Journalist Tool

Kineticist

  • HDashboard
  • IItems
  • ↓Ingest
  • SSources
  • KBeats
  • BBriefs
  • RIntel
  • QSearch
  • NName Review
  • +Health

v0.1.0

← Back to items

Episode 68 - Roto-Targets

For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·18m 30s·analyzed·May 18, 2015
View original
Export .md

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.022

TL;DR

Deep technical dive into roto-target mechanics, history, and maintenance in EM pinball machines.

Summary

Nick Baldridge discusses roto-targets, a classic electromechanical pinball toy invented by Gottlieb in the 1950s that presents rotating target faces to players. He explains the mechanical operation, different orientations (vertical and carousel-style), gameplay variations across games like Domino, Paradise, and King of Diamonds, and provides detailed troubleshooting and maintenance guidance for collectors and operators. He also shares tournament participation at River City Flippers and corrects a previous mistake about the Penny Pitch arcade game.

Key Claims

  • Roto targets were invented by Gottlieb and used from the 1950s through 1980, with Circus (1980) being the last Gottlieb game to use one

    high confidence · Nick Baldridge, stated as personal knowledge and machine ownership

  • Vertically oriented roto targets contain approximately 10 different faces and are operated by a single solenoid with two ratchet gears

    high confidence · Nick Baldridge, technical description based on EM pinball expertise

  • King of Diamonds is a rare exception to the typical 2-3 exposed targets, featuring five targets because it uses a carousel-mounted roto instead of vertical orientation

    high confidence · Nick Baldridge, based on game design knowledge

  • A solid state remake of King of Diamonds was made around 2009

    medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, states 'I think 2009' indicating some uncertainty

  • PBR sells reproduction roto target faces and may offer riveting services for a fee

    medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, expresses uncertainty ('I may be wrong')

  • Roto targets were also used under the playfield with projection systems in games like Paradise

    high confidence · Nick Baldridge, describes specific gameplay mechanic

  • The speaker owns Circus (1980), the last Gottlieb game to use a roto target

    high confidence · Nick Baldridge, direct personal statement

  • Mylar provides the best protection for roto target refacing decals compared to acrylic or automotive clear coat

    medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, expresses opinion based on restoration experience

Notable Quotes

  • “Roto targets are easily one of my favorite toys in any EM, and I certainly wish that they carried on to today.”

    Nick Baldridge @ ~24:00 — Expresses personal passion for the roto-target mechanic and laments its discontinuation in modern pinball design

  • “I'm an oddball, and I like gobble holes and a variety of other really unpopular EM inventions, so you may not, and that's fine.”

    Nick Baldridge @ ~27:30 — Self-aware acknowledgment of niche preferences within EM pinball collector community

  • “Roto targets were invented by Gottlieb and they were used in the 50's era wood rails as well as the 60's and the 70's occasionally and they stopped using them in 1980 and I happen to own the last game that they used a roto target in which is 1980's Circus made by Gottlieb.”

    Nick Baldridge @ ~13:00 — Establishes historical timeline and confirms personal ownership of significant machine

  • “If you have a roto that doesn't score then you may have a deeper underlying concern like the same point value doesn't score at all which is usually a stuck switch or it could be the roto itself is actually stuck.”

    Nick Baldridge @ ~18:00 — Provides diagnostic methodology for troubleshooting roto target issues

  • “I really enjoy any game that I play that has a roto, but I'm an oddball, and I like gobble holes and a variety of other really unpopular EM inventions”

    Nick Baldridge @ ~26:00 — Contextualizes speaker's niche tastes within broader EM collector community sentiment

Entities

Nick BaldridgepersonGottliebcompanyRiver City FlippersorganizationTaylor VApersonBoo32personClarkpersonCircusgamePenny PitchgameDominogame

Signals

  • ?

