UFO Catcher 7

UFO Catcher 7 (UFOキャッチャー7) is a crane game released by Sega in November 2001 in Japan. It was later released in USA and UK in June 2006 as Sega UFO Catcher. It was the successor of 1996's UFO Catcher 21.

Description
Released in late 2001 in Japan, this was the 7th generation of the UFO Catcher series. UFO Catcher 7 includes the ability to adjust the size of the crane by button which was optional for arcade staff. Banners are also customizable although it was released with blue and purple banners respectively. This version also includes button 3 which is a skill stop button making this UFO claw the first claw machine to have skill stop in Japan.

Now the UFO crane models no longer have LED lights included inside while the prize sensors are now near the prize chute since New UFO Catcher. Unlike previous versions, the speed of the UFO claw are now faster (although Dream Palace is one of the fastest claws to descend due to malfunction.) Losing sounds from UFO Catcher EX were removed.

USA version
Although the first ever UFO Catcher machine to be released outside Japan, this 2006 western model is a customizable unit with a built-in 19-inch LCD screen. Instead of 2/3 buttons to control the crane, players must use the joystick to control the claw then a button to descend the claw. This unit comes with three sized arms and shovels/hooks to accommodate any prize. Sega also offered options like 20' media player with a flash ROM to run customized advertisements. Plexiglas risers to display prizes and bill acceptors and even a security bar. Sega UFO Catcher also has around three following themes which were sold separately: Sonic, Braniac and Hello Kitty.

Music
Replacing the YM2612 chip, this kind of music chip was replaced by an unknown Yamaha chip (also used in Taito's Moon Castle.) This kind of soundboard was used until UFO Colon in April 2007. There are 2 BGMs in attract and 1 BGM in gameplay (BGM will change after gameplay BGM). There are 2 arranged Christmas music (Jingle bells and Santa Claw is coming to town from New UFO Catcher Christmas ROM) as Attract BGMs via operator settings. The BGMs were composed by Ryohei Kohno of SEGA Mechatro.

Other versions
UFO Catcher 7 MAX Edition

Released in December 2003. 1-player version of UFO Catcher 7 but larger size and has a built-in security in the prize chute.

UFO Catcher 7 Second

Released in December 2004. Minor update of UFO Catcher 7 with additional BGM from UFO Catcher 7 MAX Edition.

Fantasy Catcher 7

Released in January 2004 as part of SEGA's Disney FunSquare line along with Fantasy Palace and Baby UFO Disney FunSquare version. This one plays a MIDI version songs from Disney shows (such as Beauty and the Beast, Mickey Mouse March and When you wish upon a Star) as attract BGM.

Prize Shop

Released around 2003-2006. A custom-made UFO Catcher game exclusive to the Philippines under Quantum Amusement Corporation. The design is similar to UFO Catcher Mini but uses a crane model from UFO Catcher 7. During the 2010s, few of them were still existed and were redesigned.

Jumbo Crane

Released around 2006/2007. This was based on the UFO 7 MAX unit but larger since it was designed to hold larger prizes. This was exclusive to Round1 Arcades throughout Japan and USA.

Trivia
-A UFO Catcher 7 MAX Edition appears in a Sega arcade center Yakuza 3, an action videogame published by SEGA.

-There are few UFO Catcher 7 units to be seen in a 2003 movie, Lost in Translation.

-UFO Catcher also rivals with Namco's Wide Wide Clipper, Taito's Capriccio Pro and Capcom's Bell Catcher Twin which are the 2000s era claw machines in Japan.