Gottlieb

Hot Shot

Pinside Rating

This game received 22 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.633 _/10

7.633

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #168 in the Pinside EM Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.747

Artwork: 7.412

Sounds/Music: 5.061

Other Aspects: 7.864

Pinside staff rating

None of the Pinside.com staff have rated this game. Sorry, no rating from us.

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Found 17 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 17 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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8.783/10

54 days ago

CMW

RoxasUrSoxas

Pinside member

Middleburg Heights, OH

7y 62,050 125 20 59

Hot Shot is an EM that was on my wish list for a long time and I was finally lucky enough to come across a project one a couple months ago and get it working 100%. I still really enjoy this game and am glad I kept an eye out for it for so long. The main goal is hitting all the drop targets down, which is no easy feat. Each drop target signifies a pool ball and is worth a 1,000 point bonus on balls 1-3 but things get interesting with double bonus on Ball 4 and triple on Ball 5. On 3 Ball play the double is Ball 2 / triple ball 3.
The only issue I see with this game is that it's heavily dependant on hitting the drop targets, which don't reset if you hit them all down so there's really no worthwhile points to be made after you've hit them all down. It's tough to do, but can happen and leaves you with a "what now?" Feeling for the rest of the ball. Other than that, this game is great! Theres so many pool themed games and this one is probably my favorite.

RoxasUrSoxas currently owns this game.

6.419/10

1 year ago

???

GrandpaTroy

Pinside member

South Beloit, IL

1y 24,000 11 14

I could not understand why I could not love this game. Good theme, drop targets love drop targets too shot for. Sound terrible might have just been my game checked out chimes but could not find any issues. Cleaned waxed added new rubbers still not doing it for me. Not easy to get all targets down. Kids did not like this game one and done for them as well. Will probably be the first I switch out of my line up. I should have liked this game more. I am going to blame it on my machine

I bought mine in 2022 for $900.

GrandpaTroy has owned this game in the past.

9.022/10

1 year ago

EZE

ezed123

Pinside+ Frequent

North Myrtle Beach, SC

3y 44,300 197 7

This is one of my top 3 EM games to play. Really cool and challenging to make all the drop target shots. Yes it might be better if the scoring was balanced between all 3 balls but it makes sure you are a closer and play the last ball the best! I just got this one in my collection. For a 1973 machine, the bright colors on the playfield and back glass make this one a real gem!

6.930/10

2 years ago

SUS

Grayont

Pinside member

Encinitas, CA

6y 51,550 84 1 129

An EM I'd like to own. Easy to understand challenge for dropping all the targets. Addicting to play. I like the 4 player version.

Grayont has this game on the wishlist.

7.711/10

4 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 245K 2,923 33 106

Billiards seems to be a natural theme for Pinball.
In this case it is a matter of knocking down the drop targets to collect balls. . . and I'm ok with that. Hot Shot is a primitive predecessor of Bally's Eight Ball Deluxe or Stern's Nine Ball. . . but sometimes you need to appreciate where those classics came from. Its still fun to take the Model T out for a spin around the block now and again while the '57 Chevy stays in the garage.

Hitting drop targets is fun!

7.628/10

5 years ago

MAT

branlon8

Pinside member

Köln

9y 54,800 954 15

Fourteen angled drop targets – that’s Hot Shot. And it’s a blast trying to knock ‘em all down. It’s a pool game, so if you get the seven striped balls (or solid balls), then the eightball (roll over or saucer), then hit one more target you get a free game. So the special is not based on points. Each successive ball (1, 2, 3) is a multiplier of the bonus points you get for sinking balls (drop targets), so the bonus you get after a drain can be enormous – often bigger than the points you got during the ball – strange, but ok, you get used to it – I like the game because of the drop targets and the wide open playfield.

7.989/10

6 years ago

ACE

boomer8895

Inactive member

Lawrence Township, NJ

7y 22,900 1 10 7

Good memories on this machine. My main complaint on this is the re-setting of the drop targets after each ball drain.

boomer8895 currently owns this game.

8.767/10

6 years ago

MLP

tabascoman77

Pinside member

6y 46,150 4 110

I adore this table. Admittedly, I only first played it as a virtual machine via Pinball Arcade. I was hooked. The game is simple, yet so much fun because it relies on a player's skill with regard to aiming shots. I've played the game several times and I've only been able to knock out all the pins once. The design of the table is simple, yet colorful and is a fun Gottlieb EM.

