Prize Claw

Summary

 Oh, those addictive claw games from days of yore, when we still went to the fairground rather than lurk in a corner, playing games on our smartphones et al. For those of you who don’t know: claw games are pretty basic in the sense that there’s a see-through container filled with prizes, and you navigate a big metal claw using a joystick and try to fish one out. And those of you who’ve fallen prey to the claw’s lure will know that a few rounds can wind up costing a pretty penny. Anyway, lovers of vintage arcade and fun fair games – rejoice, for there’s no longer any need to leave your homes to play these types of games. Prize Claw is a virtual version of the classic game, and the good news is that, unlike with it’s physical counterpart , you won’t have to break the bank because the app is available for free.

Test device:
Samsung Nexus S
Android version: 2.3.4
Root: No
Modifications: None

App details:
Runs as of: Android 2.0.1
Apps2SD: Yes
Total size after installation: ca. 15 MB
Permissions: Network communication, calls, storage

The siren’s song of the claw game. Claw Game Anynomous members will know what I’m talking about: you think you’ll just try it once, try to grab a prize and if it doesn’t work out you’ll leave it at that, but in the end you’ve spend all your pocket money and have a tiny bean bag of a stuffed bunny to show for it.

Can Prize Claw recreate the same excitement?

The answer is yes – well, as much as one could expect from a virtual version of the game.
The gameplay is identical to the the automat version: you move the claw around using a joystick and hopefully will snatch a prize. If you do snag one hold on to it for dear life because the claw’s grip isn’t exactly a firm one, just like the real-life ones! The game is in 3D and has a great physics engine, meaning that heavy objects or hard-egded objects are more prone to slipping from the claw’s grasp.
A few features:

• Puzzle: An image from which a lot of pieces are missing – these objects keep appearing in the glass box and can be collected.
• Sets: Several objects make up a sets and there are different types of sets such as teddy bears, animals, zoos, cars, dolls, circuses and sweets. Once a set is complete you can sell it for money or bonuses.
• Diamonds: Silver diamonds will speed up the claw, blue ones give it more energy, purple diamonds afford you more moves, green ones harbour a lot of items and red ones increase the ‘experience’.
• Experience: The more missions you complete and items you collect, the more experience you will gain. Missions include things like ‘Collect 50 coins’ or ‘Collect three items of your choice’.
• Energy: There are five levels and in each one you can activate a new ability such as a bomb or a temporary higer-performance claw. These power ups are activated using coins, diamonds or items.

You can pay to get rid of ad banners, buy more moves or activate more automats. That said, you receive new moves every minute when actively playing a game, as well as every so often when you complete a mission. Even when you’re not playing you receive a new move every 15 minutes.

Bottom line:
Prize Claw has a lot to offer that will keep you occupied for more than just a few rounds. That said, it’s the kind of game that you play every now and again for a few minutes at most. Good game overall!

 Great 3D graphics, but the Prize Claw display is a bit overcrowded what with all the buttons; this has a bit of a negative effect on the controls. The menus are also a bit convoluted.

 Prize Claw lags quite a bit from time to time, which is a shame because otherwise it’s smooth sailing.

 Prize Claw is available for free from the Market.