Roto-Targets

Gottlieb’s specific implementation of Rotating Targets, using a vertical wheel assembly that spins to cycle different target faces past the player. The mechanism earned the “roto-target” name from Gottlieb’s marketing, and the term became widely associated with the brand. Roto-targets appeared on approximately 69 IPDB-cataloged machines, with famous examples including Rocket Ship and Spin Out, primarily during the Electromechanical era of the late 1960s and 1970s. The vertical wheel design gave roto-targets a distinctive visual presence on the playfield — the spinning assembly was visible to the player, making the timing challenge tangible and immediate.