A target hitting game machine includes a cover member being formed with an opening; a target having an effective hitting area on a portion of the surface thereof, the target being rotatably disposed in the cover member and partially exposed through the opening during the rotation; a drive mechanism which rotates the target; an exposure detector which detects that the effective hitting area of the target is exposed through the opening; a hit detector which senses that the target is hit by a player; and a successful hitting determinator which is in responsive to the exposure detector and the hit detector and determines a successful hitting that the effective hitting area is hit.