World of 2-XL: Kasey the Kinderbot

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Kasey the Kinderbot

The Third Generation of 2-XL!

To quote Doc Brown, "You can't keep a good inventor down!"

It's no surprise that with the current "80's revival" boom going on that toy companies have also been interested in bringing back 2-XL. This time Dr. Freeman has opted to go with Fisher-Price, one of the most well-established toy comapnies in the business. The result is a complete redesign of the original concept -- Kasey the Kinderbot.

Like 2-XL, Kasey has four buttons on his (her?) chest for direct interaction and operates on different cartridges for different programs about a variety of different topics. But gone are the old tapes; Kasey is 100% solid-state electronics. In addition, he now has an LED monitor to show you images with the questions, and he moves his head, arms and swivels at the waist!

As you would expect being from Fisher-Price, Kasey is aimed at the youngest group yet: preschoolers from ages 3 - 7. There are still questions and answers, but those are just a part of a huge arsenal of learning and interactive tools, including games using the LED screen, singing and dancing. By using electronic cartridges and not being limited by analog tape, the programs are no longer as linear as the old 2-XL programs; kids can go from section to section whenever they feel like it, exploring each section for as little or as long as they wish. When my (almost) three-year old daughter started playing with hers, she was doing the Hokey Pokey with Kasey for nearly an hour!

Kasey's personality is definitely far different from the 2-XL we grew up with, although at times you can see shades of 2-XL sneak through. (For example, after not pushing a button, Kasey cleared his throat and re-emphasized "Please push one of my buttons, NOW" in that "stop fooling around with me" tone 2-XL would get.) Another important difference is that for the first time the robot is not using Dr. Freeman's voice; Kasey's voice is provided by voice over talent Kamala Kruszka, who has also done the voices of other Fisher-Price toys. Fans of the original 2-XL without children of their own may not be able to relate to Kasey, but speaking for those of us who do, I feel Kasey is a worthy successor to pass on to our next generation.

The Programs

Kasey debuted in 2002 with 8 planned programs, which were all relased over an 18 month period from mid-2002 through December 2003. If/When new programs come out, they will be added to this list. Kasey started with a smaller number of programs than 2-XL started with, because the Kasey programs are more complex to make: 2-XL programs just had to coordinate four audio tracks for the button responses, but the Kasey programs have to coordinate the Kasey voice with button responses plus lights, movement, the LCD screen animation and menus, etc. As a result each Kasey program takes longer to make. All of these programs have now been released.

The programs are color-coded for what category each one belongs to: red for Languages, green for Science, blue for Math and yellow for Reading. The introductory cartridge that comes with Kasey (and is simply labeled "Kasey the Kinderbot") is purple, but is actually a blank -- the introductory program itself is stored directly in Kasey, so Kasey will always go to that program as a default if the cartridge slot is empty.

Click on any highlighted name to learn more about that program. Most of these only have images right now; more details to come on all programs.

Languages: French (2002)

Languages: Spanish (2002)

Math: Addition & More (2003)
Math: Numbers & Counting (2003)
Reading: Focus on Phonics (2003)
Reading: Words & Sentences (2003)
Science: Living Things (2002)
Science: Wonderful World (2002)

If you have any new sightings of new Kasey the Kinderbot programs that have been made available or other programs not listed here, feel free to e-mail me about them! Thank you!

Kasey's Friends

Toby the Totbot (2004)
In 2004, Fisher-Price expanded the line to include Toby the Totbot, aimed at children age 1 and up. Like Kasey (and 2-XL) Toby has four buttons on his chest, but it doesn't look like you can change his programs. Toby here focuses on teaching letters from A-Z, numbers from 1-10, music and shapes, and uses a light-up bulb screen instead of the LED screen that Kasey uses.
I've spotted Toby in stores already, so I can confirm that he's been released!

Fetch the Phonicsbot (2004)
Another new addition to the Kasey line in 2004 is Fetch the Phonicsbot, aimed at children age 2 and up. Fetch here has what appears to be fifty-two buttons, two for each letter of the alphabet, and also appears to only run on one program.

Additional Accessories

Kasey the Kinderbot Backpack (2004)
A carrying case for Kasey cartridges! (Hey, I just invented a new tounge-twister.) This is a little backpack that fits on Kasey and holds 4 cartridges, while still leaving room for a fifth cartridge to be plugged into Kasey's back.
Dollhouse Kasey!

Loving Family Dollhouse: Backyard Set #B8178 (with miniature Kasey!) (2004)
Fisher-Price's Backyard Set includes a miniature Kasey the Kinderbot, which is even supposed to be interactive! (You know, I always dreamed of a miniature 2-XL that would be to scale with my Star Wars figures...)
PLEASE NOTE that Fisher-Price makes TWO different Loving Family Backyard Sets, one that comes with Kasey (set #B8178) and one that comes with a dog (set #77328).

Images of Kasey the Kinderbot

Here are some early promotional images of Kasey-- note how Kasey's screen appears to be photoshopped and isn't the final version. More images of Kasey (both solo and in comparison to 2-XL) added to this spot soon!

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