Dig this portable shmup machine
German publisher United Games Entertainment, (parent company of ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games), has announced that it will be bringing the super cute coin-opTaito EGRET II Minito western shores in 2022. The portable hardware, which launches in Japan in March, compiles a huge range of Taito titles from the golden arcade era.
TheTaitoEGRET II Mini features 40 arcade favorites fromSpace Invaders, Darius Gaiden,andBubble Bobble,toRainbow Islands, New Zealand Story, Growl, and many, many more.Elevator Action Returnsis in the mix, so I’m sold. The cabinet includes a five-inch screen, which can be rotated to vertical orientation for the shmup releases — which is a very neat touch. Controls feature a six-button setup, and a joystick that can be switched out between four-way and eight-way.
A HDMI output will allow the console to play on the big screen, and all included games sport quality-of-life features such as save states, auto-fire, and stereo sound. In addition, fans will be able to purchase a cute mini paddle and trackball set, which brings with it a further 10 games includingArkanoid, Strike Bowling, andPlump Pop. While the “Mini” craze has definitely died off a little, I have to admit that the Taito EGRET II Mini’s quality game list and rotatable screen option make this unit pretty appealing. Certainly more appealing than the recentTaito Milestonescollection.
The Taito EGRET II Mini launches in Japan Jul 28, 2025. We’ll let you know when a western date is announced.
