<s>
Joust	B-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Williams	O
Electronics	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
arcades	O
in	O
1982	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
two-player	O
cooperative	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
Jousts	B-Application
success	O
and	O
polished	O
implementation	O
popularized	O
the	O
concept	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joust	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
numerous	O
home	O
systems	O
and	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
more	O
complex	O
and	O
less	O
popular	O
arcade	B-Application
sequel	O
in	O
1986	O
:	O
Joust	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Survival	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Fittest	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Controls	O
for	O
each	O
player	O
consist	O
of	O
a	O
two-position	O
joystick	B-Device
and	O
a	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
joystick	B-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
steer	O
left/right	O
in	O
midair	O
,	O
or	O
run	O
in	O
a	O
chosen	O
direction	O
if	O
the	O
knight	O
is	O
standing	O
on	O
a	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Destruction	O
of	O
portions	O
of	O
the	O
bottommost	O
platform	O
to	O
expose	O
pools	O
of	O
lava	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
emergence	O
of	O
the	O
Lava	B-Application
Troll	O
,	O
a	O
disembodied	O
hand	O
that	O
can	O
reach	O
up	O
from	O
the	O
lava	B-Application
and	O
try	O
to	O
drag	O
down	O
knights	O
that	O
approach	O
too	O
closely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
life	O
is	O
lost	O
whenever	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
knight	O
is	O
unseated	O
,	O
or	O
falls	O
or	O
is	O
dragged	O
into	O
the	O
lava	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joust	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Williams	O
Electronics	O
,	O
with	O
John	O
Newcomer	O
as	O
the	O
lead	O
designer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
amplified	O
monaural	O
sound	O
and	O
raster	B-Algorithm
graphics	I-Algorithm
on	O
a	O
19-inch	O
color	O
CRT	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
other	O
Williams	O
arcade	B-Application
games	O
,	O
Joust	B-Application
was	O
programmed	O
in	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
pack	O
of	O
three	O
AA	B-Algorithm
batteries	I-Algorithm
provide	O
power	O
to	O
save	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
settings	O
and	O
high	O
scores	O
when	O
the	O
machine	O
is	O
unplugged	O
from	O
an	O
electrical	O
outlet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
1981	O
game	O
Defender	B-Application
,	O
Williams	O
searched	O
for	O
new	O
creative	O
staff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
,	O
he	O
generated	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
ideas	O
that	O
included	O
ideas	O
for	O
his	O
top	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
The	B-Application
War	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Worlds	I-Application
and	O
Joust	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Technical	O
specifications	O
dictated	O
the	O
selection	O
because	O
his	O
vision	O
of	O
The	B-Application
War	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Worlds	I-Application
was	O
technologically	O
infeasible	O
,	O
whereas	O
Joust	B-Application
could	O
be	O
accomplished	O
with	O
hardware	O
already	O
available	O
at	O
Williams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
development	O
team	O
was	O
formed	O
,	O
which	O
decided	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
Defenders	B-Application
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newcomer	O
conceived	O
Joust	B-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
flying	O
game	O
"	O
with	O
cooperative	O
two-player	O
gameplay	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
wish	O
to	O
emulate	O
the	O
popular	O
space	O
theme	O
of	O
previous	O
successful	O
flying	O
games	O
like	O
Asteroids	B-Application
and	O
Defender	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
use	O
birds	O
prompted	O
Newcomer	O
to	O
deviate	O
from	O
the	O
standard	O
eight-direction	O
joystick	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
vertical	O
direction	O
controlled	O
via	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
's	O
button	O
,	O
a	O
two-way	O
joystick	B-Device
was	O
added	O
to	O
dictate	O
horizontal	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
created	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
96K	O
of	O
ROM	B-Device
chip	I-Device
storage	O
,	O
which	O
limited	O
the	O
data	O
size	O
of	O
individual	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
they	O
could	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ROM	B-Device
size	O
limits	O
also	O
prohibited	O
Newcomer	O
from	O
creating	O
more	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Woldenberg-Miller	O
chose	O
gray	O
for	O
the	O
buzzards	O
,	O
but	O
changed	O
it	O
to	O
green	O
to	O
optimize	O
the	O
color	B-Data_Structure
palette	I-Data_Structure
as	O
the	O
developers	O
had	O
only	O
16colors	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
entire	O
display	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
game	O
world	O
element	O
designed	O
was	O
a	O
lava	B-Application
pit	O
and	O
a	O
hand	O
reaching	O
out	O
of	O
it	O
to	O
destroy	O
characters	O
too	O
close	O
to	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newcomer	O
placed	O
the	O
platforms	O
to	O
optimize	O
Pfutzenreuter	O
's	O
enemy	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
programmed	O
for	O
attack	O
patterns	O
based	O
partly	O
on	O
platform	O
