Display
    • Antique Olive
    • Handel Gothic
    • Eurostile
    • Univers
    • Helvetica
    • Twentieth Century

    Formats

    Topics

    Designers/Agencies

    Artwork location

    2 Comments on “Mattel Electronics Portable Electronic Games”

    1. Here’s a shot of Mattel’s Bowling handheld (sourced from Wikimedia Commons), which appears to be using Twentieth Century Ultrabold (or, at the very least, a very similar font):

      Photo: Joe Haupt (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)

    2. Thanks, Bryson! Added.

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