1983 · Mattel · US · console
Mattel Aquarius
Mattel's rubber-keyed home computer, dropped within months of launch.
Mixed Trivial to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
Image: Evan-Amos · Public domain
Mattel's 1983 home computer, built down to a price with a rubber calculator keyboard and too little memory, and dropped by Mattel within months — one insider reportedly nicknamed it 'the system for the seventies'.
Its brightest moment was Astrosmash, a port of Mattel's own Intellivision hit, which flattered the hardware more than it deserved.
What it cost
about 13% of a month’s pay in 1983 · about $504 today
| US launch list price ($160) |
$160 (1983)
Mattel’s Z80 home computer with rubber chiclet keys, cancelled within 5 months. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | ≈50,000 estimate Estimated 50,000 units before rapid market withdrawal. |
Why it mattered
The Aquarius is a byword for a rushed, under-specified machine — a home computer Mattel disowned so fast it became an industry cautionary tale about shipping to a price.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | Aquarius (libretro), MAME |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (0.5 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Astrosmash 1983 shooter
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin 1983 RPG
- Night Stalker 1983 action
The verdict
A curiosity redeemed slightly by Astrosmash; the library is thin and weak.
Even Mattel gave up on it within months — there is little reason to spend longer than they did.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about educational machines, oddities and fantasy consoles and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 3/5 for fun today and 3/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.