placements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
playtesting	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
discovered	O
an	O
animation	O
bug	B-Error_Name
they	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
belly	O
flop	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
it	O
provided	O
an	O
interesting	O
method	O
to	O
perform	O
a	O
sneak	O
attack	O
on	O
an	O
opponent	O
below	O
the	O
gap	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
of	O
limited	O
time	O
available	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
decided	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
defect	O
as	O
an	O
undocumented	B-General_Concept
feature	I-General_Concept
rather	O
than	O
fix	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
bug	B-Error_Name
,	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
pterodactyl	O
to	O
be	O
easily	O
defeated	O
,	O
was	O
discovered	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
distributed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
could	O
sit	O
on	O
the	O
center	O
ledge	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
single	O
enemy	O
knight	O
caught	O
indefinitely	O
in	O
the	O
hand	O
of	O
the	O
Lava	B-Application
Troll	O
,	O
and	O
kill	O
an	O
unlimited	O
number	O
of	O
pterodactyls	O
simply	O
by	O
turning	O
to	O
face	O
them	O
as	O
they	O
entered	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
learning	O
of	O
the	O
flaw	O
,	O
Williams	O
shipped	O
a	O
new	O
ROM	B-Device
for	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinets	O
to	O
assuage	O
distributors	O
 '	O
complaints	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
published	O
Joust	B-Application
for	O
its	O
own	O
systems	O
and	O
under	O
the	O
Atarisoft	O
label	O
for	O
others	O
:	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
,	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
5200	I-General_Concept
,	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
7800	I-General_Concept
,	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
and	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joust	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
—	O
programmed	O
by	O
Satoru	O
Iwata	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
of	O
Joust	B-Application
to	O
the	O
BBC	B-Device
Micro	I-Device
was	O
done	O
by	O
Stuart	O
Cheshire	O
under	O
the	O
pseudonym	O
"	O
Delos	O
D	O
.	O
Harriman	O
"	O
(	O
which	O
he	O
also	O
used	O
for	O
his	O
networked	O
tank	O
game	O
,	O
Bolo	B-Application
)	O
,	O
but	O
since	O
Atarisoft	O
had	O
reportedly	O
ceased	O
releasing	O
titles	O
for	O
other	O
systems	O
,	O
the	O
work	O
remained	O
largely	O
unavailable	O
and	O
was	O
subsequently	O
acquired	O
by	O
Aardvark	O
Software	O
,	O
publisher	O
of	O
Frak	O
and	O
Zalaga	O
,	O
whereupon	O
it	O
received	O
its	O
first	O
review	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
nevertheless	O
remained	O
unavailable	O
for	O
over	O
a	O
year	O
before	O
eventually	O
being	O
released	O
as	O
Skirmish	O
by	O
Godax	O
for	O
the	O
BBC	B-Device
Micro	I-Device
and	O
Acorn	B-Device
Electron	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Commodore	O
64	O
did	O
not	O
receive	O
an	O
official	O
port	O
of	O
Joust	B-Application
in	O
the	O
1980s	O
,	O
but	O
like	O
many	O
other	O
systems	O
there	O
were	O
several	O
clones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
disk	O
with	O
the	O
Popeye	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
a	O
file	O
called	O
JOUST	B-Application
was	O
also	O
discovered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
it	O
topped	O
the	O
Play	O
Meter	O
arcade	B-Application
charts	O
in	O
January	O
1983	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
RePlay	O
upright	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
charts	O
from	O
January	O
to	O
February	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
among	O
the	O
thirteen	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
games	I-Application
of	I-Application
1983	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
unique	O
among	O
cocktail	O
games	O
with	O
its	O
side-by-side	O
seating	O
rather	O
than	O
opposing	O
sides	O
,	O
allowing	O
Williams	O
to	O
reuse	O
the	O
same	O
ROM	B-Device
chip	I-Device
from	O
the	O
upright	O
cabinets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
substantially	O
fewer	O
units	O
manufactured	O
than	O
the	O
upright	O
arcade	B-Application
machine	O
,	O
the	O
cocktail	O
version	O
is	O
a	O
rare	O
collector	O
's	O
item	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
French	O
magazine	O
Tilt	O
rated	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
four	O
out	O
of	O
six	O
stars	O
in	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
rated	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
VCS	I-General_Concept
version	O
83%	O
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
,	O
Flux	O
magazine	O
ranked	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
26th	O
on	O
their	O
Top	O
100	O
Video	O
Games	O
writing	O
:	O
"	O
Yeah	O
,	O
it	O
’s	O
bizarre	O
as	O
hell	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
’s	O
as	O
much	O
fun	O
to	O
play	O
now	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
back	O
in	O
1983.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Next	O
Generation	O
listed	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
as	O
number	O
83	O
on	O
its	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
perfect	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
ingredients	O
that	O
all	O
too	O
often	O
make	O
a	O
classic	O
:	O
Original	O
concepts	O
,	O
quirky	O
designs	O
,	O
and	O
-	O
above	O
all	O
-	O
playability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
