The mini (or cabaret) is a common arcade game form factor. It was first used in the late 70s, and seems to have been phased out in the mid 80s. These cabinets are a favorite with many collectors due to their small size.
Minis are free standing machines that are generally around five feet tall. They have player controls about halfway up the machine, with a monitor above them. The coin mechs are usually located down low on the machine. Most minis do not have a normal marquee but instead have a nameplate directly below the control panel.
These machines are usually fairly undecorated. They usually have woodgrain sides, and rarely feature any sideart.
Most minis use a 13" arcade monitor, although a few 19" models have been produced as well.
Mini cabinets were available for most popular classic games, such as Galaga, Missile Command, Ms. Pac-Man, and Asteroids. Most of them were eventually converted to newer titles, but they are very easy to convert back, simply because they didn't have any artwork to paint over. Games in a mini cabinet usually sell for slightly more than the same game in an upright cabinet.