Mattel Aquarius with the Back Bit Pro

We use the Back Bit Pro to play with the Mattel Aquarius. A couple of thrilling games of Astrosmash are played.
#retrocomputers #retrogaming
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Back Bit Pro
store.backbit.io/product/back...
Online Aquarius Overlays
www.pixelatedarcade.com/packa...

[@Prime-1111X]

I love the fact that Amy's eyeshadow is matching the Aquarius.

[@fractalMD]

A happy accident, but I love it, too!

[@drjohnfisher]

Can I just take a quick sec to compliment Amy's makeup and nails? Great video! Keep them coming!

[@fractalMD]

Why thank you!

[@JimBlimey]

That's an interesting piece of kit! My Aquarius (and Speccy actually) would certainly benefit from it.. Thanks for bringing attention to this device

[@fractalMD]

Back Bit Pro is The Way.

[@happysprollie]

Who could not love someone who, while destroying 8-bit aliens, uses a word like 'asymptote'?

[@fractalMD]

Only a monster!

[@texmex3343]

I never saw in France this Mattel Aquarius II microcomputer, even if I know it. In Europe it was mostly sold in Italy, nice video 🙂

[@fractalMD]

I'm picking up an Italian vibe for it via comments for sure. Learning stuff.

[@DJTI99]

Wow. I haven't thought about Skylab in quite a while. I remember being a kid on vacation at the Outer Banks in NC during the reentry and I kept worrying that it was going to land on us at the beach.

[@fractalMD]

Definitely showing my age with a Skylab reference....

[@DJTI99]

@@fractalMD Me, too. I can just see the new PSA: "If you grew up when Skylab was in orbit, it's probably time to schedule that colonoscopy."

[@floydjohnson7888]

I was in fourth grade when that (pardon the pun) went down.

[@ronaldovercast6930]

Great video

[@fractalMD]

Thanks!!

[@IsaacKuo]

I didn't know they had those classic Intellivision games on the Aquarius ... as one would expect, the Aquarius versions are very different, considering the radically different hardware. So interesting! Also, this makes the Aquarius already like a 1000% better gaming machine than the Amico.

[@fractalMD]

I'm enjoying our cute little Barbie computer.

[@CanadianRetroThings]

A couple things about Astrosmash, Level 4 is @ 20000 (Turquoise) and it adds attacking UFOs. Each level adds a score multiplier. Level 5 is Grey @ 50000 and level 6 is Black (again) @ 100000. Astrosmash is one of my favorites on my Intellivision.

[@HunterZBNS]

Wasn't Astrosmash a pack-in or built-in game for the Intellivision? Neat to see that Mattel ported it to the Aquarius.

[@CanadianRetroThings]

@@HunterZBNS The only game I remember, and can now find any mention of, as a pack in was Las Vegas Poker and Blackjack.

[@HunterZBNS]

@@CanadianRetroThings it looks like you're probably right, but that some people misremember it as a pack-in because it was available for some period of time as a mail-in promotion.

[@fractalMD]

It's a solid little game! But I don't think I'll EVER see past purple.

[@geekwithsocialskills]

Another fun video! Who doesn't enjoy the age of Aquarius? "So you're a Christmas tree in a Tetris field" HAHA. You two are so funny! As a side note, Amy is always wearing her sun glasses. Why you ask? Because the sun shines on her 24 hours a day! 🙂

[@geekwithsocialskills]

P.S. Galaga is my favorite game too Taylor!

[@fractalMD]

Lawd, I have to wear the glasses to keep the mop of hair on my head outta mah face.

[@geekwithsocialskills]

@@fractalMD #TheStruggleIsReal 🙂

[@elyuw]

Great video, that 17mins flew by. I just got Astrosmash up and running on an emulator, nice little game :)

[@fractalMD]

Ooh, which sounds do you have on it? Mini expander ones?

[@elyuw]

@@fractalMD it depends, set the Emu to 4K and I get the normal sounds, but if I set it to 16k I get the MiniExpander ones 😀

[@macrohard007]

Roll Tide! Although I'm a Longhorn. My favorite football games I've been to have been when Texas played Bama. Didn't make this years game, since I live in California now, but was still a great game to watch on tv.

[@fractalMD]

Taylor bleeds Crimson. No doubt! We both grew up in Tuscaloosa.

[@TaylorAmyShow]

Hook 'em and welcome to the channel!

[@EviesRevue]

Mini-Expander. MINI. Hahaha!!!

[@fractalMD]

EXACTLY what I said!???!! What size would be the "maxi"!

[@marksuper4920]

Astrosmash was a favorite on the Atari! I figured out that you lose points when anything hits the ground because the screen kept flashing from black to blue when I was around 1000 points!

[@fractalMD]

Oh hell. I thought it was just when you died.

[@WhatHoSnorkers]

Progamers! To the eSports Arena! :) That looks like a good bit of kit and some fun games too!

[@fractalMD]

I'm basically a pro gamer, correct. 😎

[@anjanettepetty-kountz3785]

“Turns out you can’t fire when you’re dead…. (Under her breath)….. In this game” 😂

[@fractalMD]

Just like in real life!

[@anjanettepetty-kountz3785]

@@fractalMD 🤔true story

[@RetrogamerGenX]

An Aquarius, wow, haven't seen one of those in years. Ebay find or local? Just found your channel. Love your content. Keep up the retro gaming goodness!!!👍👍😃

[@fractalMD]

Finding stuff in Memphis is near impossible. Pretty sure this was an eBay special.

[@Charleshawn66]

Nice video! TY for the content. Did you two see they just announced World of Commodore 2022 Saturday December 3 and Sunday December 4 in Mississauga, Ontario (just south of Toronto). This is the 1st one since they stopped during COVID-19. If you're coming, will you two be making a song about the 6502 to sing like you did for CoCoFest? Would love to meet you guys there!

[@fractalMD]

No current plans, but you never know! And funny you should ask about a 6502 song.... **trails off mysteriously**

[@derekchristenson5711]

Several of the titles mentioned here are also Intellivision games. I wonder how many games of the Aquarius' library are just ports of existing Intellivision ones?

[@fractalMD]

Good question!

[@tron3entertainment]

I didn't know the Mattel Aquarius actually got to market. I recall seeing the specs in an ad. As I recall, it was very similar to the TI-99/4(A?). Would you say the same?

[@fractalMD]

If you blinked you missed it. They have very different feels to them, these two computers.

[@basketballsteve54]

Why is Amy always on the left and Taylor always on the right? Regardless i love your channel and videos.

[@fractalMD]

Not always always, but mostly.

[@pin00ch]

You two are far too young to be into this stuff!! Come on. These is my childhood games. Well done for being young and for appreciating em!!

[@fractalMD]

Flattery will get you everywhere! We are dead center for this demographic. :)

[@jeffreyphipps1507]

I don't have to take this abuse from a 40 year old game!

[@fractalMD]

😫😫😫

[@stanleymasterson1135]

I have what may be the last brand new, NEVER USED, Aquarius "complete" edition, (came with printer, tape drive etc). Asking $250,000

[@fractalMD]

Dang, son!