Tiger 2-XL Robot (partially lost compact cassette tape edutainment games; 1992-1995): Difference between revisions

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(I have now digitized "X-Men: Deadly Games" and "X-Men: Ghosts that Haunt Us" and uploaded them to the Internet Archive. These two tapes are FOUND now)
m (fixed wording)
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|image=Tiger_Scholastic_Series.jpg
|image=Tiger_Scholastic_Series.jpg
|imagecaption=An advertisement showing the Tiger 2-XL Robot with the Scholastic Series, some of the last tapes produced before it was discontinued.
|imagecaption=An advertisement showing the Tiger 2-XL Robot with the Scholastic Series, some of the last tapes produced before it was discontinued.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
In 1992, toy company Tiger produced the '''Tiger 2-XL robot''', a children’s toy used the play trivia games and Choose Your Own Adventure games. It was an attempt at the modernization of the original 2-XL robot, which was produced by Mego in 1978. While the original robot stored the trivia questions and answers on 8-track tapes, the Tiger version used compact cassette tapes. This allowed the tapes to be recorded with four mono audio tracks in the same direction. This is different from normal compact cassette tapes, as two tracks would usually be recorded in stereo in one direction, while two more tracks would be recorded in stereo in the other direction. As the questions were asked, the player would select their answer by pressing one of the four buttons on the robot. This would switch the track, and the different tracks contained different responses for different answers. This allowed 2-XL to “respond” differently depending on the player’s answer.<ref>[http://www.robotsandcomputers.com/robots/2xl_t.htm Documentation on how the Tiger 2-XL used the compact cassette tapes.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref> The English versions of the tapes are the most well-known. As with the original 1978 Mego 2-XL, the English voice was provided by Dr. Michael J Freeman, the inventor of both 2-XL variants. The Tiger 2-XL was taken off the market in 1995.
In 1992, toy company Tiger produced the '''Tiger 2-XL Robot''', a children’s toy used the play trivia games and "Choose Your Own Adventure" games. It was an attempt at the modernization of the original 2-XL robot produced by Mego in 1978. While the original robot stored the trivia questions and answers on 8-track tapes, the Tiger version used compact cassette tapes. This allowed the tapes to be recorded with four mono audio tracks in the same direction. This is different from normal compact cassette tapes, as two tracks would usually be recorded in stereo in one direction. In comparison, two more tracks would be recorded in stereo in the other direction. As the questions were asked, the player would select their answer by pressing one of the four buttons on the robot. This would switch the track, and the different tracks contained different responses for different answers. This allowed 2-XL to “respond” differently depending on the player’s answer.<ref>[http://www.robotsandcomputers.com/robots/2xl_t.htm Documentation on how the Tiger 2-XL used the compact cassette tapes.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref> The English versions of the tapes are the most well-known. As with the original 1978 Mego 2-XL, the English voice was provided by Dr. Michael J Freeman, the inventor of both 2-XL variants. The Tiger 2-XL was taken off the market in 1995.


==Preservation==
==Preservation==
The compact cassettes that were used for the Tiger 2-XL can be easily erased with a permanent magnet. Additionally, as this toy was for young children, the tapes may not have been well-cared-for. Thankfully, compact cassette tape players are still being made, though they are uncommon. Proper preservation requires a stereo tape deck. However, recording is not intuitive due to all four tracks being recorded in the same direction. While two tracks will play normally from beginning to end, the other two will play in reverse from end to beginning. This will need to be fixed using an audio editor. Also, the tracks may become misaligned due to variations in tape speed. This will also require correction later.
The compact cassettes that were used for the Tiger 2-XL can be easily erased with a permanent magnet. Additionally, as this toy was for young children, the tapes may not have been well-cared-for. Thankfully, compact cassette tape players are still being made, though they are uncommon. Proper preservation requires a stereo tape deck. However, the recording is not intuitive due to all four tracks being recorded in the same direction. While two tracks will normally play from beginning to end, the other two will play in reverse from end to beginning. This will need to be fixed using an audio editor. Also, the tracks may become misaligned due to variations in tape speed. This will also require correction later. Several of the tapes have now been uploaded to the Internet Archive. Additionally, a simulator exists for playing with the 2-XL robot in a web browser. The simulator was written in JavaScript, and it features all 44 U.S. tapes from the Tiger 2-XL, as well as over 45 English-language tapes for the older Mego 2-XL. <ref>[https://2xlbot.com/ A web-browser based simulator for the 2-XL robot.] Retrieved 13 Mar '21</ref>


==Various Findings==
==Various Findings==
Throughout October 2019, LMW user TropesAreDangerous uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive on the account TheManWithNoPlan: ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers'', ''Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park'', ''Ripley's Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True'', ''Batman: The Sizzling Scheme'', ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor'', ''Spider-Man: For King and Country'', ''Star Trek - The Next Generation Blinded by the Light'', ''Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets''. In December 2019, the same user uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive: ''Careers & You - Scholastic Series'', ''All Time Top Topics'', ''Jurassic Facts'', ''Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs'', ''Say Hello to Famous Folks'', ''Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun'', ''Trivia Time'', and ''World of Science''. Additionally, in December 2019, eBay listings were discovered for Italian Tiger 2-XL tapes. These revealed ten previously unknown titles that were released in Italy.
Throughout October 2019, LMW user TropesAreDangerous uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive on the account TheManWithNoPlan: ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers'', ''Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park'', ''Ripley's Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True'', ''Batman: The Sizzling Scheme'', ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor'', ''Spider-Man: For King and Country'', ''Star Trek - The Next Generation Blinded by the Light'', ''Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets''. In December 2019, the same user uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive: ''Careers & You - Scholastic Series'', ''All Time Top Topics'', ''Jurassic Facts'', ''Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs'', ''Say Hello to Famous Folks'', ''Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun'', ''Trivia Time'', and ''World of Science''. Additionally, in December 2019, eBay listings were discovered for Italian Tiger 2-XL tapes. These revealed ten previously unknown titles that were released in Italy.


