Mika73 Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Looks very nice Wonder what prize will be.. I would like to buy one when its ready. Thank you! I haven't finalized the price yet, but it will probably be $65 plus shipping for one assembled and tested multi-cart board, which you can insert into any Aquarius cartridge "donor" that you might have in your collection. If you need a cartridge shell to go with it, I have a limited quantity of new shells that I will offer for an extra $10 each. Since these shells will come from new copies of Night Stalker, you'll get a Night Stalker box, manual, and overlay set to go with them. Thank you. I would like Multi cart with cartridge shell, I dont have so many Aquarius cartridges. Some label for Multicart would be cool, then guys who use their old cartridge shells could have it as sticker also. Prize sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Thank you. I would like Multi cart with cartridge shell, I dont have so many Aquarius cartridges. Some label for Multicart would be cool, then guys who use their old cartridge shells could have it as sticker also. Prize sounds good. Yes, both the loose boards and the cartridges with shells will come with some kind of label. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyo5050 Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Wow its come a long way and far superior to what we all originally expected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Wow its come a long way and far superior to what we all originally expected! And it just got even better: we managed to acquire a complete scan of the incredibly rare manual for Zero In earlier today. This was the last Aquarius cartridge manual that had never been archived in any form, but now that we have it, I will be able to include full documentation for all of the games on the cartridge! Because of their length, the manuals for the applications and programming languages will probably be offered in an "abridged" form inside the cartridge, but full scans of all of them will be available shortly after the project is complete. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Ooooooooh. Does anyone make text adventure games anymore? I am tempted to make one in old-school basic. Maybe I should do it on the Aquarius. I've never done one, but I can try. I've got a copy of this book, which I used when I was a kid to create a text adventure or two. It does a good job of explaining the basics and walking you through creating a (pretty decent) sample adventure. It's written to be platform-agnostic, and I can't think of anything in it that wouldn't work on the Aquarius version of BASIC, so maybe I can take some time after the project is finished to scan it in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 Ooooooooh. Does anyone make text adventure games anymore? I am tempted to make one in old-school basic. Maybe I should do it on the Aquarius. I've never done one, but I can try. I've got a copy of this book, which I used when I was a kid to create a text adventure or two. It does a good job of explaining the basics and walking you through creating a (pretty decent) sample adventure. It's written to be platform-agnostic, and I can't think of anything in it that wouldn't work on the Aquarius version of BASIC, so maybe I can take some time after the project is finished to scan it in. Well you can buy it on Amazon for a penny, and it is pretty readily available... so I don't think scanning is necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Well you can buy it on Amazon for a penny, and it is pretty readily available... so I don't think scanning is necessary. Well, that's true ... I guess I've just gotten used to scanning things lately. Another possibility would be to port the Infocom virtual machine (the "Z-machine"), probably from another Z80-based platform, so you could play the Infocom adventures (the Zork series, etc) on the Aquarius. My new cartridge boards will support ROMs that would be more than large enough for the software and the adventure data, and the response times will be much faster than if those games were played from floppy disk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 Well, that's true ... I guess I've just gotten used to scanning things lately. Another possibility would be to port the Infocom virtual machine (the "Z-machine"), probably from another Z80-based platform, so you could play the Infocom adventures (the Zork series, etc) on the Aquarius. My new cartridge boards will support ROMs that would be more than large enough for the software and the adventure data, and the response times will be much faster than if those games were played from floppy disk. ZORK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psquare75 Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 HHGTG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 will the multicart have phrogger and mr pacpan games on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 will the multicart have phrogger and mr pacpan games on it? It will be cartridge software only (about twenty-two titles in all), so those won't be included. It would have been a lot more work to create cartridge conversions of the cassette software, and even then, I couldn't include those programs that were written in BASIC. As I indicated earlier, I'd rather save that effort for a future project, which will involve a flash cartridge that can load and save cassette images (among many other things). Limiting the multi-cart to first-party cartridge releases was one way to keep the project manageable; even with a one megabyte ROM, it will take some work to squeeze in all the software, documentation, and historical material as it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 jay, maybe you douched on this before. is it possible to port auqarius cassette games to intellivision? