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Joust

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In Joust, players take control of a knight with a lance who rides their flying ostrich (or stork, for Player 2) to do battle against computer-controlled evil knights who ride atop vultures. Players must flap their steed's wings to hit the enemy from a higher jousting point to destroy the vultu...

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Developer
HAL Laboratory

Released on
1987

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

In Joust, players take control of a knight with a lance who rides their flying ostrich (or stork, for Player 2) to do battle against computer-controlled evil knights who ride atop vultures.

Players must flap their steed’s wings to hit the enemy from a higher jousting point to destroy the vulture and its rider. Once the enemy has been hit, an egg falls to one of the platforms below. The heroic knights must destroy the eggs before they hatch and release new and increasingly more difficult knights. The three strengths of enemy knights are Bounder (red knight), Hunter (white knight), and Shadow Lord (blue knight). These enemy knights are not the only challenge to be found in the game. Players must also contend with crumbling platforms, lava trolls who attempt to pull knights into the fire, and the dreaded “unbeatable”(?) pterodactyl.

The game was novel for its time for being one of the few two-player simultaneous games in the arcade.

Joust

Overview & History: Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, HAL Laboratory’s faithful port of the 1982 Williams Electronics arcade classic Joust successfully brought frantic, gravity-defying combat to home consoles. Deprived of a complex narrative, the game focuses entirely on survival. You assume the role of a heroic knight clad in blue armor, mounted atop a swift, flying ostrich. Alongside an optional second player riding a yellow stork, your quest is to defeat waves of enemy knights mounted on giant buzzards within a hazardous, subterranean volcanic cavern.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core mechanics of Joust hinge entirely on unique physics, momentum, and vertical superiority. To defeat enemies—ranging from red Bounders and grey Hunters to deadly blue Shadow Lords—you must collide with them while your lance is positioned higher than theirs. Winning a collision disintegrates the enemy rider into a falling egg, which you must quickly collect before it hatches on a platform and spawns an even tougher foe. Spicing up the tension are environmental hazards: a fiery troll waits in the lava pits below to grab low-flying mounts, and a lethal Pterodactyl hunts you down if a round drags on too long. The NES port beautifully preserves this high-stakes loop, offering excellent cooperative and competitive two-player action.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Left and Right to run along platforms or steer your mount's horizontal momentum while drifting through the air.
Action Keys: Tap the flap button repeatedly to climb higher; control your tapping speed to hover, turn, or glide downward.
Enter: Start / Pause the game, or select between single-player and two-player modes on the main menu.