Rodeo Drop Targets

A themed variant of Drop Targets with a rodeo or western motif, found on machines where the visual design of the target reinforces the game’s theme. Like standard drop targets, they retract below the playfield surface when struck, but the target face carries western-themed artwork or shaping. Sega featured rodeo drop targets on two machines titled Rodeo (1977) and Rodeo (1979), using the themed target design to strengthen the cowboy atmosphere of the playfield. A rare, title-specific variant, the rodeo drop target illustrates how manufacturers occasionally customized standard mechanisms to serve a particular game’s visual identity.