On January 7th, 2020, TropesAreDangerous uploaded ''Incredible Sports Feats'' onto the Internet Archive.
On January 7th, 2020, TropesAreDangerous uploaded ''Incredible Sports Feats'' onto the Internet Archive. Between March 7th and March 29th, 2020, TropesAreDangerous uploaded 9 games onto the Internet Archive. Those games being ''Scholastic Series: Fun With Words'', ''Scholastic Series: Geography and You'', ''Scholastic Series: Safety First'', ''Storymaker'', ''Sports World'', ''Stars & Planets'', ''Oceans of Fun'', ''X-Men: Deadly Games'', and ''X-Men: Ghosts that Haunt Us''. 


==United States Releases==
==United States Releases==
As with the original Mego 2-XL, the U.S. release of the Tiger 2-XL is more well-documented than releases in other countries. Fan-sites have compiled a total of 44 U.S tapes that are known to have released. Four other tapes appeared on Later 2-XL boxes, but it is unknown whether they were produced. The Scholastic Series was released in 1994, as the last proper series of tapes for the system. However, a single tape, a Power Rangers tie-in, was released in 1995 shortly before Tiger discontinued the system.<ref>[http://2xlrobot.com/types/tiger.html Listing of U.S. Tiger 2-XL tape releases.] 15 Jun ‘19</ref> Some of these tapes have made their way online through the Internet Archive. There is also a web-browser-based 2-XL simulator produced by Mouser of DonationCoder.com, which allows users to interact with a virtual 2-XL and play some of the tapes.<ref>[https://www.donationcoder.com/software/mouser/other-projects/2-xl-simulator Mouser's 2-XL simulator, containing both Mego 2-XL 8-track games and Tiger 2-XL compact-cassette games.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref>
As with the original Mego 2-XL, the U.S. release of the Tiger 2-XL is more well-documented than releases in other countries. Fan-sites have compiled a total of 44 U.S tapes that are known to have been released. Four other tapes appeared on Later 2-XL boxes, but it is unknown whether they were produced. The Scholastic Series was released in 1994 as the last proper series of tapes for the system. However, a single tape, a Power Rangers tie-in, was released in 1995 shortly before Tiger discontinued the system.<ref>[http://2xlrobot.com/types/tiger.html Listing of U.S. Tiger 2-XL tape releases.] 15 Jun ‘19</ref> Some of these tapes have made their way online through the Internet Archive. There is also a web-browser-based 2-XL simulator produced by Mouser of DonationCoder.com, which allows users to interact with a virtual 2-XL and play some of the tapes.<ref>[https://www.donationcoder.com/software/mouser/other-projects/2-xl-simulator Mouser's 2-XL simulator, containing both Mego 2-XL 8-track games and Tiger 2-XL compact-cassette games.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref>


==International Releases==
==Known International Releases==
A small number of non-U.S. releases have been documented on 2-XL fan-sites. At least five tapes were released in Germany by the toy company, Joker. These releases are known from pictures of German packaging that were posted to a 2-XL fan-site. Audios clips from two of these tapes have also been uploaded online. At least four tapes were released in Italy by the company Gig, who rebranded many toys from around the world for the Italian market. Three of these tapes were found on a Gig promotional flier, which also contains blurry images of six tapes. The titles on these six items are not legible. An audio clip from one of these tapes has been uploaded online. At least five Spanish-language tapes are known to exist via a YouTube video by "Forever Toys", but it is unclear if this was a release in Spain, Mexico, or another country. At least one tape was known to have been released in France, but the distributor is unclear. All of these releases were based on existing U.S. releases from Tiger, but they were performed in their countries’ native languages. Finally, the Tiger 2-XL was released in the United Kingdom by toy company Tomy. These tapes, like the U.S. releases, were recorded in English by Michael J Freeman. However, at least one tape had noticeable differences from the U.S version. <ref>[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html Information on non-U.S. releases for the Tiger 2-XL.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref>
A small number of non-U.S. releases have been documented on 2-XL fan-sites. At least five tapes were released in Germany by the toy company, Joker. These releases are known from pictures of German packaging that were posted to a 2-XL fan-site. Audio clips from two of these tapes have also been uploaded online. At least four tapes were released in Italy by the company Gig, who rebranded many toys from around the world for the Italian market. Three of these tapes were found on a Gig promotional flier, containing blurry images of six tapes. The titles on these six items are not legible. An audio clip from one of these tapes has been uploaded online. At least five Spanish-language tapes are known to exist via a YouTube video by "Forever Toys," but it is unclear if this was a release in Spain, Mexico, or another country. At least one tape was known to have been released in France, but the distributor is unclear. All of these releases were based on existing U.S. releases from Tiger, but they were performed in their countries’ native languages. Finally, the Tiger 2-XL was released in the United Kingdom by toy company Tomy. These tapes, like the U.S. releases, were recorded in English by Michael J Freeman. However, at least one tape had noticeable differences from the U.S version. <ref name="International_Tapes">[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html Information on non-U.S. releases for the Tiger 2-XL.] Retrieved 15 Jun ‘19</ref>


