Arcade Experts Tell Us Why We Never Win Toys In Claw Machines

Some arcade enthusiasts also told us that claw machines with big-ticket items, like iPhones or Nintendo Switches, are usually much harder to win. “The characteristics of claw machines differ from brand to brand, arcade to arcade. And even within the same arcade, there can be similar looking machines with different settings,” said Claw Coach. Rey Chua, an events manager at a Singapore-based claw machine rental company, told VICE that while there are different types of claw machines, they all pretty much work the same way. “Whereby the claw only tightly part of the time and not all the time,” he said.

What followed was 20 failed attempts at pushing the cursed toy into the chute, losing my temper at the adorable money trap, and spending way more than I had intended. One of the potentiometers controls the claw strength as the claw retracts upwards to the carriage ; the other controls the claw strength while it is traveling, with or without the prize, to the chute. “That is the dark truth about claw machines,” quipped Umehara, who also calls himself the Arcade Ninja. The claw has three fingers if it is a traditional design or two fingers if it is the Asian-style "UFO" machines.

String games and other high-accuracy games are pretty straight forward. Just walk away and they’ll give you a safe passageway in the game station. Just walk away and there will be an end to the horror. A turn, with claws daintier than your grandmother’s toes.

Single claw games often offer some of the most high-value prizes. They are almost always attached to rings hanging from a large plastic ball. You cannot actually lift the prize, so アンパンマン クレーンゲーム you need to teeter-totter the ring left and right until you knock it off. Hitting the ball is almost always an automatic fail, but when the prize is on the very edge, try to use the claw to punch that ball right in its stupid face. You should be able to bend or knock it enough to score a win.

By the 1980s, crane machines had become much larger, with plush dolls the major prizes, and cranes common at carnivals and arcades. A boom in crane games occurred with the release of Sega's UFO Catcher in 1985, and since then the term "UFO catcher" has become synonymous with crane games in Japan. It stood out for its eagle claw shape, hence the name "UFO" catcher, along with its kawaii family-friendly design, helping to make them more marketable to casual audiences.

Claw machines were initially designed to take small prizes like sweets or jewelry or even cigarettes. However, they moved more towards the children's toy market as machines got larger and more capable. It might seem like fun and games—and, of course, it is.

The toy or claw may push the toy you want into the chute. Your target must be very close to the chute, though. When you are about to drop the claw but still have plenty of time left, hesitate! Aside from re-positioning it if needed, let the claw stop waving in every direction.

If the prongs didn't close or let go of the animal without lifting it, stop immediately because the machine is broken or rigged. Don't play a machine that only has a right and forward button, when you've pressed and released each button once the claw will drop without you getting the chance to adjust. Look for one with a joystick and a "drop" button.

But whenever it seems like the prize is sitting precariously close to the chute — just one solid grab away from being yours forever — the claw drops the damn toy. This happens again and again, until you’re out of patience or out of coins, or both. Experienced skill crane players also say that box shaped prizes are among the most difficult kinds of objects to pick up with any claw, regardless of its settings. Clawfish’s main activity is, of course, the crane games. In total, the machines are stocked with different fish, under 30 of them.