{"product_id":"joust-nes","title":"Joust - for NES","description":"\u003cp\u003eJoust on the Nintendo Entertainment System is HAL Laboratory's 1987 conversion of the Williams arcade classic, and few games have ever built so much out of such an odd idea. You play a knight with a lance who rides a flying ostrich, and your rivals are evil knights mounted on vultures. HAL Laboratory both developed and published Joust for the NES, and the conversion keeps what made the cabinet special: a floating, flapping sense of weight that very little else from the era matched.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything in Joust runs on altitude. Flap your steed's wings, climb above an oncoming vulture, and the collision goes your way, unseating the rider and dropping an egg onto one of the platforms below. Leave the egg alone and it hatches into a tougher knight, so surviving a wave means clearing up fast. Enemy riders come in three strengths, the red Bounder, the white Hunter and the blue Shadow Lord, and the arena itself fights you as well, with crumbling platforms, lava trolls that reach up to pull you into the fire, and a pterodactyl with a fearsome reputation. Two can ride at once, with Player 2 aboard a stork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoust was one of the very few arcade games of its day to put two players on screen simultaneously, and that is still the core of its charm: help and sabotage are a single flap apart, and neither player ever fully trusts the other. Steering by momentum takes a minute to learn and years to master, which makes Joust the easiest cartridge in the house to hand to someone who claims they do not play games. For collectors it marks HAL Laboratory's early years and the arcade end of the NES library, and it earns its place in any collection that keeps a two player game ready for company.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Arcade Action\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlayers:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1-2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e NTSC\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRelease Year:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1987\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDeveloper:\u003c\/strong\u003e HAL Laboratory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCartridge Only: No Box or Manual\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nPlease note that this listing is for the \u003cstrong\u003egame cartridge only\u003c\/strong\u003e. The original box, instruction manual, and any other accessories are not included with this purchase unless explicitly stated in the listing. What you receive is exactly what you need to play: the cartridge itself, tested and confirmed working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition \u0026amp; Authenticity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThis game has been tested and is fully functional. We do not authenticate or certify originality, and listings are intended for players and everyday collectors rather than professional grading or authentication purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImages \u0026amp; Regional Differences\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nProduct images are for reference only. Label artwork, cartridge color, and regional markings (PAL or NTSC) may vary from the item you receive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NES","offers":[{"title":"NTSC","offer_id":53163286823194,"sku":"SJ-JOUST-NES-NTSC-T","price":34.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0973\/4615\/8874\/files\/0a830677-fe52-4012-b6be-8f7a33309789.png?v=1792702550","url":"https:\/\/sillyjoystick.com\/products\/joust-nes","provider":"SillyJoystick Gaming","version":"1.0","type":"link"}