==Obscure Releases==
According to a 2-XL fan-site, there were a few other releases of the Tiger 2-XL. The fan-site lists Mexico, Spain, Russia, Japan and makes mention of other countries in Latin America. <ref name="International_Tapes" /> The Spanish-language tapes could possibly be from Spain, Mexico, or one of the miscellaneous Latin American countries. However, there are no known breakdowns of which Spanish-language tapes were released in which countries. Audio clips have surfaced online from two different Spanish-language versions of the "World of 2-XL" tape, in which one is believed to have been from Spain, while the other is believed to have been from Mexico.  A small audio clip of an unknown 2-XL tape from Japan has also appeared online, believed to be from a Tiger 2-XL release. No images of Tiger 2-XL tapes or tape lists from Russia or Japan have resurfaced, leaving those releases shrouded in mystery.
==U.S. Releases==
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
|-
|-
! style="background-color:green" | Title
! style="background-color:green" | Title
! style="background-color:green" | Status
! style="background-color:green" | Status of Audio
! style="background-color:green" | Year of Release
! style="background-color:green" | Year of Release
! style="background-color:green" | Status of Workbooks
|-
|-
|2-XLebrations!
|2-XLebrations!
|<span style="color:grey;">''Existence Unconfirmed''</span>
|<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''
| N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|African Safari
|African Safari
|[https://archive.org/details/Tiger2-XLAfricanSafari <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/Tiger2-XLAfricanSafari<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|All-Time Top Topics
|All-Time Top Topics
|[https://archive.org/details/alltimetoptopics <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/alltimetoptopics<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Amazing World Records
|Amazing World Records
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlamazingworldrecords <span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor – Nickelodeon
|Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor – Nickelodeon
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2XLPhantomManor <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2XLPhantomManor<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Batman: Carnival of Crime
|Batman: Carnival of Crime
|[https://archive.org/details/BatmanCarnivalOfCrimeTrack1 <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/BatmanCarnivalOfCrimeTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-
|-
|Batman: The Sizzling Scheme
|Batman: The Sizzling Scheme
|[https://archive.org/details/Batman_The_Sizzling_Scheme <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/Batman_The_Sizzling_Scheme<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Careers & You - Scholastic Series
|Careers & You - Scholastic Series
|[https://archive.org/details/scholasticseriescareersandyou <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/scholasticseriescareersandyou<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|Count on 2-XL (possibly released as “Count On It”)
|Count on 2-XL (possibly released as “Count On It”)
|<span style="color:grey;">''Existence Unconfirmed''</span>
|<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''
| N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Count On It – Scholastic Series
|Count On It – Scholastic Series
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriescountonit<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|Fascinating Facts
|Fascinating Facts
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlfascinatingfacts<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Food Facts and You
|Food Facts and You
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlfoodfactsandyou<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Friends From Far Away
|Friends From Far Away
|<span style="color:grey;">''Existence Unconfirmed''</span>
|<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''
| N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Fun and Games
|Fun and Games
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlfunandgames<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Fun With Words – Scholastic Series
|Fun With Words – Scholastic Series
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriesfunwithwords <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriesfunwithwords<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-   
|-   
|Geography and You – Scholastic Series
|Geography and You – Scholastic Series
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriesgeographyandyou <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriesgeographyandyou<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|Incredible Sports Feats
|Incredible Sports Feats
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlincrediblesportsfeats <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlincrediblesportsfeats<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Jurassic Facts
|Jurassic Facts
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xljurassicfacts <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xljurassicfacts<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-
|-
|Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park
|Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park
|[https://archive.org/details/track2_201909 <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/track2_201909<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Letter Perfect
|Letter Perfect
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlletterperfect<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers
|Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers
|[https://archive.org/details/attackofthe100footteenagerstrack2 <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/attackofthe100footteenagerstrack2<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1995
|1995
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs
|Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlmonstersmythsdinosaurs <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlmonstersmythsdinosaurs<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Music Maker
|Music Maker
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlmusicmaker<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Nature & You – Scholastic Series
|Nature & You – Scholastic Series
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlscholasticseriesnatureandyou<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|Oceans of Fun
|Oceans of Fun
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xloceansoffun <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xloceansoffun<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|On the Go!
|On the Go!
|<span style="color:grey;">''Existence Unconfirmed''</span>
|<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''
| N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|-
|Pet Parade
|Pet Parade
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlpetparade<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Planet Earth
|Planet Earth
|[https://archive.org/details/PlanetEarthTrack1 <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/PlanetEarthTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True
|Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True
|[https://archive.org/details/RIpleysBelieveItOrNotStrangeAndTrue <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/RIpleysBelieveItOrNotStrangeAndTrue<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Safety First - Scholastic Series
|Safety First - Scholastic Series
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsafetyfirst <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsafetyfirst<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|Say Hello to Famous Folks
|Say Hello to Famous Folks
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsayhellotofamousfolks <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsayhellotofamousfolks <span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Spider-Man: For King and Country
|Spider-Man: For King and Country
|[https://archive.org/details/spidermanforkingandcountry <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/spidermanforkingandcountry<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|Sports World
|Sports World
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsportsworld <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsportsworld<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Stars and Planets
|Stars and Planets
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlstarsandplanets<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlstarsandplanets<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1993
|1993
|<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|Star Trek – The Next Generation: Blinded by the Light
|Star Trek – The Next Generation: Blinded by the Light
|[https://archive.org/details/startrektngblindedbythelight <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/startrektngblindedbythelight<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Storymaker
|Storymaker
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlstorymaker <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlstorymaker<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Superman – The Man of Steel: A New Hero in Town
|Superman – The Man of Steel: A New Hero in Town
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsupermananewherointown<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Superman – The Man of Steel: Mayhem in Metropolis
|Superman – The Man of Steel: Mayhem in Metropolis
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsupermanmayheminmetropolis<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|Surprise Package
|Surprise Package
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlsurprisepackage <span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets
|Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets
|[https://archive.org/details/talesfromthecryptifwisheswerehornets <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/talesfromthecryptifwisheswerehornets<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun
|Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xltreasurechestoffactsandfun <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xltreasurechestoffactsandfun<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Trivia Time
|Trivia Time
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xltriviatime <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xltriviatime <span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|Voyage to Outer Space
|Voyage to Outer Space
|[https://archive.org/details/VoyageToOuterSpaceTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/VoyageToOuterSpaceTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-   
|-   
|World of 2-XL
|World of 2-XL
|[https://archive.org/details/WorldOf2XLTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/WorldOf2XLTrack1<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|World of Animals
|World of Animals
