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Offers three simple games that you can modify via Intellivision Basic.

Graphics: 3 Sound: 2 Replay Value: 2 Notes: 1- or 2-player game; requires ECS Screen Shots

I have played Mr. Basic Meets Bits 'n Bytes a small amount - but not enough to do an exhaustive review. The games themselves are all pedestrian and not worth playing in and of themselves all that much. All of the games are intended to be simple playgrounds for the aspiring Intellivision Basic developer to hone skills and become acquainted with the language. The game includes a spiral-bound manual (the Mattel version, at least) that contains tutorials on each game, with code samples and descriptions of how the game can be modified by the 'player'. As I haven't run though the tutorials in detail, I can't say how valuable they are. In any case, here's a brief rundown of each of the three games.

The Cannon is a rehash of an age-old game - you set the force and angle of a cannon and lob your payload at the enemy. The enemy attempts to do essentially the same thing as you. You can modify various parameters to change the physics of the game world, for example.

In Mr. Basic, your on-screen avatar seems to be compelled to keep a computer server room neat and tidy. You fetch printouts and do other 'menial' tasks. The control is a bit hard, and the game is kind of strange. I seem to remember you fetch flying papers and 'bits' or some such and feed them into the computer in some fashion. Odd, but not really compelling. Again, you can modify the game's variables and such via the Inty Basic language.

The third game is Vampire Bats, in which you defend your building from bats that are eating away the façade. You do this by dropping grenades on them. Hmm. As far as a game goes, it's lame. It may offer you a great way to familiarize yourself w/ Intellivision Basic, but not much else.

Interestingly, it seems that you can plug the cartridge into any old Intellivision without the ECS hooked up and at least play the games. When doing this, you lose the ability to use BASIC - and therefore can't modify the game behavior from the built-in settings.

A total of two Mister Basic Meets Bits 'n Bytes box variants have been documented.

Image	Vendor	Part Number	Year	Origin	Description
	Mattel Electronics	4536-0210	1983		Origin is not printed on box, but generic copyright info printed on back; opens on bottom flap—not a book-style box; has barcode on back
	Intellivision Inc.	4536-0210	1983	Singapore	Standard Intellivision, Inc. box; bottom flap has full Mattel part number; game title and Intellivision logo on bottom

A total of three Mister Basic Meets Bits 'n Bytes manual variants have been documented.

Image	Vendor	Part Number	Year	Origin	Description
	Mattel Electronics	4536-0920	1983	U.S.A.	Spiral-bound manual
Image not available.	Mattel Electronics	????	None	Germany?	German version; appears to be typed up translation; spotted in eBay auction
	Intellivision Inc.	4536-0920	None	U.S.A.	Staple along top edge

Only one version of the overlays has been found for Mister Basic Meets Bits 'n Bytes.

Image	Vendor	Part Number	Year	Origin	Description
	Mattel Electronics	4536-4309	1983	U.S.A.	Left controller overlay for 'The Cannon'
	Mattel Electronics	4536-4319	1983	U.S.A.	Right controller overlay for 'The Cannon'
	Mattel Electronics	4536-4289	1983	U.S.A.	Overlay for the 'Mr. Basic' game
	Mattel Electronics	4536-4299	1983	U.S.A.	Overlay for the Vampire Bats game

A total of three Mister Basic Meets Bits 'n Bytes label variants have been documented.

Image	Vendor	Part Number	Year	Origin	Description
	Mattel Electronics	N/A	1983	U.S.A.	Red background with white letters; origin center-right; © M.E.I. 1983 lower right; ™ upper left; small label, rounded corners
	Mattel Electronics	N/A	1983	Singapore	Red background with white letters; origin center-right; © M.E.I. 1983 lower right; ™ upper left; smaller label, rounded corners
	Intellivision Inc.	N/A	1982	Singapore	Origin lower right; © I.I. 1982 to left of origin; ™ small, upper right on second line of title; smaller label, rounded corners

	The ™ symbol is unusal for Mattel title screens. Also note the incorrect location of the apostrophe.
	Game selection screens don't get more basic that that. *groan*
	Vampire Bats—not much of a game, but a learning tool. After all, using grenades to kill bats? About like using 5 gallons of gas to take out an anthill...
	As far as graphics go, they're nice for such a simple game. The Cannon is another simple game used in teaching you Intellivision BASIC.
	This is the strangest game of the bunch on this cartridge.

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