Vari-Targets

A playfield target that scores higher values the harder it is hit, translating the force of impact into a variable reward. Gottlieb introduced the mechanism under the name Vari-Target beginning with Airport (1969); Chicago Coin marketed theirs as Power Targets, and Williams called theirs Linear Targets. The target typically slides backward on a track when struck, with switches at increasing depths registering progressively higher scores. Vari-targets appeared on approximately 78 IPDB-cataloged machines and added a physical skill element that rewarded shot power rather than placement alone.