"No rEgrets" Any firm that capitalizes on millennials' nostalgia is one of the most profitable ones to be in these days. For those positioned between Generation X and the Zoomers, it has undoubtedly been a difficult few decades. According to studies, our generation has been severely hampered by two severe recessions and exorbitant student loan debt, putting us well behind our parents' financial situation at this age. Nevertheless, as we have repeatedly seen, our youth is on the market, with every entertainment industry looking to profit from our nostalgia for the films, television series, and video games of our youth. Even though we don't have much money, we manage to find the money to purchase pricey trinkets and accessories that allow us to recall our school days.Take the micro arcade market, for example. If you're anything like me, you most likely had childhood fantasies of owning your own arcade cabinet. Though maybe not to the same extent as you may recall, that dream is now being realized. The most well-known brand in this field is unquestionably Arcade 1Up, with its 3/4 scale selection of classic arcade games appealing to those who need to fill their empty basements. Even smaller enterprises are closing their doors. A few years ago, SNK released the Neo Geo Mini, and last year, Limited Run Games and Sega collaborated to release the Astro City Mini. With the Egret II Mini cabinet, Taito is now joining the fray.The Taito Egret II Mini is a little version of the Taito Egret II arcade machine, which is still in use in certain Japanese arcades today. It stands slightly over 8" tall. The controller, which is somewhat longer than six inches and large enough for someone with larger hands like myself, is attached to the unit's base. Just be careful not to knuckle your unit too much by using your fingers rather than your whole fist.Six gaming buttons, a very responsive 8-way directional control stick (which you can adjust with a knob to a 4-way directional stick), and three buttons for entering and leaving games as well as adding additional digital tokens to your game make up the controller. It's a fantastic gadget that plays smoothly and seems to withstand prolonged gaming sessions. Over the last two weeks, I've been using my Egret II Mini often, and I haven't experienced any looseness or sloppiness with the controls. However, there aren't many titles in this collection that would encourage me to use the controls aggressively.The screen of the smartphone is its main feature. The vibrant 5" screen of the Egret II Mini can be adjusted from 4:3 to vertical TATE mode, or from landscape to portrait, if that is how you want to phrase it. Once the screen is in position, there is a loud and gratifying "click." To unlock the screen, just press in; to lock it in place, rotate it, and push in again. I am very grateful that this tiny invention got it into the final product, especially because this gadget features a decent assortment of vertical shooters. It only adds to the authenticity of playing such games in comparison to my early arcade experiences. Just don't count on the image to take up the whole screen.In relation to gaming, what precisely comes with the Taito Egret II Mini? Quite a bit, in fact. Forty Taito games spanning more than fifteen years of the company's history are included with the primary device. Space Invaders, New Zealand Story, Bubble Bobble, Elevator Action, Tatsujin, and The Legend of Kage are a few of the more well-known games in the mix. If you like arcade shooters, they account for around one-fourth of the total content.Beyond that, I was surprised to see several extremely intriguing inclusions, including a licensed game (Lupin III) and three fighters, one of which (Dan Ku Ga) is essentially an upgraded version of another featured title (Kaiser Knuckle). The less said about Violence Fight, the better. Despite my lack of interest in Kaiser and Dan Ku, these are a great reminder of the arcade gold rush of the 1990s, when nearly every developer was flooding the market with one-vs-one fighters after Street Fighter II's meteoric rise.You may save your game with any of the listed games, which is perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the Egret II Mini. That way, in the event that you have to quit playing, you won't lose your spot, which worked well for me a few times when I kept being stopped by calls from work.Even while I had anticipated enjoying a couple of the more well-known games, I've actually found myself going back to a number of those lesser-known ones each time I turn on the computer. A really entertaining side-scrolling role-playing game, Cadash offers a variety of playable characters to become proficient with. In the ridiculous beat-em-up Growl, a group of wildlife preservationists beat the living hell out of poachers, misconceptions about different ethnic groups, and, for some reason, businesswomen wearing pencil skirts. To far, my favorite game in the bundle is Ninja Kids, a bizarre beat-em-up featuring four puppet-like ninjas who slice guys in two while battling a Satanic sect. It's funny, enjoyable, and it makes me miss my early years spent playing at the neighborhood Alfy's. Ninja Baseball Bat Men .There is a method to increase the number of games in your library. The Egret Mini II device has an HDMI connector, headphone jack, and two USB ports for controller attachments (separately offered). Additionally, the machine has a slot for an SD card on its side. A trackball and paddle device is one of the Egret II Mini's possible controller options. An SD card with ten games tailored to those input methods is included with this attachment. These games include three distinct iterations of Arkanoid, dragon'em up Syvalion, and the fantastic marble game Cameltry.These 40 titles capture a vibrant and varied aspect of Taito's dominance throughout the arcade period, and it will be fascinating to see whether additional SD cards are in the works in the future. While games like Chase H.Q. and Gun Buster would need even more controller additions if players wanted to experience them as realistically as possible, there are several fantastic entities from the company's heyday that didn't make the cut. For what it is, however, this is a fantastic overview of a period that many, including me, could have missed the first time around.That being said, it's a challenging product to suggest to anybody who isn't already very nostalgic for Taito's heyday, as is the case with many of these little arcade machines. Even with the company's best efforts in the 1990s and 2000s, Taito's brand no longer carries the same weight as it once did. Though it's still producing games as a part of Square Enix and contributing to the survival of the dying arcade sector, I doubt that many players are as taken aback by the Taito jingle in the same manner that millions go crazy at the sound of the Sega start-up.This is a well constructed arcade machine, perfect if you're feeling nostalgic or simply have the cash and enough of counter or bar area. You may share the enjoyment with others thanks to the HDMI connector, its snappy controls, and its ingenious ability to switch the screen into TATE mode for vertical scrolling shooters. Since I've always had a soft spot for games like New Zealand Story and Puzzle Bobble, I'm sure I'll be playing this a lot around my apartment after I figure out where to put it. It depends depend on how many happy memories you have of inserting quarters into those vintage arcade cabinets as to whether or not the same is true for you.Games Rocket and Strictly Limited are currently taking preorders for the Taito Egret II Mini.[United Games Entertainment offered a promotional sample of the gadget for this evaluation. The reviewer also got the trackball and paddle controller attachment in addition to the hardware unit.]