History VideoGame / Joust

* DeathFromAbove: When two characters collide, the lower one is killed. You don't have to actually hit the enemy head-on in the process; dive-bombing them from above works just as well.
* TheEighties

* FlyingFlightlessBird: The ostrich that player one rides can fly just as well as the other birds.

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The game's lesser-known sequel allows the player to transform their bird at will into a larger pegasus. The pegasus doesn't fly as well as the bird, but it wins all ties (collisions at equal level), making it easy to dispatch opponents on the ground.

** ''VideoGame/PocketGod: Journey to Uranus'' has a minigame that is this exact game [[RecycledInSPACE IN SPACE!]] [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons WITH DRAGONS!]]

* AirJousting: Through use of 'flap'ping.

* PlayerVersusPlayer: Two players can either cooperate to defeat enemies or compete against each other (called "cutthroat Joust" back in the day). In some stages, you got bonus points for killing the other player; in others, you lost bonus points if either of you died.

* AirJousting

* GameOver: "Thy Game Is Over", with a possible "Nice Jousting!" if you landed a high score.

* FollowTheLeader: ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' features similar gameplay mechanics, right down to the platform layout and 2-player-simultaneous competition mode. Even more similar is ''VideoGame/BalloonFight'' (when two opponents collide, the lower one loses!).

* ShoutOut: A quest in WorldOfWarcraft's ''Cataclysm'' expansion lets you play a three-dimensional version of the game, and even starts you off with the title quote above.
** ''PocketGod: Journey to Uranus'' has a minigame that is this exact game [[RecycledInSPACE IN SPACE!]] [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons WITH DRAGONS!]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joust.png
''Prepare to joust, buzzard bait!''

* PaletteSwap: The Bounders, Hunters and Shadow Lords are the same sprite. Note that in some ports (particularly the {{Atari 2600}} version) ''everyone'' used the same sprite, just different colors.

''Joust'' is an arcade game produced by Creator/WilliamsElectronics in 1982. The player controls a knight armed with a lance, mounted on either an ostrich (player 1) or a stork (player 2), who battles waves of computer-controlled enemy knights mounted on giant buzzards. These knights have three different speed and agility levels. The game screen is static; its only features are five platforms hanging in mid-air (some wrapping around the screen), the ground, and a pit of lava beneath.

''Joust'' is an arcade game produced by Williams Electronics in 1982. The player controls a knight armed with a lance, mounted on either an ostrich (player 1) or a stork (player 2), who battles waves of computer-controlled enemy knights mounted on giant buzzards. These knights have three different speed and agility levels. The game screen is static; its only features are five platforms hanging in mid-air (some wrapping around the screen), the ground, and a pit of lava beneath.

A little-known sequel was produced, with the new ability to transform your mount into a flying unicorn (very heavy and difficult to keep in the air, but easier to kill enemies with) but it saw very limited distribution. The game also received a [[PhysicalPinballTable pinball adaptation]], which was unique in that it was a ''two-sided'' machine in keeping with the "joust" motif; two players could go head-to-head for the high score.

* PinballSpinoff

* BreatherLevel: Every fifth wave is an "Egg Wave" where all enemies start out as eggs; the more you can collect before they hatch, the fewer enemies you have to joust down later.

* GoodBadBugs:
** A minor bug in the pterodactyl's AI makes it possible (but difficult) to kill it and score major bonus points in the process. Arcade operators back in the day were not amused.
** Due to the height difference between the birds' flying and walking animations, it is possible to fly so low to a platform that the bird cannot actually land on it, and instead 'bounces' across the surface while flying. A particular glitch in the WrapAround stage design can allow a player to "[[FanNickname belly flop]]" ''through'' one platform and score a kill on an opponent (or player) camped out underneath it.

A little-known sequel was produced, with the new ability to transform your mount into a flying unicorn (very heavy and difficult to keep in the air, but easier to kill enemies with) but it saw very limited distribution. The game also received a pinball adaptation, which was unique in that it was a ''two-sided'' machine in keeping with the "joust" motif; two players could go head-to-head for the high score.

* FollowTheLeader: ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' features similar gameplay mechanics, right down to the platform layout and 2-player-simultaneous competition mode.
** Even more similar is ''VideoGame/BalloonFight''.
* GameOver: "Thy Game Is Over"
* GiantFlyer
* PaletteSwap: The Bounders, Hunters and Shadow Lords are the same sprite.
** In some of the home versions, most notably the {{Atari 2600}} version, ''everyone'' was the same sprite, just different colors.
* PlayerVersusPlayer: In some stages, you got bonus points for killing the other player. In others, you lost bonus points if either of you died.

''Joust'' has examples of:

'''[[GameOver Thy Game Is Over]]'''

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* FollowTheLeader: ''{{Mario Bros}}'' features similar gameplay mechanics, right down to the platform layout and 2-player-simultaneous competition mode.

In 2007, it was announced that CP Productions of Hollywood was actually going to try to adapt this game [[http://cpmotionpictures.com/joust/ as a movie]] (something creator John Newcomer had wanted to do for some time). Sadly or mercifully, the idea appears to [[WhatCouldHaveBeen have been scrapped]].

* FollowTheLeader: ''{{Mario Bros.}}'' features similar gameplay mechanics, right down to the platform layout and 2-player-simultaneous competition mode.