|<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlworldofanimals<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|World of Science
|World of Science
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlworldofscience <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlworldofscience<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1992
|1992
|N/A
|-
|-
|X-Men: Deadly Games
|X-Men: Deadly Games
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlxmendeadlygames <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlxmendeadlygames<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|N/A
|-
|-
|X-Men: Ghosts That Haunt Us
|X-Men: Ghosts That Haunt Us
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlxmenghoststhathauntus <span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlxmenghoststhathauntus<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| 1994
|1994
|-
|N/A
|}
|}
===German Releases===
===German Releases===
Line 228: Line 280:
! style="background-color:green" | Description
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
| Geschichten, die Noch Keiner Kent
|Geschichten, die Noch Keiner Kent
| Stories That Nobody Knows Yet
|Stories That Nobody Knows Yet
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was the German release of the U.S. tape, “Storymaker”.
|This was the German release of the U.S. tape, ''Storymaker''.
|-
| Das Galubt Kein Mensch
| That Does Not Believe Man
| [http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
| This was the German release of the U.S tape, “Fascinating Facts”.
|-
|-
| Dinos, Monster und Gespenter
|Das Galubt Kein Mensch
| Dinos, Monsters, and Ghosts
|That Does Not Believe Man
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
| This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, “Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs”, although it curiously substitutes Ghosts for Myths
|This was the German release of the U.S tape, ''Fascinating Facts''.
|-
|-
| Unser Planet Erde
|Dinos, Monster und Gespenter
| Our Planet Earth
|Dinos, Monsters, and Ghosts
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, “Planet Earth”.
|This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, ''Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs'', although it curiously substitutes Ghosts for Myths.
|-
|-
| Die Welt des 2-XL
|Unser Planet Erde
| Pre-school Facts & Fantasies
|Our Planet Earth
| [http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was the German release of the “World of 2-XL”, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
|This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, ''Planet Earth''.
|-
|-
|Die Welt des 2-XL
|The World of 2-XL
|[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
|This was the German release of the ''World of 2-XL'', which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
|}
|}
===Italian Releases===
===Italian Releases===
Line 262: Line 313:
! style="background-color:green" | Description
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
| Il Mondo di 2-XL
|Il Mondo di 2-XL
| The World of 2-XL
|The World of 2-XL
| [http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlIlMondodi2xl<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| This was the Italian release of the “World of 2-XL”, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
| This was the Italian release of the “World of 2-XL”, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
|-
|-
| Nel Mondo Della Musica
|Nel Mondo Della Musica
| The World of Music
|The World of Music
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlnelmondodellamusica<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| This appears to have been the Italian release of “Music Maker”
|This appears to have been the Italian release of ''Music Maker''.
|-
|-
| Agenti Sergeti e Detective
|Agenti Sergeti e Detective
| 2-XL Detective
|2-XL Detective (or Secret Agent Detective)
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/track-1_202012 <span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Viaggio Nello Spazio
|Avventura Nello Spazio
| Space Travel
|Space Adventure
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlavventuranellospazio<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| This appears to have been the Italian release of the “Voyage to Outer Space”
|This appears to have been the Italian release of the ''Voyage to Outer Space''.
|-
|-
| Il Nostro, Planeta, La Natura, L'Ecologia
|Il Nostro, Planeta, La Natura, L'Ecologia
| Our Planet, Nature, Ecology
|Our Planet, Nature, Ecology
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S "Planet Earth" tape.
|This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S "Planet Earth" tape.
|-
|-
| Il Mondo Della Scienza
|Il Mondo Della Scienza
| The World of Science
|The World of Science
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S. "World of Science" tape.
|This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S. ''World of Science'' tape.
|-
|-
| Il Mondo Del Misterio
|Il Mondo Del Misterio
| The World of Mystery
|The World of Mystery
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Il Mondo Degli Animali  
|Il Mondo Degli Animali  
| The World of Animals
|The World of Animals
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. "World of Animals" tape.
|This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. ''World of Animals'' tape.
|-
|-
| Il Mondo Dello Sport
|Il Mondo Dello Sport
| The World of Sports
|The World of Sports
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlilmondodellosport<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. "Sports World" tape.
|This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. ''Sports World'' tape.
|-
|-
| Alla Scoperta Del Corpa Umano
|Alla Scoperta Del Corpa Umano
| Discovering the Human Body
|Discovering the Human Body
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xlallascopertadelcorpaumano<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Giochi Ed Indevinelli
|Giochi Ed Indevinelli
| Games and Riddles
|Games and Riddles
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Miti e Leggende
|Miti e Leggende
| Myths and Legends
|Myths and Legends
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Le Cose piu strane ed Incredibili
|Le Cose piu strane ed Incredibili
| The Strangest and Most Incredible Things
|The Strangest and Most Incredible Things
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://archive.org/details/tiger2xllecosepiustraneedincredibili<span style="color:green;">'''Found''']
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|-
|-
| Viaggio Nella Storia
|Viaggio Nella Storia
| Journey Through History
|Journey Through History
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
|The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear. It could have been "Say Hello to Famous Folks."
|-
|-
|Il Mondo Delle Fiabe
| The World of Fairy Tales
| <span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This was most likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. tape "Storymaker."
|}
|}
===Spanish-Language Releases (Country Uncertain)===
===Spanish-Language Releases (Country Uncertain unless noted)===
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
|-
|-
Line 341: Line 396:
! style="background-color:green" | Description
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
| El Mundo de 2-XL
|El Mundo de 2-XL (believed to be the Spain version)
| The World of Music
|The World of 2-XL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WTCMHrkFCs <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
|[https://youtu.be/-WTCMHrkFCs<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
| This was the Spanish-language release of “The World of 2-XL”
|This was a Spanish-language release of ''The World of 2-XL''. It is believed to have been released in Spain. It is believed that there was a separate release in Mexico with different voice lines. Credit to LMW Forum user p4ndr1x for pointing out the differences in the dialects.
|-
|-
| El Mundo de la Ciencia
|El Mundo de 2-XL (believed to be the Mexico version)
| The World of Science
|The World of 2-XL
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfbzyWwiZY<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
| This was the Spanish-language release of “World of Science”.
|This was a Spanish-language release of ''The World of 2-XL''. It is believed to have been released in Mexico. It is believed that there was a separate release in Spain with different voice lines. Credit to LMW Forum user p4ndr1x for pointing out the differences in the dialects.
|-
|-
| Monstruos, Mitos, y Dinosaurios
|El Mundo de la Ciencia
| Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs
|The World of Science
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
| This was the Spanish-language release of “Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs”.
|This was the Spanish-language release of ''World of Science''.
|-
|-
| Unknown #1
|Monstruos, Mitos, y Dinosaurios
| Unknown
|Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of “Planet Earth”, but the only images have the title obscured.
|This was the Spanish-language release of ''Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs''.
|-
|Planeta Tierra
|Planet Earth
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|This was the Spanish-language release of ''Planet Earth''.
|-
|Hechos Fascinantes
|Fascinating Facts
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|This was the Spanish-language release of ''Fascinating Facts''.
|-
|El Pais de los Cuentos
|The Country of Tales
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of ''Storymaker''.
|-
|-
| Unknown #2
|Juegos y Diversiones
| Unknown
|Games and Entertainment
| <span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
| This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of “Fascinating Facts”, but the only images have the title obscured.
|This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of ''Fun and Games''.
|-
|-
|El Mundo de los Animales
|The World of Animals
|<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|This was the Spanish-language release of ''World of Animals''
|}
|}
===French Releases===
===French Releases===
Line 375: Line 449:
! style="background-color:green" | Description
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
| A la découverte de 2-XL
|A la découverte de 2-XL
| The World of 2-XL
|The World of 2-XL
| [http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
|[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
| This was the French release of the “World of 2-XL”, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
|This was the French release of the ''World of 2-XL'', which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
|}
===Known U.K.-Modified English Releases===
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
|-
! style="background-color:green" | Title
! style="background-color:green" | Status
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
|Sports World
|[http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found''']
|Differences have been documented with the wording of question #15 and the options on question #16.
|}
|}
=== Known U.K.-Modified English Releases===
 