    historical_signal: Detailed documentation of roto-target design history, mechanical evolution, and timeline from 1950s Gottlieb through 1980 discontinuation

    high · Baldridge provides comprehensive technical history including specific games (Circus, Paradise, King of Diamonds) and mechanical specifications

  • ?

    restoration_signal: Practical maintenance guidance for roto-target repair including switch adjustment, face bending, decal refacing, mylar protection, and riveting services through PBR

    high · Detailed troubleshooting steps, wear patterns, and aftermarket solutions discussed throughout latter half of episode

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Discussion of design trade-offs: roto-targets valued for gameplay variety and aesthetic appeal but costly and space-intensive, explaining discontinuation in later eras

    high · Baldridge notes roto-targets 'take up a lot of real estate' and 'were very costly' as likely reasons for discontinuation

  • ?

    community_signal: Speaker identifies as enthusiast of unpopular/underappreciated EM mechanisms (roto-targets, gobble holes) and acknowledges niche status within broader pinball community

    high · Multiple statements about being 'oddball' and liking 'unpopular EM inventions'; recognition that others may not share preferences

  • ?

    event_signal: River City Flippers hosted Triple Strike Tournament at Isley Brewing Company; speaker participated and performed well (reached 6 rounds before elimination)

    high · Opening segment describes tournament experience and encourages future participation, mentions possibility of bringing EM/bingo games to future events

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.055

0:00
So, let's talk tech here. Let's talk tech. Today I went to cheer on and support the River City Flippers at the first Isley Brewing Company Triple Strike Tournament. and I ended up participating, and I actually did pretty good. I didn't get my first strike until I was four machines in, and I got it battling my buddy Clark, so can't ask for much more than that. And then got my second and third strike directly after that. So I played through six rounds, which I was pretty pleased with, and had a great time. I'm not normally a very competitive pinball player, despite one of Godleap's slogans being, it's more fun to compete, when they started making multiplayers.
1:10
And it is. But I don't do well with pressure in pinball. But I've got to say, I had a very good time. And I'm thinking if they do it again, I'll bring some EMs. And I may have someone look up the legality of putting a bingo on free play and having it in a tournament like that. I think that would be great fun. But just wanted to give a quick shout out to the River City Flippers and Taylor VA and Boo32 as they go by on the Pinside forums for putting this on, along with some other buddies of mine who brought machines, and a good time was had by all, I think. So thanks again.
2:06
So moving on from that to a correction, I have a friend who was out at the VFW for the weekend, and they had their annual show, or semi-annual, and he let me know that Penny Pitch, which is one of his favorite games, I misspoke about it on my EM Arcade Games segment, so he shot me a little video and told me that I was wrong on that, and so I wanted to give that some air time as well. So Penny Pitch is the one, if you'll recall, that has back glass animation of a penny being flipped from left to right and right to left, depending on which player is playing. It's a two-player head-to-head arcade game. And there's a big metal wheel which sticks out from the cabinet. And you spin it until the penny goes flying from one side to the other by use of this back glass animation. Well, I had stated that it's supposed to land in the fountain. I was totally wrong. It's supposed to land on a crack in the sidewalk in front of the other player.
Paradise
game
King of Diamondsgame
Diamond Jackgame
PBRcompany
Isley Brewing Companyorganization
  • ?

    content_signal: Host acknowledges previous factual error about Penny Pitch arcade game and provides corrected information; demonstrates commitment to accuracy

    high · Dedicated segment to correction, including video evidence from friend, and explicit apology

  • ?

    operational_signal: Comprehensive troubleshooting approach for roto-target failures, emphasizing proper schematic consultation, switch testing, and mechanical inspection before repair

    high · Multi-step diagnostic process outlined for scoring issues, stuck rotors, and worn target faces

  • ?

    collector_signal: Speaker owns Circus (1980), documented as final Gottlieb roto-target implementation, representing significant collector achievement

    high · Direct statement: 'I happen to own the last game that they used a roto target in which is 1980's Circus made by Gottlieb'

