Kicking Targets

A specialized Standup Targets variant that includes a solenoid-driven mechanism to actively propel the ball back toward the player upon contact. Where a standard standup target simply absorbs the hit, a kicking target fires back, adding a reactive element to the shot. Gottlieb favored the mechanism from the early 1980s onward, featuring kicking targets on machines such as Eclipse (1982), Excalibur (1988), and Big House (1989). The feature often appeared alongside conventional Standup Targets, giving designers a way to mix passive and active target behavior within a single playfield layout.