===Japanese Releases===
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top;horizontal-align:left;
|-
|-
Line 388: Line 473:
! style="background-color:green" | Description
! style="background-color:green" | Description
|-
|-
| Sports World
| Unknown
| [http://2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html <span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>]
| [http://www.2xlrobot.com/moreinfo/international.html<span style="color:orange">'''Partially Found''']
| Differences have been documented with the wording of question #15 and the options on question #16
| This 27-second clip is believed to have come from a Tiger 2-XL tape released in Japan. However, no one has been able to identify the title.
|-
|}
|}
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =4
{{Video|perrow  =4
Line 409: Line 494:
}}
}}
<gallery mode=packed heights=250px>
<gallery mode=packed heights=250px>
File:More_Italian_2-XL_tapes.JPG| Italian flyer showing at least three tapes released by Gig in Italy(Courtesy of theoldrobots.com).
File:More_Italian_2-XL_tapes.JPG| Italian flyer showing at least three tapes released by Gig in Italy (Courtesy of theoldrobots.com).
File:Tiger_2-XL_First_Release.jpg|Flyer for the first 12 U.S. titles for the Tiger 2-XL (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).  
File:Tiger_2-XL_First_Release.jpg|Flyer for the first 12 U.S. titles for the Tiger 2-XL (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).  
File:Tiger_2-XL_Power_Rangers.jpg|A Power Rangers tie-in released for the Tiger 2-XL. Supposedly, this was the last tape released, and the only one released in 1995 (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).
File:Tiger_2-XL_Power_Rangers.jpg|A Power Rangers tie-in released for the Tiger 2-XL. Supposedly, this was the last tape released and the only one released in 1995 (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).
File:German_2-XL_tapes.jpg|German packaging for a Tiger 2-XL tape. This one reveals the titles for four German releases (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).
File:German_2-XL_tapes.jpg|German packaging for a Tiger 2-XL tape. This one reveals the titles for four German releases (Courtesy of 2xlrobot.com).
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_1_front.jpg| front of Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing four cassette titles (taken from eBay listing)
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_1_front.jpg| front of Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing four cassette titles (taken from eBay listing).
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_1_back.jpg|  back of Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing five cassette titles (taken from eBay listing)
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_1_back.jpg|  back of Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing five cassette titles (taken from eBay listing).
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_2_front.jpg| front of another Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing four cassette titles (taken from eBay listing)
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_2_front.jpg| front of another Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing four cassette titles (taken from eBay listing).
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_2_back.jpg | back of another Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing six cassette titles (taken from eBay listing)
File:Italian_eBay_tapes_2_back.jpg | back of another Italian Tiger 2-XL packaging, showing six cassette titles (taken from eBay listing).
File:Unconfirmed_Tiger_2-XL_tapes.jpg | The 1993 revised Tiger 2-XL box, which shows the four titles that have not been confirmed to exist. (taken from eBay listing).
File:More_Spanish_language_Tiger_tapes.png | A selection of Spanish-language TIger 2-XL tapes (taken from a Mercadolibre auction).
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
==References==
Line 423: Line 510:
[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Lost video games]]
[[Category:Lost video games]]
[[Category:Partially found media]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]

