Gottlieb’s Target Pool, released in 1969, racks ’em up with a billiards theme on a classic wedge-head playfield, and it’s a target-shooter’s delight — the machine packs in an astonishing 27 targets, turning the whole field into a gallery of switches to pick off. In an unusual touch for the era, it places a pair of slingshots up in the upper playfield, giving the layout a distinctive flow that sets it apart from its contemporaries.
The scoring rewards accuracy and ball control. Completing all three top lanes lights the pop bumper for 100 points, and the smart approach is to keep sending the ball back up top, aiming for the yellow lit shots worth 300 apiece. There’s real wisdom in target selection, too: veterans warn against shooting the far-left or far-right targets on the front bank when lit, since those shots tend to feed straight to an outlane. A handy control tip is to hold up the flipper when the ball travels an inlane, bridging it to the other side for a more deliberate next shot.
Methodical, skill-driven, and packed with targets, Target Pool is a fine example of late-60s Gottlieb design rewarding the precise player. For collectors who love billiards themes and the tactile satisfaction of a target-rich wedge-head, it’s an absorbing and well-crafted classic.