    • 3:28
    And if it does, you win three points. And if it's right above that, you win two points. And if it's one above that, then you win one point. There may be other spots where you win a point along the way. But your goal is to have the penny lay flat on the sidewalk in front of your compatriot.
    3:52
    So apologies again, and I'll try not to speak out of turn if I can help it. So for today's segment, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite toys on an EM pinball machine. and that is the roto target.
    4:14
    Now the roto target is pretty simple at first blush. It is a spinning target which contains multiple targets and depending on the face which is presented when the ball is struck it will do something different like award a separate set of points or do something entirely different So in certain games the roto target had certain positions masked
    4:47
    There's a maximum of three positions which are displayed above the playfield at any given point on a typical roto target game, and this is on the vertically oriented roto targets, It's not the horizontal carousel style.
    5:04
    So those three positions will provide different point values when struck, typically. On games like Domino, they will advance you in the Domino game that's displayed via the inserts in the playfield. so different games had different functions for the roto target and they also had different orientations as i kind of breezed over um but let's take the vertically oriented uh so the vertically oriented roto target has multiple target faces uh let's see i think it has about 10 different faces, and it spins by use of a single solenoid and two ratchet gears with an arm, which contains two levers, which engage with the ratchet teeth on the gears. So one lever pushes up in order to spin the roto, and that's when the coil engages. When the coil disengages, the second lever pulls on the second set of ratchet teeth, which are oriented in the opposite direction, to allow it to stop.
    6:30
    And this snaps the roto into position. rototargets were invented by Gottlieb and they were used in the 50's era wood rails as well as the 60's and the 70's occasionally and they stopped using them in 1980 and I happen to own the last game that they used a rototarget in which is 1980's Circus made by Gottlieb But all of the vertically oriented roto targets work in the same way, and they all have two springs which connect to the lever arms to the main arm, which is pulled in by the coil. Uh, there's also a large spring, which, uh, allows the roto to engage or disengage. Um, basically pulls it back into position. Um, so, roto targets, uh, were also used under the playfield using a projection system. So they would use brighter lamps under the playfield and would project numbers through the playfield through clear inserts, allowing for different gameplay. So on games like Paradise, which is a two-player, you spin the roto.
    8:13
    The main toy is a set of kick-out saucers, as Gottlieb was fond of using in various machines. And the kick-out saucers will score as indicated on the roto, which is pretty cool. So as you're playing the game, the roto is going to spin under the game, which looks awesome with that projected roto on the playfield.
    8:39
    And as you drop in the first hole on the left, it will kick over to the second, which kicks over to the third, which kicks over to the fourth, which comes back to you. So it's pretty neat. Aside from that style, there's also the carousel mounted style, as used on Gottlieb's King of Diamonds and a couple others. In King of Diamonds you hitting cards in order to drop down the matching card in the back box Once you drop them all then you win a special And as I mentioned before King of Diamonds is one of the rare exceptions to the only three targets, or two targets, or a single target exposed on a roto. There are actually five targets exposed because it's on that carousel unit instead of the vertically mounted. So it takes up a bit of space in the center of the playfield. However, it looks really cool, and the gameplay on King of Diamonds and its add-a-ball cousin, Diamond Jack, is actually very fun. It's got beautiful artwork as well. In fact, that game proved so popular that there was a Solid State remake made in recent years, I think 2009, that is very fun to play as well. You can actually play up to four players in the game Remember State because it's solid state between each player. The original King of Diamonds, of course, was a single player classic wedge head. But yeah, this retro remake only has single player score reels, but it'll flip to the appropriate score between each player. What's really unnerving is the attract mode, though, in that solid state King of Diamonds, because the reels will spin in opposite directions during the attract, which is kind of frightening. But that's a fun game to play, regardless of vintage.
    10:54
    Fun game's a fun game. So, um, Rototargets are easily one of my favorite toys in any EM, and I certainly wish that they carried on to today. However, they take up a lot of real estate, um, and uh, I'm sure they were very costly, So there's typically a few stand-ups and those kinds of things on games, but not really a whole lot of costly stuff aside from that.
