Intellivision · 1981
PBA Bowling
A 1981 Intellivision bowling simulation with adjustable ball weight, lane slickness, and left- or right-handed delivery.
- Publisher
- Mattel Electronics
- Format
- Cartridge
- Genre
- bowling video game
- Released
- 1981
01
Overview
PBA Bowling puts you at a virtual ten-pin alley and asks you to aim, set curve and loft, and release the ball across the lane. Before each game you choose from ten levels of alley slickness, a ball weight, and whether your bowler is left- or right-handed, each of which changes how the ball moves. The cartridge also includes Pick-Up Spares, a practice mode built from a set of spare pin arrangements for drilling difficult shots.
02
Why it matters
PBA Bowling was one of the first home bowling games to model the details that separate a casual toss from a real delivery, from ball weight to the direction of the hook. Its presentation drew on the look of televised bowling coverage, giving the Intellivision a sports title that felt closer to the real sport than earlier overhead-view efforts.
03
The physical edition
A typical complete North American copy includes the PBA Bowling cartridge, an instruction manual, and the keypad overlays that the Intellivision used for number entry. Box, manual, and cartridge labels vary by region and by seller, and the same game was also sold under the generic name Bowling by Sears, so edition details are worth checking before purchase.
04
Playing it today
PBA Bowling runs on original Intellivision hardware or on emulators available for modern devices. It supports one to four players, so it works well as a party or practice game on a TV or monitor.