We’ve had all manner of retro micro consoles released in recent years, but the Taito Egret II Mini is not like the rest and could be the best one yet.
If you are not familiar with Taito Egret II, then it is arguably one of the best and most versatile arcade cabinets ever created. So much so that it has become the de facto standard of classic arcade gaming the world over.
Apart from its excellent construction, what makes the Taito Egret II so special is its party piece. The fact that you can swivel the entire screen for games that either operate horizontally or vertically.
On other cabinets, even if they offer the ability to turn their monitor around, it often requires a fair amount of tools and careful work.
This is why the Taito Egret II was and is so special, it can handle almost every arcade game ever released and does so with ease.
Places like Taito Hey in Akihabara use the Taito Egret II en masse to run all manner of classic arcade games in the manner they were intended. So to have a mini version available is actually really quite special.
Featuring 40 games out of the box, and an additional 10 via an SD Card (which I will get onto later), there is a lot to play with here. From the classic Space Invaders to games like Metal Black and Darius Gaiden.
The default controls are also solidly done and due to the Egret II Mini’s increased size means that the inputs aren’t impossibly tiny either.
This is also quite a big micro console all told and a little bit hefty with it. This means the screen itself is bigger, at 5 inches, and everything just feels a bit more manageable as a result.
You have two USB ports at the rear, as well as HDMI out and power-in via a USB-C port. You also have a regular analog audio jack available. The USB ports support the various pads for the Egret II Mini, and these are also quite multi-faceted.
The most interesting port on the Egret II Mini though is for SD Cards. Apart from the additional 10 licensed games that Taito are offering, this is effectively a homebrew delivery mechanism, and I am very curious to see what happens with this once the Egret II Mini is in wider circulation.
Pre-orders are already open, and you can pick up the limited edition blue version from places like Games Rocket for €199.99. The pads and other controllers are sold separately, with the Paddle and Trackball pad plus the extra SD Card set costing €119.99.
Shipping will be towards the end of this May and will also handle international orders, in case you are wondering.
So if you are a more discerning and cultured arcade gamer, then the Taito Egret II Mini is a lovely bit of hardware that commemorates one of the best arcade cabinets ever made.
Disclosure: I received a sample of the Egret Mini II for the purposes of this review.
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