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 jay, maybe you douched on this before. is it possible to port auqarius cassette games to intellivision? Well, they're very different machines, so any "port" of those programs would probably amount to a complete rewrite. The only thing the two machines really have in common is the sound chip and controllers that come with the Mini-Expander, but according to this list that the-topdog posted in another thread, few (if any) of the third-party cassette releases supported the Mini-Expander (except perhaps for extra RAM). I'm not quite sure why that is, since the games in particular could have benefited greatly from it, but that's a whole separate topic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 (edited) Well, they're very different machines, so any "port" of those programs would probably amount to a complete rewrite. The only thing the two machines really have in common is the sound chip and controllers that come with the Mini-Expander, but according to this list that the-topdog posted in another thread, few (if any) of the third-party cassette releases supported the Mini-Expander (except perhaps for extra RAM). I'm not quite sure why that is, since the games in particular could have benefited greatly from it, but that's a whole separate topic. Actually most of the 3rd party tape games required the mini-expander solely because they needed a 16k memory pack in the 2nd slot to run... but I don't believe I have ever seen a tape game that makes use of the hand controllers or enhanced audio capabilities of the mini-expander (someone please correct me if I am wrong). There is one type-in game "Flight Controller" by H.B.J. Droge, from the Aquarius User Magazine that I am aware of that utilizes the hand controllers of the mini-expander. I believe this game is archived in the Mattel Aquarius Yahoo Group so you don't have to cramp your fingers typing it. Edited September 30, 2010 by the-topdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Actually most of the 3rd party tape games required the mini-expander solely because they needed a 16k memory pack in the 2nd slot to run... but I don't believe I have ever seen a tape game that makes use of the hand controllers or enhanced audio capabilities of the mini-expander (someone please correct me if I am wrong). That's true, but they could also have used the 16K RAM module plugged directly into the computer. I guess they were trying to target the broadest possible range of users, not all of whom would have had the Mini-Expander. This brings up something I've wondered about: did Radofin continue to produce Mini-Expanders after Mattel returned the Aquarius rights to them? If not, that might be another reason it wasn't used more by third-party software, most of which was released after Mattel dropped support for the system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 (edited) Actually most of the 3rd party tape games required the mini-expander solely because they needed a 16k memory pack in the 2nd slot to run... but I don't believe I have ever seen a tape game that makes use of the hand controllers or enhanced audio capabilities of the mini-expander (someone please correct me if I am wrong). That's true, but they could also have used the 16K RAM module plugged directly into the computer. I guess they were trying to target the broadest possible range of users, not all of whom would have had the Mini-Expander. This brings up something I've wondered about: did Radofin continue to produce Mini-Expanders after Mattel returned the Aquarius rights to them? If not, that might be another reason it wasn't used more by third-party software, most of which was released after Mattel dropped support for the system. Hmmm... that's a good question... I will have to check all of my boxes when I get home to see if any of them are NOT branded "Mattel Electronics" I have 5 of them so it should be a good cross section. Also, you can see where my mind was, I forgot we were talking tape games and assumed the game would be using a cartridge port So you are totally right, just the 16k cartridge plugged directly into the expansion port would work. I feel dense. Edited September 30, 2010 by the-topdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Hmmm... that's a good question... I will have to check all of my boxes when I get home to see if any of them are NOT branded "Mattel Electronics" I have 5 of them so it should be a good cross section. Also, you can see where my mind was, I forgot we were talking tape games and assumed the game would be using a cartridge port So you are totally right, just the 16k cartridge plugged directly into the expansion port would work. I feel dense. Hey, no problem! Incidentally, that 16K requirement is another reason I opted not to include the cassette games in the multi-cart. I would have had to make a new RAM upgrade to go with it because relatively few people own 16K modules, and again, I felt those resources would have been better spent on the flash cartridge (which will also include a full 32K of expanded RAM). I just looked over the four Mini-Expanders that I have in my collection, and they're all Mattel Electronics branded. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psquare75 Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Three things. 1. I eagerly await the multi cart. My dad was actually the Aquarius owner (even though it was a christmas gift for me in 84 or 85). He was the AD&D player extrordinaire lol. I haven't told him about this yet. 2. If you do decide to make a flashcart of some sort that is compatible with the cassette games, I am interested. 