Hot Shots

Hot Shots, designed by Jon Norris and manufactured by Premier Technology under the Gottlieb trade name in April 1989, is a four-player solid-state game running on the Gottlieb System 80B. Its circus and carnival theme transports players to a vibrant midway, brought to life through artwork by Constantino and Jeanine Mitchell and a photographic translite. A confirmed 2,342 units were produced.

One of the standout features is the motor-powered accelerator in the upper right playfield, consisting of two spinning wheels that send the ball up a ramp to the left flipper - an innovative mechanism that adds an extra layer of excitement to gameplay. The game features four 4-bank drop target sets at the heart of its rules: hitting all four blue and all four red drop targets without touching any yellow or green one (or all yellow and green without any blue or red) scores ten specials. Two-ball multiball, a drop target between the flippers, and a left outlane kickback round out the feature set.

With its carnival atmosphere, spinning-wheel accelerator, and color-sequence drop target challenge, Hot Shots offers a distinctive blend of classic layout and inventive mechanisms that makes it an appealing addition to any collection of late-1980s Gottlieb games.