What is a Mattel Aquarius good for?

[josekortez]

I acquired one of these from a thrift store a few years back. I'm not sure if it plays proprietary software or Intellivision games, but I haven't been able to find any tribute sites to it. I assume it's not a very popular old-school computer. So what's it good for?

[swlovinist]

http://www.vdsteenoven.com/aquarius/

The Mattel Aquarius has a small library of cart games, as well as a library of cassette tape games. It is good for a laugh and has historical significance. The historical significance is how to not make a low end computer...

There is a person over on atariage that might be making a future multicart for the system. Check it out!

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic...us-multi-cart/

[InsaneDavid]

Doorstop. Oh, and disappointment when found in the bottom of a box of miscellaneous electronics at a flea market after thinking you've spotted something interesting down there.

[Gapporin]

Absolutely nothin'! (Say it again!)

[Tempest]

Absolutely nothin'! (Say it again!)

Damn it! I was just about to say the same thing.

It's good for a few laughs. Beyond that and the historical (in)significance, not much. The games are fairly poor and almost all of them are available on the Intellivision (the cart releases anyway). It's one of those things you collect and never play with.

Tempest

[buzz_n64]

Yeah, I bought it at a swap meet/flea market, thought it was cool. Read up on it, and found out that it sucked. I'd still like to pick up some games for it to try it out, if the price is right.

[diskoboy]

The Aquarius was a featured prize on Starcade, back in the day.

I always felt sorry for the poor schmucks who won one. They were pretty much useless, a few months later, when Mattel Electronics shut their doors.

[josekortez]

Absolutely nothin'! (Say it again!)

I expected a Fifth Dimension reference, not an Edwin Starr reference! Good job!

Yeah, the Aquarius in question has been inside a disheveled box tied up inside a garbage bag since I bought it. This weekend, I might get brave enough to check it out and see if it works. It probably does.

[Jorpho]

Doorstop.

Haven't you heard? "Trebuchet ammunition" is the new "doorstop".

[diskoboy]

If it does work, you'll probably end up putting it right back, soon after.

It really is that bad.

It's really sad when the 'follow up' to your first console is worse than the original. It fact, the Odyssey 2 has better GFX than most Aquarius games.

Astrosmash and Night Stalker are just awful... Worse than their M-Network 2600 counterparts.

[zemmix]

I remember the carts being a weird shape that didn't like to be stacked at all too. I don't think I ever plugged mine in more than once.

[Steve W]

Haven't you heard? "Trebuchet ammunition" is the new "doorstop".

Weirdly enough, I was also thinking about ammo to be flung from a Trebuchet.

I used to have a copy of LOGO and the modem for the Aquarius shrinkwrapped that someone gave me 15 years back. Eventually, after never coming across the computer in the wild, I broke down and opened them up to satisfy my curiosity about them. One of these days, I'll find an Aquarius and try the LOGO cart out. Can't think of any use I would ever have for the modem.

Every time I ever post anything about wanting an Aquarius, I get private messages from people trying to unload theirs. Thanks anyway, but I'd rather find one in the wild. I'll feel like I earned it that way, such is my level of collector nerdity.

[Tupin]

Every time I ever post anything about wanting an Aquarius, I get private messages from people trying to unload theirs. Thanks anyway, but I'd rather find one in the wild. I'll feel like I earned it that way, such is my level of collector nerdity.

If you could refer these people to me, I wouldn't mind.

But yeah, the computer died within two months. You could probably buy everything there is to buy for it except maybe the printer and not spend very much at all.

[josekortez]

If you could refer these people to me, I wouldn't mind.

But yeah, the computer died within two months. You could probably buy everything there is to buy for it except maybe the printer and not spend very much at all.

Tupin, I don't collect old computers so if I can test the Aquarius to make sure it's working, we might be able to work something out. I don't even know if it has any software or not, but give me a day or two.

[Trebuken]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasures of Tarmin!!! If you don't hve an intellivision.

[Ed Oscuro]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasures of Tarmin!!! If you don't hve an intellivision.

By chance, your name makes me think of trebuchets.

The thread definitely brought Edwin Starr to mind. (Unh!)

It also makes me realize I ought to find out more about this system. It came after the Intellivision but was worse? Crazy.

[Ze_ro]

Aquarius is garbage. I love weird and obscure computers and all, but there's just no redeeming values here. If you want something underpowered, go with a VIC-20 instead... at least there is a decent amount of software and hardware for it.

--Zero

[swlovinist]

Aquarius is garbage. I love weird and obscure computers and all, but there's just no redeeming values here. If you want something underpowered, go with a VIC-20 instead... at least there is a decent amount of software and hardware for it.

--Zero

Love the Vic 20...a definate under appreciated gem.

[Rickstilwell1]

Damn it! I was just about to say the same thing.

It's good for a few laughs. Beyond that and the historical (in)significance, not much. The games are fairly poor and almost all of them are available on the Intellivision (the cart releases anyway). It's one of those things you collect and never play with.

Tempest

Kind of like the RCA Studio II

[exit]

We have one (maybe two) laying around the house somewhere. I thought it was fun as a kid, I used to play this one weird game with my brother and I remember him being good at astrosmash, there was also that Tron game that made absolutely no sense. I'm sure my parents found it on clearance, since I've never seen any mention of it until I discovered this forum.

Who can forget the awkward expansion cart slot? We also have a weird printer for it and a tape recorder that I'm sure we never had games for, again something I only recently discovered was for games.