3. jay, maybe you douched on this before. is it possible to port auqarius cassette games to intellivision? Heheheheheheheehehhhehehe.. you said douche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 (edited) Hey, no problem! Incidentally, that 16K requirement is another reason I opted not to include the cassette games in the multi-cart. I would have had to make a new RAM upgrade to go with it because relatively few people own 16K modules, and again, I felt those resources would have been better spent on the flash cartridge (which will also include a full 32K of expanded RAM). I just looked over the four Mini-Expanders that I have in my collection, and they're all Mattel Electronics branded. The funniest thing that was released for the Aquarius was the 4k memory cartridge since none of the official software released for the platform could make use of it... they either didn't require it or needed the 16k cartridge... so the only practical use for it was for your own type-in programming that you would save to tape. That is why you can still find cases upon cases of 4k carts in the wild and why they only sell for like $5 each (Except that crazy eBay guy trying to get $50). Edited September 30, 2010 by the-topdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 The funniest thing that was released for the Aquarius was the 4k memory cartridge since none of the official software released for the platform could make use of it... they either didn't require it or needed the 16k cartridge... so the only practical use for it was for your own type-in programming that you would save to tape. That is why you can still find cases upon cases of 4k carts in the wild and why they only sell for like $5 each (Except that crazy eBay guy trying to get $50). Mattel must have gotten a good price on 2K SRAM chips. The 4K cartridges contain two of them, the same ones used inside the Aquarius computer itself. I think the best use for the 4K cartridges nowadays is to upgrade them to 32K. I've worked out a procedure for doing it very easily, with only a few inexpensive parts and a bit of soldering; the hardest part is getting the cartridge open and pulling out the old chips. After the project is finished, when I have time, I'll document the procedure so other Aquarius owners can try it. I've upgraded a few of them to 32K myself, and I'll soon be offering them for sale to help offset the development costs for the multi-cart project. I might even put one on eBay, just to spite the crazy eBay guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 1. I eagerly await the multi cart. My dad was actually the Aquarius owner (even though it was a christmas gift for me in 84 or 85). He was the AD&D player extrordinaire lol. I haven't told him about this yet. Thanks! Let me know if your Dad wants one, too; I'll probably offer a discount to people who would like to order more than one. 2. If you do decide to make a flashcart of some sort that is compatible with the cassette games, I am interested. Well, it will be off in the future a bit: I've got the multi-cart to finish, then the video upgrade board and my first Aquarius game, and probably one other hardware upgrade after that (not an internal upgrade; it will plug into the Mini-Expander controller ports). Once all that is squared away, then I'll start looking at the flash cart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 jay, maybe you douched on this before. is it possible to port auqarius cassette games to intellivision? LOL, 'douched' i meant to say touched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) This brings up something I've wondered about: did Radofin continue to produce Mini-Expanders after Mattel returned the Aquarius rights to them? If not, that might be another reason it wasn't used more by third-party software, most of which was released after Mattel dropped support for the system. Hmmm... that's a good question... I will have to check all of my boxes when I get home to see if any of them are NOT branded "Mattel Electronics" I have 5 of them so it should be a good cross section. Ok, so here is the scoop... all five of mine are branded "Mattel Electronics" just like your four... and pictures of the lat two I sold are the same... there is one in a family pack currently on ebay branded the same... the last three on ebay are branded as well... the last European model mini-expander sold on ebay is also branded "Mattel Electronics"... so I would like to check with "Mr Aqaurius" himself (Martin) to see if his are the same. If he confirms it then I would say that it is a safe assumption that Radofin did not re-release the mini-expander after they regained control of the system. Edited October 1, 2010 by the-topdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Very interesting. Thanks for looking into that. It seems so strange that Radofin wouldn't continue to produce the Mini-Expander: it remedied some of the system's most serious shortcomings, and the Aquarius was pretty weak (and thus a much harder sell) without it. To be sure, it was a very Mattel-influenced design, and perhaps they didn't want that association after they got the system back. Or, perhaps there weren't enough of the old Mattel titles that used it still in production to justify making more; the later titles that they released under their own name (Chess, Zero-In, Space Speller, etc) worked fine without it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cmart604 Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 jay, maybe you douched on this before. is it possible to port auqarius cassette games to intellivision? LOL, 'douched' i meant to say touched. Nicely done Rev! Just recently got my Aquarius, looking forward to buying a multi-cart jaybird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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