2-XL facts for kids
| Other names | 2-XL Robot, 2XL Robot, 2XL |
|---|---|
| Type | Educational toy robot |
| Inventor(s) | Michael J. Freeman |
| Company |
|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1978–1981; 1992–1995 |
2-XL is a cool educational toy robot. It was sold from 1978 to 1981 by the Mego Corporation. Later, Tiger Electronics sold it from 1992 to 1995. 2-XL was one of the first "smart toys." It could remember things, play games, and respond to you.
This robot had a fun "personality." It used jokes and funny sayings to help kids learn. 2-XL was seen as a big step for educational toys. It won many awards. Playthings magazine even called it one of the top ten toys ever! The name "2-XL" sounds like "to excel," which means to do really well.
Contents
Different Versions of 2-XL
The Original Mego 2-XL (1978-1981)
The very first 2-XL robot was made by Mego Corporation. It was brown plastic with a white front. Its eyes were two red lights that flashed when it talked. On its stomach, it had four red buttons. These buttons were for answering questions, like "A or Yes" or "C or No."
There was also a knob to turn it on and change the sound. The robot used 8-track tape cartridges. These tapes held the programs and questions. Even though it used tapes, it seemed like a computer. It had over 20 ways to interact with you. It could teach you about sports, the metric system, and general facts.
In 1980, the robot got a small update. Its eye lights became brighter and moved with its voice. The plastic also looked shinier.
The Tiger Electronics 2-XL (1992-1995)
Tiger Electronics brought 2-XL back in 1992. This new version used cassette tapes instead of 8-track tapes. The cassette tapes were longer and sounded better. The robot's inventor, Michael J. Freeman, recorded the voice again.
This new 2-XL had a mouth that lit up when it spoke. It could also run on batteries, so you could take it anywhere! It even had a headphone jack. The cassette tapes had four different sound tracks. This allowed the robot to be even more interactive. If you played a 2-XL tape in a regular player, you would hear different sounds on the left and right sides.
New tapes for this version featured popular characters. You could learn with Spider-Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men, and Batman. These tapes let you go on adventures and make choices for the heroes. This version was sold in many countries, and its tapes were translated into different languages.
2-XL on TV
The 2-XL toy was so popular that it even led to a game show! It was called Pick Your Brain. The 2-XL robot was the assistant to the show's host. 2-XL also worked with basketball star Michael Jordan. It appeared in public service announcements (PSAs) with him in the early 1990s.
2-XL Tapes and Games
Mego Corporation Tapes (1978-1981)
Each Mego 2-XL robot came with a "General Information" tape. Other tapes were sold separately. Here are some of the cool topics you could learn about:
- 50's and 60's Nostalgia (1978)
- Animal World (1978)
- Astronomy: 2-XL in Space (1978)
- The Basics of ABCs (1978)
- Believe This or Not (1978)
- Guinness Book of World Records (1978)
- Metric System Education (1978)
- Monsters, Myths and Legends (1978)
- Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (1978)
- Science Fiction (1978)
- Sports (1978)
- Storyland (1978)
- US Presidents and American History (1978)
- Exercise with 2-XL (1979)
- Fairy Tale Quiz (1979)
- Math and Number Games (1979)
- Super Heroes and Comic Books Cavalcade (1979)
- Talking Calculator and Number Game (1979)
- Wonders of the World (1979)
- Robotrivia (1980) - came with a board game.
- Robotstronomy (1980) - came with a board game.
- Amazing Sports Feats (1981)
- Traffic and Bicycle Safety (1981)
Tiger Electronics Tapes (1992-1995)
The Tiger 2-XL robot came with "The World of 2-XL" tape. Many other exciting tapes were sold separately, often featuring popular characters:
- Sportsworld (1992)
- Fun and Games (1992)
- World of Animals (1992)
- World of Science (1992)
- Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs (1992)
- Trivia Time (1992)
- Amazing World's Records (1992)
- Fascinating Facts (1992)
- Storymaker (1992)
- African Safari (1993)
- Jurassic Facts (1993)
- Batman: Carnival of Crime (1993)
- Voyage to Outer Space (1993)
- Batman: The Sizzling Scheme (1993)
- Music Maker (1993)
- Oceans of Fun (1993)
- Planet Earth (1993)
- Pet Parade (1993)
- Counting (1994) - Scholastic Series
- Chaos in Jurassic Park (1994)
- Fun With Words (1994) - Scholastic Series
- Incredible Sports Feats (1994)
- Are You Afraid of the Dark - Nickelodeon (1994)
- Geography & You (1994)
- Power Rangers (1994)
- Ripley's Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True! (1994)
- Safety First (1994)
- Spider-Man: For King and Country (1994)
- Stars and Planets Game (1994)
- Star Trek- The Next Generation: Blinded by the Light (1994)
- Superman- The Man of Steel: Mayhem in Metropolis (1994)
- X-Men: Deadly Games (1994)
- Robotstronomy (1994)
- Robottrivia (1994)
- Tales From The Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets (1994)
Playing "Trilex" with 2-XL
One special tape for the Mego 2-XL was "Trilex." This was a full board game you played against 2-XL! The tape came with a board that fit over the robot's front. You dropped game pieces into slots that lined up with 2-XL's buttons. The goal was to make a line or triangle of three pieces of your color. This game was clever because it made the 2-XL robot seem like it had a real game-playing brain!
Awards and Recognition
Both versions of 2-XL won many awards. FamilyFun magazine named it the best toy of 1992. Right Start Magazine in Europe called it the best toy for 3-5 year olds in 1993. For its 75th anniversary, Playthings magazine put 2-XL on its cover. They said it was one of the top ten toys of all time! The Tiger 2-XL also won the Walt Disney Company Best Learning Toy award in 1992.
Images for kids
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A German Speaking 2-XL Robot Program