8.308/10

7 years ago

HMI

Crjfan

Pinside member

10y 34,650 37 36 18

Very simple looking playfield. It has a perfect symmetrical PF design, that mean you can do the same shots at the same angle from your left and right flipper. I waxed the PF, set it up steep, did a little upgrade on the slingshot coils, rebuild the flippers and now the pin plays very fast and has become a great player.

Crjfan currently owns this game.

6.324/10

8 years ago

POP

SuperPinball

Pinside member

Richmond Hill, ON

9y 96,050 1,686 25 17

I like this game, it is simple and just plain fun. Had to get one and finally did.

SuperPinball edited previous rating on July 31, 2017.
SuperPinball has owned this game in the past.

9.250/10

9 years ago

???

Zukboy2002

Pinside member

Houma, LA

9y 64,550 605 2 7

A+ Game Super simple but very adicting!!!! You just cant get enough. I love the bells and chimes

Zukboy2002 has owned this game in the past.

7.604/10

9 years ago

CWE

Zorgar

Inactive member

Göttingen

9y 16,250 43

Hot Shot is wellknown due to its virtual recreations which play a bit different from the real table. The drop targets won't reset after dropping them all (no flashy bonus count while a ball is in play). The targets are steep diagonal and thus a bit challenging to get the last one standing. There could be a gimmick and the art is mediocre.

8.563/10

9 years ago

DEB

Dbaum88

Pinside member

Roswell, GA

11y 90,050 1,274 8 78

Great paying EM. Deceptively simple looking yet hours of fun sniping drop targets, Gottlieb style. First loved it on Pinball Arcade (one of only 3 EMs on PA) and then bought one off a friend.

For me, the backglass and artwork on PF and cabinet, which is decent, pales in comparison to the real star of this pin: the gameplay. Go ahead and play it - try NOT to hit every target, I dare you. See you in a couple of hours....

Dbaum88 currently owns this game.

6.702/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

Hot Shot is a classic game that needs to be set up with speed in mind.

The Pros:
A simple and well thought out design that makes the most of the drop targets that Gottleib is known for. The sharp angle on the banks make sure that your shots have to be on target. That last target up on the table is always the tough shot to make and the most stressful. Watching that ball drain with only one target left is oh so deflating. Makes you want to play some more...

The Cons:
Scoring is unbalanced with bonus being too heavy with the last ball. You'd better play the last ball the best you can, because that is where the points will come from 3k for each drop target put down. 1k, 2k, and 3k. That's the progression we have on this deck.

The Takeaway:
An unbalanced rulesheet makes for gameplay that is unbalanced toward the last ball played. It's a shooter that could be so much better. The most you can do is wax it up, steepen it and take the lower bumper by the inlane/outlane entrance by the sides of the table... and you might have a player.

7.868/10

11 years ago

LJH

GreyScale

Pinside member

Lawrence, KS

11y 66,150 398 244

I love drop target games from this era, so this of course this is one of my favorites. The only real problem is that the scoring is rather unbalanced, with the bonus multiplier 3X on the last ball, so play your best on that one!

GreyScale edited previous rating on July 01, 2013.

8.021/10

11 years ago

MLV

Pinball-is-great

Pinside member

Lafayette, LA

12y 147K 5,016 3 102

Hot Shot & Big Shot are some of my favorite Gottlieb e-m type pinball machines. Good playfield layout & game play. I like the backglass and playfield artwork, but cabinet artwork not so good. Lighting and sounds were good for mid 70's era. I liked playing Hot Shot in the 70's, and still like it in 2012.

Pinball-is-great has owned this game in the past.

7.690/10

11 years ago

MAT

Palerider

Inactive member

Roodepoort

12y 21,400 57 12 15

Just got myself one. My first mechanical. The knock down targets (14) are pretty tough to get. For its time and compared to other mechanicals ive played its pretty solid. Love the old reels and bells sounding off. 4 Player is a blast with friends on this old classic. Once ive restored the playfield, gameplay will be a bit faster...

Palerider edited previous rating on June 19, 2012.
Palerider currently owns this game.

1

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