website/content/museum/radofin-electronics-limited-aquarius-2.md

---
title: Radofin Electronics Limited AQUARIUS 2
categories:
- Computers
params:
  name: AQUARIUS 2
  image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_system_s1.jpg
  company: /companies/radofin-electronics-limited
  company_name: Radofin Electronics Limited
  tabs:
  - photos
  - hardware
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 89
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_system_s2.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_topview_s1.jpg
  - title: LEFT & RIGHT SIDES
    subtitle: ''
    text: Notice the power and reset swithes on the right side.
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_sides_s1.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_keyboard_s1.jpg
  - title: REAR CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Expansion cartridges cover\
      **(2)** TV aerial modulator's jack\
      **(3)** Mattel printer jack\
      **(4)** Tape recorder DIN socket\
      **(5)** RGB cable and power plug.
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_rearside_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Expansion cartridges connector\
      **(2)** Z80 processor, here a NEC D780 version\
      **(3)** 2K ROM chip holding various I/O routines\
      **(4)** 8K BASIC ROM\
      **(5)** Custom I/O and memory management chips, made by Ferranti and Hitachi\
      **(6)** 4K RAM chips (2x4016)\
      **(7)** 2K Character generator ROM\
      **(8)** RGB video circuitry, may differ according to the country the machine was intended.
    image: /media/museum/photos/mattel_aquariusii_inside_s1.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: FROM MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_datarecorder_1.jpg
  - title: RECORDER AND BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_data-recorder.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_datarecorder_box_1.jpg
  - title: FROM MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This device supplies 2 cartridges ports (which makes it possible to plug a RAM expansion cartridge and a program cartridge at the same time), two paddles and an enhanced sound chip (two supplementary voices).

      Promotional text on the box says:\
      \- Accepts memory cartridge to expand memory to 20 KB!\
      \- 2 separate ports: allows you to use a memory cartridge at the same time with a game or program cartridge!\
      \- Includes 2 hand controllers: 16 position disc and 6 action buttons!\
      \- adds two more sound channels for more exciting game play!
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander_box_1.jpg
  - title: IN BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander_inbox.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: Side
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander_box-side.jpg
  - title: BOX - SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander_box3.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: rear
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_mini-expander_box-rear.jpg
  - title: MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: This 300 baud modem had to be connected to the cartridge connector.
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_modem_1.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: '"opens a whole new world of information and communications! Smart enough to be simple!"'
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_modem_box_1.jpg
  - title: 4K & 16K RAM EXPANSIONS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_ram_expansions.jpg
  - title: 4K RAM CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: box
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_4k-ram_box_2.jpg
  - title: 16 KB RAM EXPANSION CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_16k-ram-expansion_2.jpg
  - title: 4K RAM
    subtitle: box - side
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_4k-ram_box_side.jpg
  - title: 4K RAM
    subtitle: box (rear)
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_4k-ram_box_rear.jpg
  - title: VALUE PACK
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Aquarius Value Pack contained a 4 KB RAM expansion cartridge, Utopia and Snafu software..
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_value-pack_box_1.jpg
  - title: 16 KB RAM EXPANSION CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: Box
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_16k-ram-expansion_box.jpg
  - title: FROM MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This is a small thermic printer which can print 80 characters per second onto 40 columns paper.

      Only Mattel printers can be connected to the Aquarius.
    image: /media/museum/hardware/mattel_aquarius_printer_1.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/matell_aquarius_printer_top_1.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: AqEmu
    url: http://www.classicgaming.com/aqemu/aqemu.htm
    platform: Windows
    text: Aquarius emulator for Windows
  - title: Virtual Aquarius
    url: http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/
    platform: Windows
    text: Nice emulator by James the Animal Tamer
  links:
  - title: Blue Sky Rangers' site
    url: http://www.intellivisionlives.com/
    text: Ancient INTV programmers unveil all the secrets of the Mattel Electronics products !
  - title: Mattel Aquarius homecomputer
    url: http://www.vdsteenoven.com/aquarius/
    text: History, Tech info, Sotware review & screenshots, Links, etc.
  - title: Mattel Aquarius Yahoo Group
    url: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mattelaquarius/
    text: A place to discover, chat about, and just get general information on the Mattel Aquarius home computer.
  related:
  - /museum/mattel-electronics-aquarius
  software:
  - /software/night-stalker
  oc_id: 74
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230131064823/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=74
    date: '2023-01-31'
---

The Mattel Aquarius II had exactly the same characteristics as its predecessor, the [Mattel Aquarius](/museum/mattel-electronics-aquarius/).

Its only enhancements were the RAM (20 KB instead of 4 KB) and the mechanical keyboard. In fact, the Aquarius II only had 4 KB of built-in RAM but was supplied with a 16 KB RAM cartridge extension.

Another difference is that the Aquarius II came with Extended Basic built-in.

Mattel gave up the computer market and sold all the rights and computer stocks to their manufacturer, Radofin, before the Aquarius II was even launched. All the Aquarius II were thus manufactured and sold by Radofin.

A special version of Logo, called Aquarius Logo was developped for this computer.

An Aquarius III was planed, but never saw the light.

---

**Contributors:** Jason L.