website/content/museum/mattel-electronics-aquarius.md

---
title: Mattel Electronics Aquarius
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A
params:
  name: Aquarius
  company: /companies/mattel-electronics
  company_name: Mattel Electronics
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Aquarius
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Mattel Electronics
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1983'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Specific Microsoft Basic interpreter
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Rubber type. 49 keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.5 mHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 4 KB (up to 32 KB), 1,7 KB free for user
  - label: ROM
    value: 8 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 chars x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 80 x 72 / 320 x 192 dots
  - label: COLORS
    value: '16'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 1 voice (3 voices with the Mini-Expander)
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 34,5 (W) x 15 (D) x 5,5 (H) cm.
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Tape, Printer, Bus
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: External power supply (12v)
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Thermic printer and plotter (1200 bauds), Tape-recorder (600 bauds), Mini-expander addon, RAM expansions (4 KB, 16 KB and 32 KB), Master expansion module & disk-drives (vaporware), Home Computer System
  - label: PRICE
    value: £49.95 (Radofin version 1984)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: AQUARIUS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: COMPLETE SET-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'This is quite a complete Aquarius set-up. Pictured here are : the Aquarius computer, the 16k memory expansion pack, the expander unit, the thermal printer, the data recorder and many software and documentation.'
    image: null
  - title: DIVE INTO THE AQUARIUS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Dedicated connector for Mattel printers.\
      **(2)** Dedicated connector for optional Mattel devices.\
      **(3)** Z 80 microprocessor running at 3,5 Mhz.\
      **(4)** Cassette recorder DIN connector.\
      **(5)** This circuit forces game cartridge manufacturers to obtain Mattel agreement.\
      **(6)** Video management chipset.\
      **(7)** Modulator for T.V. aerial signals.\
      **(8)** This ROM chip holds the specific Microsoft Basic interpreter.\
      **(9)** These two chips hold the 4 Kb. RAM (1.7 Kb. available for user).\
      **(10)** Power plug. Power is supplied by an external transformer.\
      **(11)** T.V. video output connector.\
      **(12)** Rubber keyboard. The keys layout is not conventional, particularly the space bar position.
    image: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX - BACK
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'BOX - BACK #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'BOX #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: This package included an Aquarius computer, the Mini-Expander extension, and game cartridges.
    image: null
  - title: 'BOX #2 - FRONT'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'BOX #2 - BACK'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 'BOX #2 - BACK'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX DETAIL
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  adverts:
  - title: UK ADVERT, OCT. 1983
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      From Personal Computer World magazine.\
      Advert says:\
      This is an entirely new computer system. It was designed with both eyes fixed firmly on the future. So that whatever shape the future takes, we'll be able to fit it into the system. Just as simply as the peripherals and software already available fit into the system. That way, the system will grow with you. And you'll never get left behind.

      Based around the Z80A microprocessor, and utilising Microsoft BASIC, Aquarius has 8K ROM and 4K RAM resident within its console. It is able to provide up to 16 colours and resolution of 320 x 192, and generates its sound directly through the television's speakers.

      With twin cartridge ports, the mini-expander allows simultaneous use of additional RAM and software cartrldges. Twin disc game hand controls are included and the unit provides two additional sound channels. The 16K RAM cartridge plugs into either the console or the mini-expander, increasing Aquarius's RAM capacity to 20K.

      With the ability to reproduce the entire graphic and character set of Aquarius at 80 characters a second, the printer's 40 column output allows transcription of the complete monitor image.

      Using standard audio cassettes, the data recorder provides storage for programs and information, and allows the use of cassette based software. Incorporating a digital tape counter and transmission indicator, it operates sequential searching.

      A large number of games, designed to take advantage of Aquarius's sophisticated colour and sound capabilities, are available on cartridges that plug into the console either direct, or through the mini-expander. Cassette based games can be used via the data recorder.

      A wide range of preprogrammed cartridges is available, including the LOGO teaching program and practical home data systems like FILEFORM and the spreadsheet calculator package FINFORM.
    image: null
  - title: UK ADVERT (1984)
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to Tony Mattson for this picture
    image: null
  - title: PROMOTIONAL PICTURE
    subtitle: ''
    text: found on the system box
    image: null
  hardware:
  - title: FROM MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: RECORDER AND BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - 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: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: IN BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: Side
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX - SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: rear
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: MATTEL ELECTRONICS
    subtitle: ''
    text: This 300 baud modem had to be connected to the cartridge connector.
    image: null
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: '"opens a whole new world of information and communications! Smart enough to be simple!"'
    image: null
  - title: 4K & 16K RAM EXPANSIONS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 4K RAM CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: box
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 16 KB RAM EXPANSION CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 4K RAM
    subtitle: box - side
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: 4K RAM
    subtitle: box (rear)
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: VALUE PACK
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Aquarius Value Pack contained a 4 KB RAM expansion cartridge, Utopia and Snafu software..
    image: null
  - title: 16 KB RAM EXPANSION CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: Box
    text: ''
    image: null
  - 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: null
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  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.
  comments:
  - author: TylerE (USA)
    date: Sunday 9th December 2012
    text: I got a boxed Aquarius Snafu game for .99c at a thrift store. It wasn''t sealed but it is CIB and the contents are brand new with a little wear on the box itself. I cant find anything for the price of this game in particular so if anyone knows I would appreciate it.
  - author: Chef (USA)
    date: Wednesday 24th October 2012
    text: |-
      Here''s Virtual Aquarius

      http://www.zophar.net/aquarius/virtual-aquarius.html

      It''s awesome. Turn on the power...\*beep\*. "BASIC" "Press Return Key To Start". It''s all there, the sounds and everything.