    11:36
    At least that's the way it seems from this uneducated simpleton here. But at any rate, let's talk tech.
    11:45
    So what can go wrong with a roto? Well, your basic thing is that it stops spinning. Now, rotos are typically fused, which is a good thing, because the coil, if it gets locked on, will melt. Then you'll have a big mess of disassembly. But if it's not fused and it stops turning, it's best to shut off the game and investigate why.
    12:13
    Now, the roto is controlled either by a relay, and or a switch on the score motor. So it's important that if your score motor is turning,
    12:29
    that that switch is getting actuated. It's also important to investigate your schematic for your particular game and figure out exactly how the roto spins.
    12:41
    There can be a relay or not. It could all be actuated by a single switch. beyond that if your roto doesn't score then you may have a deeper underlying concern like the same point value doesn't score at all which is usually a stuck switch or it could be the roto itself is actually stuck so the first thing to try is put that face in a different position and see if it makes a difference and then beyond that take the roto disc off which unfortunately requires a bit of disassembly, but it's not too bad. You simply have to remove a triangular face and then pull the target unit out and just investigate. See if there are little metal brackets behind the target faces, which allow them to spring back and hit the contact, but then go back to the appropriate position So it could be that that been deformed just from being struck by the ball over and over and over and over again So that may require a little bit of bending Or you may have to bend the target face itself. Just look at its neighbors and see if it matches in orientation. If not, just a little bit of light bending will do. Just like when adjusting a switch, you don't want to go crazy overboard and bend the heck out of it. You just want to bend it a little bit, because least of all, you don't want the target face to actually snap off. That would be very bad. Now, the other thing that can happen is that the target faces will wear down. I've never seen a shipmates that didn't have worn down targets. For example, a King of Diamonds, an original one that didn't have worn down targets. So PBR sells repro target faces, but you have to drill out the rivets and put them back on. Now I believe you can mail your Roto unit off to PBR to have that done for you for a fee. I may be wrong and thinking about just stand up switches that they'll re-rivet for you, but the rivets used on a roto are an odd size, so another popular thing to do is to reface the roto targets with decals.
    15:22
    These decals will wear, of course, differently than the enamel paint that's on the roto initially. the decals should have some kind of protection over top of them some people put mylar I'm assuming that some form of either acrylic or automotive clear coat would also help with this but remember that it's going to be struck by a steel ball over and over and over again so eventually it is going to wear no matter what you do to it the mylar should help the best.
    16:07
    Beyond that, when you're installing the decals, you want to make sure to sand down the original, which should shine up the rivets for you at the same time, and then you're going to have to cut out holes for the rivets or poke them out if they're pre-cut with an X-Acto point. so if you have a carousel style roto and it's not scoring appropriately then just take the plastic covering it off and look down from the top and see if any of the switches are stuck closed remember that only the ones which are actually facing the player have a backing which allow them to score So if a switch is misadjusted and spinning it out of the way fixes the problem, then the solution should be pretty obvious there. Again, you're just going to have to bend it as needed.
    17:13
    So that should cover pretty much everything with a roto. they're, as I say, are relatively simple, and I really enjoy any game that I play that has a roto, but I'm an oddball, and I like gobble holes and a variety of other really unpopular EM inventions, so you may not, and that's fine, but I've got to say that if you've never played a game with a roto target, you should try to seek one out next time you're at a pinball show or out and about at a fellow collector's or friend's house that might have pinball machines. They're great fun and offer quite a bit of gameplay variety for something that is just sitting in the middle of the play field and only presents three different targets at a time.
    18:04
    Well, thank you again for joining me. My name again is Nick Baldridge. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com and you can find us online at foramusementonly.libsyn.com You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher Stitcher, I mean Pocket Cast via RSS on Facebook or directly on our website. Thanks again for listening and I'll talk to you next time.