Target Alpha

Target Alpha was a distinctive pinball machine released by D. Gottlieb & Co. during the twilight years of the electro-mechanical era. The machine exemplified the transition period of pinball design, featuring clean geometric artwork and a space-age theme that was popular during the mid-1970s.

The gameplay emphasized precision shooting with multiple target banks, as suggested by the 'Target' in its name. It featured a traditional four-flipper layout with the main flippers at the bottom and two additional flippers positioned in the upper playfield. The game's design incorporated various scoring targets, drop targets, and likely featured standup targets arranged in alpha-numeric patterns, playing into the 'Alpha' portion of its name.

Target Alpha arrived during a crucial period in pinball history, just before the industry's widespread transition to solid-state electronics. The game represented the refined culmination of electro-mechanical engineering, with its relay-based scoring system and chime sounds that characterized games of this era. While not as well-known as some other machines of its time, Target Alpha serves as an important example of late-EM era pinball design.