Joust was published by Williams, released in 1982.

What kind of game is Joust?

Joust is a action game for the NES / Famicom.

Can two people play Joust?

Yes. Joust supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does Joust load?

The Joust ROM is 40 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Joust?

Joust runs on NES / Famicom and Nestopia UE (Accurate). You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Joust Game (1982) - NES

Name: Joust
Availability: InStock
Author: Williams

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
NES / Famicom (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Nestopia UE (Accurate)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

NES / Famicom (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Nestopia UE (Accurate)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Joust is an arcade action classic originally created by Williams Electronics in 1982 and ported to the NES. Taking flight atop a battle ostrich, you clash against enemy buzzard riders across a screen of floating rock platforms suspended over a pit of molten lava.

How to Play

Your goal is to clear each wave by knocking enemy knights off their mounts. Success comes down to altitude: whenever two riders collide, the knight whose lance is higher wins the joust. Defeated foes turn into eggs that drift downward; collect them before they hatch into faster, upgraded riders. Beware of taking too long on a single wave, as a lethal Pterodactyl will appear to hunt you down.

Browser controls map the original NES controller to your keyboard:

Left / Right Arrow Keys: Move left or right
X (NES Button A): Flap wings to gain height
Z (NES Button B): Secondary flap / action
Enter (Start): Start or pause the game
Shift (Select): Select game mode

Gameplay Tips

Maintain the High Ground: Tap the flap key steadily to hover near the upper platforms. Staying above incoming enemies guarantees victory in every head-on collision.
Scoop Up Eggs Immediately: Swoop down right after unseating an enemy. Letting an egg hatch spawns an even tougher enemy rider with a fresh mount.
Beware the Lava Troll: Stay away from the bottom of the screen when the lava rises. If you fly too low, a fiery hand will pull your ostrich into the pit.