Revision as of 03:35, 14 March 2021

Tiger Scholastic Series.jpg

An advertisement showing the Tiger 2-XL Robot with the Scholastic Series, some of the last tapes produced before it was discontinued.

Status: Partially Lost

In 1992, toy company Tiger produced the Tiger 2-XL Robot, a children’s toy used the play trivia games and "Choose Your Own Adventure" games. It was an attempt at the modernization of the original 2-XL robot produced by Mego in 1978. While the original robot stored the trivia questions and answers on 8-track tapes, the Tiger version used compact cassette tapes. This allowed the tapes to be recorded with four mono audio tracks in the same direction. This is different from normal compact cassette tapes, as two tracks would usually be recorded in stereo in one direction. In comparison, two more tracks would be recorded in stereo in the other direction. As the questions were asked, the player would select their answer by pressing one of the four buttons on the robot. This would switch the track, and the different tracks contained different responses for different answers. This allowed 2-XL to “respond” differently depending on the player’s answer.[1] The English versions of the tapes are the most well-known. As with the original 1978 Mego 2-XL, the English voice was provided by Dr. Michael J Freeman, the inventor of both 2-XL variants. The Tiger 2-XL was taken off the market in 1995.

Preservation

The compact cassettes that were used for the Tiger 2-XL can be easily erased with a permanent magnet. Additionally, as this toy was for young children, the tapes may not have been well-cared-for. Thankfully, compact cassette tape players are still being made, though they are uncommon. Proper preservation requires a stereo tape deck. However, the recording is not intuitive due to all four tracks being recorded in the same direction. While two tracks will normally play from beginning to end, the other two will play in reverse from end to beginning. This will need to be fixed using an audio editor. Also, the tracks may become misaligned due to variations in tape speed. This will also require correction later. Several of the tapes have now been uploaded to the Internet Archive. Additionally, a simulator exists for playing with the 2-XL robot in a web browser. The simulator was written in JavaScript, and it features all 44 U.S. tapes from the Tiger 2-XL, as well as over 45 English-language tapes for the older Mego 2-XL. [2]

Various Findings

Throughout October 2019, LMW user TropesAreDangerous uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive on the account TheManWithNoPlan: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers, Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park, Ripley's Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True, Batman: The Sizzling Scheme, Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor, Spider-Man: For King and Country, Star Trek - The Next Generation Blinded by the Light, Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets. In December 2019, the same user uploaded the following eight tapes to the Internet Archive: Careers & You - Scholastic Series, All Time Top Topics, Jurassic Facts, Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs, Say Hello to Famous Folks, Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun, Trivia Time, and World of Science. Additionally, in December 2019, eBay listings were discovered for Italian Tiger 2-XL tapes. These revealed ten previously unknown titles that were released in Italy.

