Classic arcade games are all the rage again these days, which means you may want to bone up on your skills to get the most points and higher amounts of redemption tickets to cash in for prizes. But how can you improve these abilities and which games are easier to master?
We’re going to walk you through the best ways to hone your skills on some of the most popular arcade games. Of course, you can practice on all of these games at Austin Arcades and, remember, practice makes perfect.
Skeet-Ball
One of the oldest and most popular games out there, skeet-ball may look easy but it does take considerable skill to reach those high scores. Rolling that ball down the alley towards those chutes may seem relatively simple, but you might also find yourself hitting the lowest score totals too often.
The best way to avoid that from happening is by approaching the game a little bit like bowling. Your form dictates your aim and overall control over where the ball ends up. That means placing your feet in a specific stance before you roll the ball down that lane. Experiment with a few various stances to help you discover the one that works best.
Claw Games
We’ve all played these before. The objective is to guide a mechanical claw over the prize you want accurately enough so that it picks up the prize and delivers it to you. But before you insert any money, you need to examine the prize pit first. You may notice how all of the prizes are packed in tightly against one another, that is intended to balance the odds in the game’s favor, not yours.
Secondly, watch how the claw operates. If you notice the claw is just too loose to actively retrieve anything, then you’re not going to win here and you need to move on. Don’t bother wasting your money.
Finally, some claw games are pre-programmed to grip tight on certain attempts, be it every fifth, every tenth, maybe even every fiftieth. It may even randomize, you never know. Just keep this in mind as you continue sinking dollar after dollar into the machine trying to get that stuffed giraffe or seal.
Air Hockey
These games are typically played against an opponent who may have more better or lesser skills than you. Whichever the case may be, you still want to keep these tips in mind. For starters, bank your shots instead of firing directly at the goal. This will create some element of confusion for your opponent. Increase your speed and power as well, the more you shoot, the better your chances of getting it in the goal for a score.
Think about how you hold the mallet while you play. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it, if you want to increase your control. Place an emphasis on your fingers and where you are using them to hold the mallet. Don’t focus solely on holding the center knob, put your fingers in the divot that exists between the center and the edge of the mallet. This will give you that control you seek.
