Video game preservation is an important part of the industry with more and more companies looking for ways to share their archive of retro titles with a new generation of gamers.
One of the most popular forms of this is video game emulation and companies have poured a lot of resources into allowing players to access their back catalogue in some form.
Most gaming systems will have a paid subscription such as the Virtual console, but more recently companies have created mini consoles.
There have been so many over the last few years with fans getting treated to pint-size versions of classic Sega, Nintendo, and Sony consoles.
Legendary gaming giants Taito are amongst these companies and are ready to revive their classic titles in the EGRET II mini.
Taito’s original EGRET II was first introduced in 1996 and was an instant hit in the arcades. The EGRET II mini is an authentic remake that captures all the nostalgia and features of the original.
Video game enthusiasts will really adore the massive attention to detail, especially if you happened to have played an original one.
It’s a little bigger than most mini consoles but really light meaning it can be transported with ease if needed. The EGRET II mini features the original’s brazen colour scheme and branding all over the console.
But where the EGRET II mini really surpasses others is that it has its own screen and built-in speakers.
Now, this is obviously a replica of the arcade cabinet so it wouldn’t be authentic if a screen wasn’t included, however, I feel that other mini consoles could also include a mini screen of some so they could be played on the go.
The 5-inch 4:3 screen offers a 1024×768 resolution which is a thing of beauty that really shows off each of the retro games' vibrant colour schemes.
The EGRET II mini’s screen can also rotate the view to a vertical perspective, this is a fantastic feature that will grant players an authentic experience for games that were designed that way.
comes with nine buttons and a joystick. The main six buttons are for playing games, but they aren’t required for all the titles
The other three are for inserting coins, choosing players and bringing up the menu on the screen. The Joystick has a big ball top and feels really sturdy in use.
A great additional feature is that players can change the stick from four directions to eight at any point.
Each game will suggest what's the best configuration to play in, but players can pick either.
I do think the controls work very well and are responsive, but they are on the small side and players may find it hard to use especially for the fighting games.
But players will be able to purchase extra controllers that will also allow for some co-op play.
The built-in stereo speakers won’t be replacing your TV speakers but they are a nice touch and offer admirable sound quality.
The console has extra features that grant additional options of play. It comes with an HDMI port that outputs at 720p, so players can enjoy these games on their TV and two USB ports for the extra controllers.
The console features forty classic titles from Taito’s vault, with a lot of them making their first appearance outside of Japan.
In addition to this, an extra ten games can be purchased in separate bundles with the extra controllers.
Being a fan of retro fighting games it was great to get my hand on Kaiser Knuckle and the discontinued Dan-Ku-Ga.
The Egret II Mini also features some great quality of life features granting players the ability to save states and have adjustable lives.
It does have a few issues that aren’t deal-breakers but slightly frustrating because they seem like really simple design flaws.
The Egret II Mini does not allow players to change features such as sound, screen brightness or any other filters within any game.
Meaning players will have to exit the game they are playing and change the features. But with the save states you can jump back in where you left off.
Some of the games are only in Japanese with no option to switch to English or other languages.
These games are very old so I’m not really expecting full translations for them but seeing as the Egret II Mini is marketed outside of Japan extra languages could’ve been factored in
Verdict 4/5
The EGRET II mini is arguably one of the most authentic mini consoles on the market.
Its stellar design and extensive catalogue are just bursting with nostalgia that will please all gamers.
There are a few issues that were frustrating but not a deal-breaker at all, this definitely one to add to your collection of mini consoles.
The EGRET II mini is available now for £282.52
