Crane games, also known as claw machines or UFO catchers in Japan, are arcade games where you maneuver the claw to try and win a prize, usually either by grabbing it or knocking it off a ledge. A mix of skill and chance, often the thrill of getting the prize beats the prize itself (at least for me).
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To be honest, for the longest time I never really bothered to play these machines, thinking they were rigged and just ate money. But I was proven wrong last summer, when I played one on a whim and actually won a prize! Since then I have been on a mission to master them, and here is what I have garnered so far.
To avoid blowing too much money, I recommend first practicing remotely using the Taito Crane app. While nothing beats playing in real life at an arcade, it really helps you get a feel of how the claws move and grip.
The Taito Crane app has practice machines you can play for free, as well as machines you can actually win a prize and they will ship it to you (within Japan). While you need tickets or Taito Coins to play the prize machines, you can get three free play tickets if you install the app through the link below and register your number:
The most fundamental crane game of all, known as 3本爪 in Japanese. You move a three-arm claw to grab the prize and drop it into the opening. There are two main types of claws: The UFO Catcher Triple (shown below) and the Deka-Kure (デカクレ), which is a thinner, twisty type claw. There are also various setups for the “get zone.” Some only have an square opening in the corner, while the smaller (easier) ones can have the entire front section as an opening.
Strategy: The first thing to know about these machines is that are almost all 確率機[kakuritsu-ki]. This means that the claw is designed to be weak/let go until a certain “payout” value, when it will grip tightly until the opening. Nobody knows what value that is, it could be 20 plays or 60 plays, depending on the arcade and machine.
Since you will likely go bankrupt if you rely on the payout all the time, the key to these machines is either to 1) wedge the claw in a gap or tag or, 2) study how the claw drops the prize, so that you can grip it in such a way that it falls, or moves gradually, toward the opening. The smaller crane machines may be easier than the big ones, as the distance from the claw to the prize is less and therefore easier to estimate. The prize is also much smaller and lighter, improving your chances of getting a good grip.
However, the larger ones often allow you to make use of a “stop” function by pressing the button again while it is descending. This essentially tells to claw to stop its descent and grasp at that point. Many pro crane gamers utilise this function extensively to move the prize as desired or grab its tag.
There are also some variations, where the claw has two pincer-like arms rather than three prongs. These are even simpler to position as there is no twisting, just an open and shut grip. However, their arm power tends to be rather weak, and if the prize is heavy it may fail to move it much.
In まえおとし machines, the prize is resting at a forward front angle on bars or a ledge, and the aim is to push it off.
Strategy: These are not meant to won in one play, but rather over a few calculated movements. Rather than attempting to lift the prize:
The aim of はしおとし machines is to drop the prize through the bars it is resting on. The prize is commonly in the shape of a rectangular box (figurine), a cylinder, or a plushie.
Strategy: The strategy differs slightly depending on the shape of the prize. Like the forward drop, these are not meant to won in one play but over a few movements. If the prize is rectangular, the general strategy is:
For cylinders, you need to first create an angle, otherwise it will just keep rolling back and forth across the bars.
For plushies, the strategy is to grab at it off center to twist it into a position until the centre of mass is through the bars. You can also try to lift the entire thing and hope it drops in a favourable position. Once there, you use the claw to push it down.
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There are few variations to this type (つりさげ) of crane game. The most common are a box suspended by two rings on its side with two other rings on the top (four ring box), or a prize dangling from a double ring configuration.
Strategy: For the four ring box, lift from the two top rings, with claw slightly toward the back and toward the direction of the wider bars (i.e. the claw’s home position). Then grab at a side ring until it moves into a delicate angle on the bar. Once there, use claw to push down the box, positioning it as close as possible to the delicately leaning side.
As its name suggests, this type of crane game involves using the claw to grab at a ring attached to the prize in order to pull it into the opening. I have never played this type of machine because the prize is usually some jumbo snack or figurine I have no interest in.
The prize in じかおき crane games is usually a plushie or soft object resting in the corner of a L-shaped ledge. The aim is to push it over the ledge. Sometimes there is also a bar diagonally across the opening.
Strategy: First, use the claw to the roll the plushie off the platform. You can achieve this by grabbing the skinniest part (or the fattest part the claw can successfully extend around) of the plushie to turn it at angle so it hangs more and more off edge. Once the prize is resting delicately enough on the ledge/bar, use the claw to push it down (and away) from the platform repeatedly until it falls.
In this machine you have a round tray full of ping pong ball sized-holes resembling a takoyaki pan (hence the name), and another bowl full of balls. The crab-shaped claw can only move left and right. You move the claw to the bowl full of balls and attempt to grab as many balls as possible. The claw will then automatically move to the takoyaki pan and drop the balls. If one ball falls into the prize hole (circled in red) then you get the prize.