      If you are playing AD$D, don''t forget to "jump back"! or simply run past the monsters if you don''t want to engage them.

      I used to play so much that the goal no longer was to kill the Dragon King, but to see how many times you can loop through all 99 levels...avoiding the Dragon King! After a while you were so powerful that a single shot from any weapon would kill him, but it was never quite enough power was it? Inventories like arrow count weren''t displayed but counted out on the speaker for you. A low rapid tapping sound was played after hitting the e.g. "arrow count" key. After a few loops through the entire maze it could last for minutes because you picked up so many arrows, you know because you need thousands of arrows to kill the Dragon King! (rolls eyes)

      Eventually the Dragon King would randomly be at the bottom of the ladder so you had to fight him. You never knew which level. $sad$

      I never had the expansion pack so you could never save the game. I had to leave the power on...I made sure I did not bump the computer power switch or days of running through the mazes would be gone. (the same thing if you were programming, heaven forbid, tens-hundreds of lines of code...gone!)

      After killing the Dragon King the TV speaker would scream simple sounds at you... Woooooooooo! Woo Woo Woo Woo..! then repeat, displaying a message "You are the new Dragon King!" (if I remember correctly)

      LOL!

      The other games were great too. They even "Biorhythms" for the adults to see when they were most compatible or most connected. Bow chicka wow wow!
  - author: Wayne Styles (UK)
    date: Saturday 7th July 2012
    text: |-
      Guess what ? My AQUARIUS still works ha ha.\
      It rarely comes out of the attic but when it does, I am happy to revisit my early teen fun of BURGER TIME, ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS and TRON DEADLY DISCS. All the cartridges work.. I also keyed in the running man programme in BASIC all those years ago. The AQUARIUS was simple, cheap and fun. And I do have some cassette games such as N-VADERS too, although I have not even attempted a cassette as I recall they took ages top load all those years ago. All my mates in the 80''s took the micky, they had SPECTRUM and COMMODORE 64''s. A vast array of software for those, but I have fond feellings for my AQUARIUS cartridges and love that they still work. I feel a RETRO night coming soon, ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS I can spend hours on. Wayne
  - author: Chris (USA)
    date: Saturday 5th March 2011
    text: I fondly remember many nights wasted in college playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons on this system.
  - author: Andy (UK)
    date: Sunday 28th November 2010
    text: |-
      Does anyone remember typing in the program which played "Once in royal David''s city?"

      It always erred while playing....
  - author: John Gabra (Earth)
    date: Tuesday 24th October 2006
    text: There were a couple of programs that came with this computer. One of them was called the running man. After copying the program from the manual, which took me quite a long time as a kid, a man would run across the screen, whooptee! The disk drive was a tape deck. You could play the tapes in a normal tape player and it would sound like a fax machine.
  - author: Shailendra (Melbourne, Australia)
    date: Sunday 14th May 2006
    text: I LOVED this computer when I was a kid. It was the first video game I ever owned. Burgertime was ace! Brings back memories seeing this. You could program in it too, make colours and stuff, came with a list of programs you literally typed and ran.
  - author: flask (the ground)
    date: Tuesday 5th April 2005
    text: the classic 'vapourware' product. all these things that got announced and never delivered!
  - author: Joe Dyer (USA)
    date: Sunday 27th January 2002
    text: Does anybody Know the pinouts of the Mattell Aquarius Din Connection to the tape drive, or know of a source for the cable?
  related:
  - /museum/radofin-electronics-limited-aquarius-2
  oc_id: 73
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530153316/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=73
    date: '2023-05-30'
---

When the Keyboard Component project was canceled, Mattel searched in a hurry to produce a small and cheap computer. They contacted Radofin Electronics Far East, based in Hong-Kong, who was manufacturing most of the [Intellivision products](/museum/mattel-electronics-intellivision/). Radofin had just developped a line of three Z80 based computers. Mattel decided to sell the two first under their brand. The Aquarius 1 and 2 were born.

The Mattel Aquarius used a special version of the Microsoft Basic. When used with Basic, only 1.7 KB remained available.

There were no redefinable characters, but 256 predefined chars were available: 128 ASCII (numerals, upper and lower case alphabet, punctuation, symbols) and 128 graphic patterns. That was the only "graphical" features of the Aquarius !

Unfortunately the specifications were so poor for a 1983 computer, that the Aquarius 1 litteraly bombed. Three months after its release, Mattel decided to cancel the project and to sell back the rights and stocks to Radofin.

Radofin continued to sell Aquarius 1 & 2 under its own name, but without success...

Cool addons were developped for the Aquarius, but never made it to the shelves (apparently). There were a Master Expansion Module equipped with disk-drives and expansion slots for future add-ons. It even offered the CP/M compatibility!

Another sympathetic extension was the Home Computer System Command Console which allowed the Aquarius to directly control up to 255 electric devices. But when the computer was connected to this extension, it couldn't be used for anything else!

There were also a Modem planned and Mattel even announced network services for games and programs downloads...