Taito has launched a new mini-size version of its popular Egret II arcade machine, which even conserves the rotating screen that attracted so much attention in those 90s. So you can better enjoy the peculiarities of each of the 50 games it offers, from Space Invaders to Bubble Bobble.
This is the Egret II Mini
Launching new mini versions of consoles, computers and even arcade machines like the one we are going to show you today is something that no longer attracts as much attention as a few years ago. Even so, those of us who are very pottery and like anything with chips always find it interesting.
The new proposal, as we said, comes from the hand of Taito , a benchmark in recreational games back in the 90’s. At that time it had a very particular proposal, the Egret II, which is precisely the one that is now being put back to the sale in a mini format that maintains one of its main characteristics or differentiating aspects: a rotating screen.
The Egret II Mini is a mini arcade or recreational mini-format that comes to allow the most nostalgic to relive those games they played in that Taito machine. And it also gives the opportunity to those who did not get to know it to see what it was like to play on a device that had the particularity of offering a screen to the user that could be placed vertically or horizontally depending on the type of game that was to be played to take better advantage the screen itself.
How did you take advantage of the screen? Well, very easy, ship games, for example, are played much better when the screen allows us to have a greater number of lines (pixels) vertically than horizontally, avoiding the black stripes on the sides.
Of course, that screen is not the only striking thing that you will find in this new mini version, its three controls will also attract your attention. Because each of them will offer a different control mode. So you can choose the one you think is the most optimal for the type of game.
For example, there is a gamepad that is identical to what we could find in any current console with its D-Pad and keypad. Then there’s one with an arcade-style joystick and buttons. And finally a controller with a trackball.
Reviewing the rest of the technical characteristics, although you will not find anything out of the ordinary, the Taito mini arcade machine offers a 5-inch diagonal rotating screen with a 4: 3 aspect ratio, includes HDMI output, headphone output of 3.5mm, two USB A ports and USB C connector for power.
Games available on the Egret II Mini
As you can imagine, unless you only want it as a decorative element and collectibles, the games available in this arcade are also important. As announced by Taito there will be 40 games, although at the moment there are only ten confirmed which are the following:
- Arkanoid
- Arkanoid Returns
- Cadash
- Chack’n pop
- Cameltry
- Don Doko Don
- Elevator Action
- Kaiser knuckle
- Liquid Kids
- Lunar Rescue
- Metal black
- New Zealand Story
- Plump pop
- Qix
- Rastan Saga
- Rainbow Islands Extra
- Space invaders
- Strike Bowling
- Syvalion
- Violence Fight
How much does the Egret II Mini cost
Did you like Taito’s new arcade? Well now let’s talk about prices. The recreational would cost about 140 euros to change approximately. And we say the change because at the moment it is only announced for the Japanese market. Then, the three controls can be purchased separately at a price that will range from 25 euros to 65 and 90 euros depending on the basic one, which includes the lever or the trackball.
Even so, when it is finally launched on the market there may be some news regarding its availability in other countries than Japan only, but for that we will still have to wait. Because the Egret II mini will be available from March 2, 2022.