TOY CRANE / Grabbing by position
Grabbing by Position — Pile Tops, Walls, Corners and Stacks
The same plushie needs a completely different aim depending on where it sits. Here are the five situations you meet most often and how to handle each.
The principle first
The claw stops descending as soon as it touches something, then closes. So where it touches decides how it grabs. Touch the top of a plushie too early and the prongs close before they can wrap it; reach the floor and the prongs can slide underneath. Plushies have fur friction, so once they settle they don’t move by themselves — and a clumsy touch can push them somewhere worse. Treat every try as setting up the next one.
Always aim left–right from the front and depth from the side. Use the 0°/90° button to check both before pressing DROP.
1. A plushie sitting on top of the pile
It looks easy but it is easy to miss: the pile underneath is soft, so the prongs press the plushie down as they descend. Aim a little off-centre toward the heavier end (usually the head). With two prongs either side of the head and one on the body, it won’t tip when lifted.
Top plushies lean on their neighbours and roll easily. If one would roll toward the chute, deliberately clip its edge and let it tumble in.
2. Against the glass
The prong on the wall side can’t wrap around, but the wall acts as a fourth prong. Drop the claw half a hand away from the wall relative to the plushie’s centre: the outer prongs push it toward the wall as they close and it rises wedged between wall and prongs.
Always check the distance from the side view. What looks flush from the front is often a hand’s width away.
3. Stuck in a corner
Corners are the worst spot for any claw. Rather than grabbing directly, use Shake to loosen it or win a neighbour first to make room. If you must go for it, use a long-armed claw such as Long Reach and come in on the corner diagonal so at least the outer prong gets under it.
4. Under another prize
Aim at the bottom plushie and the claw just stops on the one above. Reverse the order: win the top one first, or clip its edge to knock it aside. Since update 1.4 the claw pushes past light contact and keeps going down, but a heavy prize lying on top still blocks it. Forcing it only costs coins.
5. Long plushies lying flat
Whales, sharks and seals often lie sideways. Grab the exact middle and they see-saw out of the claw. Drop at the one-third point on the heavier side and, if possible, let two prongs cross the body. The red tip on the back prong tells you which way the claw is turned.
Watching is a skill
A miss is still information. Remember where the claw touched first, which way the plushie moved as the prongs closed and where it slipped out. That tells you the next aim point — exactly how arcade regulars read a real machine.
Prizes near the exit are a different story: read prizes stuck on the chute next.