B-17 Bomber
B-17 Bomber — frequently asked questions
- Is B-17 Bomber on Steam?
- No. B-17 Bomber is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is B-17 Bomber on?
- B-17 Bomber is available on Intellivision.
- When did B-17 Bomber release?
- B-17 Bomber was first released on December 31, 1982.
About B-17 Bomber
B-17 Bomber takes place near the end of World War II. As the pilot of a B-17, your mission is to fly across the English Channel and bomb various strategic targets. First you need to select a destination which features a lot of targets. The further the target is from your home base, the more points you can earn, but with more ground to cover there will be more enemy fighters blocking the target and more fuel will be needed. Once a destination is set, you need to stock your plane with bombs and fuel, then take off! You will now have a first person point of view from the plane and can control which of several views is active. When trying to bomb targets, you will be looking straight down from the bombay doors. When you hear a voice announce incoming enemy planes, you need to switch the view to one of the guns and defend yourself. Lastly you can have a view from the cockpit to control the plane. If your fuel runs low, or your plane takes too much damage, you can fly back to your home base for repairs and then take off again to bomb as many targets as you can!
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Intellivision
- Developer
- Mattel Electronics
- Publisher
- Mattel Electronics
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Historical, Warfare
Details via IGDB.
Collector value & authenticity
Intellivision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-20
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a month
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-20.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.99 in Apr 2009, $4.95 five years ago, and $7.74 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $1.04 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $4.36 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $5.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.25 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $2.95 | $10.79 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.92 | $12.94 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.19 | $6.97 |
| Jan 2017 | $3.49 | $7.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $6.82 | $9.19 |
| Jan 2019 | $5.06 | $11.15 |
| Jan 2020 | $7.35 | $11.90 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.00 | $10.95 |
| Jan 2022 | $8.57 | $13.50 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.00 | $13.94 |
| Jan 2024 | $6.16 | $13.42 |
| Jan 2025 | $5.99 | $15.84 |
| Jan 2026 | $6.51 | $16.98 |
| Oct 2026 | $7.74 | $16.00 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Documented sales
300,000 cartridges shipped by June 1983
The same figure as the Intellivoice module itself and the other first voice games, Space Spartans and Bomb Squad, per the Blue Sky Rangers, Mattel's former programmers.
Source: Mattel Electronics' figures, as quoted by the Blue Sky Rangers
Release record
| Territory | Product # |
|---|---|
| North America Mattel Electronics | 3884 |
- North America: Product number confirmed by Mattel's own catalogue.
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1982
- Controller
- Intellivoice (needed in practice: the game loads without it, but the speech carries game information)
- Authenticity
- Low
A World War II bombing sim whose voice module was the big selling point, and it plays without the module.
B-17 Bomber was one of the first two Intellivoice games, alongside Space Spartans. You crew a bomber on a mission and the voice module calls out advice. Video Games Player in fall 1982 said one of the voices sounded like John Wayne.
Mattel released it in 1982. It plays without the Intellivoice, but you lose the speech, which was the point of the game.
How it was made
Developed and published by Mattel Electronics for the Intellivision, with optional Intellivoice speech.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 7 | October 1982 | Graphics ★★★★ · Play-Action ★★★★ |
| JoyStik Vol. 1 No. 4 | January 1983 | ★★★★/+ |
“[B-17 Bomber] is a must-have for every Intellivision owner--this game alone makes the voice module a worthwhile purchase.”
“module is an excellent addition to an already fine system. It has to be, because the games are really difficult early on and you need all the info you can get.”
“a fast-moving game that effectively utilizes Mattel's voice synthesizer. The computer verbally warns you of enemy attack and congratulates you on a direct hit. Its sophisticated play is reminiscent of Star Raiders. Attractive graphics add to the fun.”
“Most agreed that the game won because of its unparalleled four-level play (a map of Europe lo select sites, the detailed instrument panel, views from the pilot's chair”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five.
Worth knowing
- From the Intellivision manual. The first control you touch after pressing the disc sets one of six skill levels, which decide bomb load and enemy defenses.
- From the Intellivision manual. At skill levels 2 through 6 you can change the bomb load to anything from 1 to 17, but more bombs means less fuel.
- From the Intellivision manual. Crew voices call out enemy fighters by clock position, so the game needs the Intellivoice module to be played as designed.
Before you buy
Needs the Intellivoice module for the speech, though the cartridge runs without it. Came with two keypad overlays. Boxed copies carry a modest premium over loose carts, and a test with the module attached is worth asking a seller for.
B-17 Bomber screenshots
Watch on YouTube
Listings on The Game Traders
No active listings for B-17 Bomber yet.
Be the first to list →Buyers looking for this
No active want ads for B-17 Bomber yet.
Post a want ad →Popular games right now
Latest news mentioning B-17 Bomber
No recent news mentions in our 30-day feed window.