On January 7th, 2020, TropesAreDangerous uploaded Incredible Sports Feats onto the Internet Archive. Between March 7th and March 29th, 2020, TropesAreDangerous uploaded 9 games onto the Internet Archive. Those games being Scholastic Series: Fun With Words, Scholastic Series: Geography and You, Scholastic Series: Safety First, Storymaker, Sports World, Stars & Planets, Oceans of Fun, X-Men: Deadly Games, and X-Men: Ghosts that Haunt Us.

United States Releases

As with the original Mego 2-XL, the U.S. release of the Tiger 2-XL is more well-documented than releases in other countries. Fan-sites have compiled a total of 44 U.S tapes that are known to have been released. Four other tapes appeared on Later 2-XL boxes, but it is unknown whether they were produced. The Scholastic Series was released in 1994 as the last proper series of tapes for the system. However, a single tape, a Power Rangers tie-in, was released in 1995 shortly before Tiger discontinued the system.[3] Some of these tapes have made their way online through the Internet Archive. There is also a web-browser-based 2-XL simulator produced by Mouser of DonationCoder.com, which allows users to interact with a virtual 2-XL and play some of the tapes.[4]

Known International Releases

A small number of non-U.S. releases have been documented on 2-XL fan-sites. At least five tapes were released in Germany by the toy company, Joker. These releases are known from pictures of German packaging that were posted to a 2-XL fan-site. Audio clips from two of these tapes have also been uploaded online. At least four tapes were released in Italy by the company Gig, who rebranded many toys from around the world for the Italian market. Three of these tapes were found on a Gig promotional flier, containing blurry images of six tapes. The titles on these six items are not legible. An audio clip from one of these tapes has been uploaded online. At least five Spanish-language tapes are known to exist via a YouTube video by "Forever Toys," but it is unclear if this was a release in Spain, Mexico, or another country. At least one tape was known to have been released in France, but the distributor is unclear. All of these releases were based on existing U.S. releases from Tiger, but they were performed in their countries’ native languages. Finally, the Tiger 2-XL was released in the United Kingdom by toy company Tomy. These tapes, like the U.S. releases, were recorded in English by Michael J Freeman. However, at least one tape had noticeable differences from the U.S version. [5]

Obscure Releases

According to a 2-XL fan-site, there were a few other releases of the Tiger 2-XL. The fan-site lists Mexico, Spain, Russia, Japan and makes mention of other countries in Latin America. [5] The Spanish-language tapes could possibly be from Spain, Mexico, or one of the miscellaneous Latin American countries. However, there are no known breakdowns of which Spanish-language tapes were released in which countries. Audio clips have surfaced online from two different Spanish-language versions of the "World of 2-XL" tape, in which one is believed to have been from Spain, while the other is believed to have been from Mexico. A small audio clip of an unknown 2-XL tape from Japan has also appeared online, believed to be from a Tiger 2-XL release. No images of Tiger 2-XL tapes or tape lists from Russia or Japan have resurfaced, leaving those releases shrouded in mystery.

U.S. Releases

Title Status of Audio Year of Release Status of Workbooks
2-XLebrations! Existence Unconfirmed N/A N/A
African Safari Found 1992 N/A
All-Time Top Topics Found 1992 N/A
Amazing World Records Found 1992 N/A
Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Tale of the Phantom Manor – Nickelodeon Found 1994 N/A
Batman: Carnival of Crime Found 1993 N/A
Batman: The Sizzling Scheme Found 1993 N/A
Careers & You - Scholastic Series Found 1994 N/A
Count on 2-XL (possibly released as “Count On It”) Existence Unconfirmed N/A N/A
Count On It – Scholastic Series Found 1994 Found
Fascinating Facts Found 1992 N/A
Food Facts and You Found 1992 N/A
Friends From Far Away Existence Unconfirmed N/A N/A
Fun and Games Found 1992 N/A
Fun With Words – Scholastic Series Found 1994 Found
Geography and You – Scholastic Series Found 1994 Found
Incredible Sports Feats Found 1992 N/A
Jurassic Facts Found 1993 N/A
Jurassic Park: Chaos in Jurassic Park Found 1994 N/A
Letter Perfect Found 1993 Found
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Attack of the 100 Foot Teenagers Found 1995 N/A
Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs Found 1992 N/A
Music Maker Found 1993 N/A
Nature & You – Scholastic Series Found 1994 N/A
Oceans of Fun Found 1993 N/A
On the Go! Existence Unconfirmed N/A N/A
Pet Parade Found 1993 N/A
Planet Earth Found 1992 N/A
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!: The Strange & True Found 1992 N/A
Safety First - Scholastic Series Found 1994 N/A
Say Hello to Famous Folks Found 1992 N/A
Spider-Man: For King and Country Found 1994 N/A
Sports World Found 1992 N/A
Stars and Planets Found 1993 Found
Star Trek – The Next Generation: Blinded by the Light Found 1994 N/A
Storymaker Found 1992 N/A
Superman – The Man of Steel: A New Hero in Town Found 1994 N/A
Superman – The Man of Steel: Mayhem in Metropolis Found 1994 N/A
Surprise Package Found 1992 N/A
Tales from the Cryptkeeper: If Wishes Were Hornets Found 1994 N/A
Treasure Chest of Facts and Fun Found 1992 N/A
Trivia Time Found 1992 N/A
Voyage to Outer Space Found 1992 N/A
World of 2-XL Found 1992 N/A
World of Animals Found 1992 N/A
World of Science Found 1992 N/A
X-Men: Deadly Games Found 1994 N/A
X-Men: Ghosts That Haunt Us Found 1994 N/A

