The Taito Egret II Mini is like a playable history book of a forgotten era of gaming

destructoid.com:

One of the most lucrative businesses to be in these days is anything that has to do with exploiting the nostalgia of millennials. Sure, it’s been a rough few decades for those sandwiched between Generation X and the Zoomers. Studies show we’re way behind where our parents were financially at our age, with two massive recessions and ridiculous student loans hobbling this generation. Despite that, as we’ve consistently seen, our childhood is up for sale with all corners of entertainment seeking to capitalize on the fondness we have for the movies, tv shows, and games of our youth. We may not have much money, but we somehow have the cash to buy expensive tchotchkes and doo-dads that let us relive our school days.

Case in point: the mini arcade industry. If you’re like me, you probably dreamed of having an arcade cabinet of your own during your childhood. Now, that dream is being made a reality, just on a smaller scale than what you might remember. Arcade 1Up is easily the biggest name in this sphere, with its 3/4 scale collection of arcade greats catering to those with basements that need filling. Other companies are going even smaller. SNK dropped its Neo Geo Mini a few years ago and Limited Run Games teamed up with Sega for the Astro City Mini last year. Now, Taito is getting in on the action with its Egret II Mini cabinet.

Standing just over 8” tall, the Taito Egret II Mini is a personal-sized recreation of the Taito Egret II arcade unit that you can still find around Japanese arcades today. Attached to the base of the unit is the controller, which is just shy of six inches long but big enough for somebody like me who has fatter hands. Just make sure you’re using fingertips and not your full fist lest you want to keep