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szdaily -> Tech and Science -> 
Taito’s Egret II Mini is an arcade replica with a rotating screen
    2021-06-07  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

TAITO, the Square Enix subsidiary behind arcade classic “Space Invaders,” is jumping on the mini hardware trend in a big way. The Japanese company has unveiled a desktop replica of its sit-down arcade machine, the Egret II.

Originally released in the 1990s, the so-called candy cabinet stood out thanks to a rotate mechanism that allowed the screen to be configured vertically for Tate-Mode games like shoot-em-ups.

Fittingly, the micro-version retains that feature with a 5-inch 4:3 LCD display that you can pop out and turn to fit in either orientation. The main controls include six primary buttons and a stick that can be adjusted from four to eight directions based on the game. Alongside the replica cabinet, Taito is also releasing a separate controller featuring a paddle wheel and trackball for compatible titles like “Cameltry,” which originally saw players guiding a marble through a maze by rotating the screen. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the concept inspired the special stages from the original “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

In all, Taito is promising a library of 40 preloaded titles. Though it hasn’t revealed the full lineup yet, the current list includes “Space Invaders,” “Lunar Rescue,” “Qix,” “Elevator Action,” “Chack’n Pop,” “Bubble Bobble,” among others. One of the more recent titles on the list is “Global Champion” (“Kaiser Knuckle” in Japan), which jumped on the beat-em-up bandwagon in the wake of “Street Fighter II.”

The expansion controller, meanwhile, comes with an SD card preloaded with 10 games that use the trackball or paddle. They include confirmed titles like “Strike Bowling,” the aforementioned “Cameltry,” “Plump Pop” and “Syvalion.” Another notable addition is “Arkanoid,” a block breaker arcade game published by Taito in 1986. Aside from the rotating screen, the Egret II Mini features a USB-C port for power, two USB-A ports for controllers, an HDMI port for TV output, and a headphone jack.

Including the replica itself and the peripherals, the cabinet won’t come cheap. On its own, it costs US$170 and the expansion controller is US$110. Taito is also offering an extra arcade stick for US$80 and a gamepad for US$30.

But there’s still a while to go before it lands: The Egret II Mini ships in March 2022. (SD-Agencies)

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