German Releases

Title English Translation Status Description
Geschichten, die Noch Keiner Kent Stories That Nobody Knows Yet Lost This was the German release of the U.S. tape, Storymaker.
Das Galubt Kein Mensch That Does Not Believe Man Partially Found This was the German release of the U.S tape, Fascinating Facts.
Dinos, Monster und Gespenter Dinos, Monsters, and Ghosts Lost This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, Monsters, Myths, & Dinosaurs, although it curiously substitutes Ghosts for Myths.
Unser Planet Erde Our Planet Earth Lost This appears to have been a German release of the U.S tape, Planet Earth.
Die Welt des 2-XL The World of 2-XL Partially Found This was the German release of the World of 2-XL, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.

Italian Releases

Title English Translation Status Description
Il Mondo di 2-XL The World of 2-XL Found This was the Italian release of the “World of 2-XL”, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.
Nel Mondo Della Musica The World of Music Found This appears to have been the Italian release of Music Maker.
Agenti Sergeti e Detective 2-XL Detective (or Secret Agent Detective) Found The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Avventura Nello Spazio Space Adventure Found This appears to have been the Italian release of the Voyage to Outer Space.
Il Nostro, Planeta, La Natura, L'Ecologia Our Planet, Nature, Ecology Lost This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S "Planet Earth" tape.
Il Mondo Della Scienza The World of Science Lost This was probably the Italian equivalent of the U.S. World of Science tape.
Il Mondo Del Misterio The World of Mystery Lost The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Il Mondo Degli Animali The World of Animals Lost This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. World of Animals tape.
Il Mondo Dello Sport The World of Sports Found This was likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. Sports World tape.
Alla Scoperta Del Corpa Umano Discovering the Human Body Found The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Giochi Ed Indevinelli Games and Riddles Lost The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Miti e Leggende Myths and Legends Lost The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Le Cose piu strane ed Incredibili The Strangest and Most Incredible Things Found The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear.
Viaggio Nella Storia Journey Through History Lost The U.S. equivalents, if any, for this tape are unclear. It could have been "Say Hello to Famous Folks."
Il Mondo Delle Fiabe The World of Fairy Tales Lost This was most likely the Italian equivalent of the U.S. tape "Storymaker."

Spanish-Language Releases (Country Uncertain unless noted)

Title English Translation Status Description
El Mundo de 2-XL (believed to be the Spain version) The World of 2-XL Partially Found This was a Spanish-language release of The World of 2-XL. It is believed to have been released in Spain. It is believed that there was a separate release in Mexico with different voice lines. Credit to LMW Forum user p4ndr1x for pointing out the differences in the dialects.
El Mundo de 2-XL (believed to be the Mexico version) The World of 2-XL Partially Found This was a Spanish-language release of The World of 2-XL. It is believed to have been released in Mexico. It is believed that there was a separate release in Spain with different voice lines. Credit to LMW Forum user p4ndr1x for pointing out the differences in the dialects.
El Mundo de la Ciencia The World of Science Lost This was the Spanish-language release of World of Science.
Monstruos, Mitos, y Dinosaurios Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs Lost This was the Spanish-language release of Monsters, Myths, and Dinosaurs.
Planeta Tierra Planet Earth Lost This was the Spanish-language release of Planet Earth.
Hechos Fascinantes Fascinating Facts Lost This was the Spanish-language release of Fascinating Facts.
El Pais de los Cuentos The Country of Tales Lost This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of Storymaker.
Juegos y Diversiones Games and Entertainment Lost This appears to have been the Spanish-language release of Fun and Games.
El Mundo de los Animales The World of Animals Lost This was the Spanish-language release of World of Animals

French Releases

Title English Translation Status Description
A la découverte de 2-XL The World of 2-XL Partially Found This was the French release of the World of 2-XL, which seems to have been the introductory tape in all countries.

Known U.K.-Modified English Releases

Title Status Description
Sports World Partially Found Differences have been documented with the wording of question #15 and the options on question #16.

Japanese Releases

Title Status Description
Unknown Partially Found This 27-second clip is believed to have come from a Tiger 2-XL tape released in Japan. However, no one has been able to identify the title.

Gallery

A U.S. commercial for the Tiger 2-XL (Courtesy of GeorgeVHS).

Video evidence of the Spanish-language Tiger 2-XL tapes (Courtesy of Forever Toys).

An Italian commercial for the Tiger 2-XL (Courtesy of Latte e Cartoni Time Machine).

A demonstration of the U.K. release of the 2-XL by Tomy (Courtesy of Robot Elixir).

References