Joust is a 1982 action platformer arcade game by Williams Electronics.
Quick Facts
| Title | Joust |
| Year | 1982 |
| Manufacturer | Williams Electronics |
| Designer(s) | John Newcomer, Bill Pfutzenreuter, Janice Woldenberg-Miller, Python Anghelo, Tim Murphy, John Kotlarik |
| Genre | Action platformer |
| Hardware | Programmed in assembly language with 96K ROM storage. Features a 19-inch color CRT monitor with monaural sound. Upright cabinets sold approximately 26,000 units, with a rare cocktail table variant produced in limited quantities (250-500 units). |
| Ports | 7 ports, including Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and Atari 7800 — see Ports section |
History
Williams Electronics built Joust on the success of its 1981 hit Defender, reusing that game’s underlying hardware for a very different kind of arcade experience. Lead designer John Newcomer wanted to avoid the crowded field of space-shooter clones and instead built a game around cooperative two-player action, a rarity in arcades at the time. Programmer Bill Pfutzenreuter wrote enemy behavior across three knight types that grew progressively more aggressive, while artist Janice Woldenberg-Miller animated the bird sprites by studying Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies within the game’s tight 96K ROM budget. Python Anghelo contributed concept art and hand-stenciled cabinet artwork, and Tim Murphy and John Kotlarik composed the sound effects, with Newcomer prioritizing the wing-flap sound above all else.
Joust reached North American arcades in 1982 and sold roughly 26,000 upright cabinets, an unusually strong result given operators’ early skepticism toward its unfamiliar flapping control scheme. A limited cocktail table version followed in far smaller numbers. The game influenced how later arcade titles approached cooperative multiplayer design, and Williams released a sequel, Joust 2: Survival of the Fittest, in 1986. Joust’s hardware lineage traces directly back to Defender, placing it among the influential run of early-1980s Williams titles that also included Robotron: 2084 and Sinistar. Joust later appeared in the 2015 film Pixels, and its bird-riding, collision-based combat has inspired numerous clones over the decades since its release.
Gameplay
Players control a knight mounted on a flying ostrich or stork, battling enemy knights riding buzzards above a pit of lava. Combat is resolved entirely by height: whichever rider is positioned higher at the moment of collision knocks the other off its mount, while a bird flying at equal height results in a bounce-off with no winner. A single button controls flapping, letting the player climb or slow a descent, while a two-way joystick moves the knight left and right across a set of floating horizontal platforms. Falling into the lava, into the pit’s resident buzzard-eating creature, or off the bottom of the screen costs a life, so managing altitude while dodging incoming enemies is the central skill. Joust supports simultaneous two-player cooperative play, in which timing and positioning between teammates matter as much as reflexes against the computer-controlled riders.
- Height-based collision combat instead of shooting
- Flap-to-ascend control scheme paired with horizontal joystick movement
- Navigable floating platforms above a lava pit hazard
- Cooperative two-player mode requiring coordinated timing
Cabinet & Hardware
Joust runs on hardware adapted from Williams’ earlier hit Defender, programmed in assembly language and constrained to 96K of ROM storage for all graphics, sound, and code. The cabinet uses a 19-inch color CRT monitor with amplified monaural sound, and the control panel departs from typical eight-way joystick setups by pairing a two-way joystick with a dedicated flap button. Upright cabinets accounted for the vast majority of the roughly 26,000 units Williams sold, while a cocktail table version, built in a limited run of only 250 to 500 units, is now a scarce find among collectors.
Ports & Re-releases
| Platform | Year |
|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | 1983 |
| Atari 5200 | 1983 |
| Apple II | 1984 |
| Atari 7800 | 1986 |
| NES (Japan) | 1987 |
| NES (North America) | 1988 |
| Game Boy | 1995 |
Joust has since appeared in various Williams and Midway arcade compilation releases that preserve the original coin-op version for modern hardware. Check the Atari 2600 and NES platform pages for details on those specific ports.
Where to Play Legally Today
- Official arcade compilation releases that include Joust on current-generation consoles and PC
- MAME, run only with legally owned ROM dumps from a cabinet or licensed source you own
- Arcade museums and retro arcade venues that keep a working Joust cabinet on their floor
Collector Value
Original Joust upright cabinets are reasonably attainable on the secondary market given the roughly 26,000 units Williams produced, though clean, unmodified examples with intact marquees and side art draw solid prices from collectors. The cocktail table variant is far scarcer, with an estimated production run of only 250 to 500 units, making it one of the more sought-after variants of any early-1980s Williams title. Home ports on cartridge systems like the Atari 2600 and NES remain inexpensive and widely available, offering a low-cost way to experience the game without acquiring a full-size cabinet.
FAQs
Who made Joust?
Joust was designed by John Newcomer, Bill Pfutzenreuter, Janice Woldenberg-Miller, Python Anghelo, Tim Murphy, and John Kotlarik, and was manufactured by Williams Electronics.
What year did Joust come out?
Joust was released by Williams Electronics in 1982.
What genre is Joust?
Joust is an action platformer arcade game in which players ride flying birds and use height-based collisions to knock rival knights off their mounts.
What hardware did Joust run on?
Joust was programmed in assembly language with 96K of ROM storage and ran on a cabinet with a 19-inch color CRT monitor and monaural sound.
Has Joust been ported to home consoles?
Yes, Joust has been ported to at least seven platforms since 1983, including the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Apple II, NES in both Japan and North America, and Game Boy.
See also the related Robotron: 2084 and Defender arcade pages, both fellow Williams Electronics titles, and browse the Golden Age of Arcade Games hub for more classic action titles.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.