Strategy: The more balls you can grab, the more chances one will make it into the prize hole. I don’t really like playing this machine type because it seems more akin to playing slots to me, where it is more due to luck rather than any involvement of skill. Maybe there is a way to position to claw to grab more balls, but it seems rather uncontrollable.
These type of games (おもしろ台) feature random setups like a ball on chain you use to knock the prize off, or the prize resting on a balloon. Strategy obviously varies depending on setup, but most likely hinges on the general principles of centre of mass, how the prize falls, and gradually shifting into position.
Despite sounding like an avid gamer, I am nowhere near a pro either. I only go to arcades occasionally, and am still learning what works and what doesn’t. If you have better hacks, I’m happy to hear them. But here are the prizes I have won since August just playing casually.
The first prize I ever won at a UFO catcher was last summer, when I got this Ebinyan Mofusand plushie in 3 plays.
I had no real strategy except trying to grip the prize as securely as possible. It was kind of a fluke to be honest. But the thrill of it and dopamine hit from getting a prize set me off on a path to learn how to play these things properly. Especially since I still have yet to win a prize from the revered big crane machines.
A few months later, I got this Kirby. My strategy was just to move Kirby to the opening bit by bit since I wasn’t sure how to grip it well. But I happened to grip it pretty well in the 6th play and it made it to the opening. Only thing is that it bounced into the machine below on the way down, so we had to call over a staff to retrieve it for us.
Have a soft spot for Mofusand since it was the first crane game prize I ever won. This one I played while trying to find somewhere warm while waiting for a dinner meetup.
I got both of these after a week of practicing on the Taito Crane app, and I am happy to say it paid off!
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I just picked up a greyhound skill crane with what seems to be a simple issue, but before I start tearing into it too much I want to see if anyone has ever experienced something like it before...
Powers up fine, coins up fine, it has the two buttons rather than a joystick push forward and it moves forward, right and it moves right, but then that's it, the claw does not drop and it does not move home.
I tried to "help it a little" thinking the string may just be tangled, however the claw ended up coming off of the string, at that point I noticed the the string was still trying to wind, I pushed up on the stop plate, it stopped winding and returned home.
Question is why is the claw not dropping, why will the reel not reverse or whatever it is supposed to do, any idea's where to start?
Thanks a lot!!
PS: Is there any way to convert from the two buttons to a joystick??
What version of Greyhound crane do you have ?
Does it have 2 two digit displays ?
If it's an older version I may have some info for ya.
What they are saying about the claw string... is if you fully extend the string all the way out (with claw attached) the first thing it should do when you power it up is wind the claw back up, which will wind the string in the proper direction. Then the carriage should go to the home (starting) position.
The switch on the plate that the claw hits when it goes up is what tells the claw to stop winding.
So if you extend the string and turn it on and the claw does NOT wind up, then the switch or wiring for that plate switch could be bad and or not recognizing that the claw is already down. (could be other things too, but start with the simple)
But your initial description tells me that maybe a relay is not activating telling the claw to drop.
If you play a game and even though the claw doesn't drop if you were to leave it set and not touch it, does it then eventually just return to the home position ? (timer)
As for the joystick.... some are easily converted to joystick from buttons, but we need to clarify exactly which model and boardset you have since you say yours only has 2 buttons total right now.
Mine uses a topfire joystick like - http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/.htm
(forward, back, left, right, topfire button to drop)
That one looks quite familiar...Not to hijack, but I have the Jumbo version of this crane free to anyone who wants to come get it. It is a project that should work fine when put back together. I got it from a guy who had two. While trying to fix one, he pulled out each board from this one (which worked) and swapped them into the other to find the broken part. Turns out the only bad part was the power supply (normal arcade switcher which you can get from Bob Roberts for $25).
It should flash a series of numbers on the two displays when you first turn it on.
This will be the date code. So it would show something like 19 on one and 88 on the other.
I believe after that it'll flash a revision code as well. (or vice versa, revision first then date, it's been a while since I looked)
What's yours show ?
After the code flashes the carriage should return to the home position if it's out of place.
And if you can grab a pic of the pcb set (guts) that would help too.
Just in case it's all been replace with a Smart board or something like that.
That one looks quite familiar...
It should flash a series of numbers on the two displays when you first turn it on.
This will be the date code. So it would show something like 19 on one and 88 on the other.
I believe after that it'll flash a revision code as well. (or vice versa, revision first then date, it's been a while since I looked)
What's yours show ?
After the code flashes the carriage should return to the home position if it's out of place.
And if you can grab a pic of the pcb set (guts) that would help too.
Just in case it's all been replace with a Smart board or something like that.
I think that's a Treasure Chest crane you are referring to ( The old version, not the newer ones that are currently out ).