only	O
three	O
controls	O
(	O
left	O
,	O
right	O
,	O
and	O
flap	O
)	O
,	O
Joust	B-Application
creates	O
an	O
entire	O
world	O
of	O
elegant	O
combat.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
game	O
historian	O
Steve	O
Kent	O
considered	O
Joust	B-Application
one	O
of	O
the	O
more	O
memorable	O
games	O
of	O
its	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
Guinness	O
World	O
Records	O
listed	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
number	O
sixty-nine	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
in	O
technical	O
,	O
creative	O
,	O
and	O
cultural	O
impact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
writer	O
for	O
Video	O
Gaming	O
Illustrated	O
called	O
Joust	B-Application
exotic	O
with	O
lifelike	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Antic	O
called	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
version	O
a	O
"	O
unique	O
,	O
addictive	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
"	O
that	O
was	O
"	O
almost	O
identical	O
"	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
concluded	O
that	O
Joust	B-Application
was	O
"	O
Atari	O
's	O
finest	O
since	O
Star	B-Application
Raiders	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
Bowen	O
of	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
Classic	O
Gaming	O
wrote	O
that	O
Joust	B-Application
has	O
an	O
"	O
incredibly	O
stupid	O
"	O
concept	O
but	O
is	O
an	O
appealing	O
game	O
with	O
good	O
controls	O
and	O
competitive	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
writer	O
Mike	O
Bevan	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
physics	O
"	O
beautifully	O
"	O
realized	O
,	O
and	O
described	O
Joust	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
most	O
remarkable	O
and	O
well-loved	O
titles	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
Williams	O
library	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Ellis	O
described	O
Joust	B-Application
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
innovative	O
risk	O
absent	O
in	O
the	O
then-current	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Joust-themed	O
pinball	B-Application
table	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1983	O
,	O
designed	O
by	O
Barry	O
Oursler	O
and	O
Constantino	O
Mitchell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
includes	O
artwork	O
and	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
arcade	B-Application
sequel	O
,	O
Joust	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Survival	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Fittest	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Midway	O
Games	O
also	O
launched	O
a	O
website	O
featuring	O
the	O
browser-based	O
Shockwave	B-Operating_System
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
in	O
several	O
multi-platform	O
compilations	O
:	O
the	O
1996	O
Williams	O
Arcade	B-Application
's	O
Greatest	O
Hits	O
,	O
the	O
2000	O
Midway	B-Device
's	I-Device
Greatest	I-Device
Arcade	I-Device
Hits	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
2003	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Treasures	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
compilations	O
are	O
the	O
1995	O
Arcade	B-Application
Classic	O
4	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
and	O
the	O
2005	O
Midway	B-Device
Arcade	I-Device
Treasures	I-Device
:	I-Device
Extended	I-Device
Play	I-Device
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joust	B-Application
was	O
released	O
via	O
digital	O
distribution	O
on	O
GameTap	B-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Live	I-Device
Arcade	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
Joust	B-Application
was	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
compilation	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Origins	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Previously	O
unreleased	O
Atarisoft	O
prototypes	O
of	O
Joust	B-Application
for	O
the	O
ColecoVision	B-Device
surfaced	O
in	O
2001	O
at	O
the	O
Classic	O
Gaming	O
Expo	O
in	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
adaptation	O
with	O
three-dimensional	O
(	O
3D	O
)	O
graphics	O
(	O
and	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Joust	B-Application
as	O
a	O
bonus	O
)	O
was	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Titled	O
Dactyl	B-Application
Joust	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
eventually	O
canceled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
remake	O
in	O
development	O
is	O
Joust	B-Application
3D	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Newcomer	O
pitched	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
to	O
Midway	O
Games	O
,	O
which	O
declined	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tiger	O
Electronics	O
released	O
a	O
keychain	B-Application
version	I-Application
of	O
Joust	B-Application
in	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
games	O
by	O
other	O
developers	O
either	O
copy	O
or	O
build	O
upon	O
Jousts	B-Application
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
1983	O
Jetpac	B-Application
and	O
Mario	O
Bros.	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
1984	O
Balloon	B-Application
Fight	I-Application
,	O
have	O
elements	O
inspired	O
by	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
flying	O
mechanics	O
in	O
the	O
2000	O
game	O
Messiah	B-Application
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
Joust	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
Killer	B-Application
Queen	I-Application
was	O
heavily	O
inspired	O
by	O
Joust	B-Application
,	O
and	O
mixes	O
elements	O
of	O
it	O
with	O
RTS	O
and	O
MOBA	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
Games	O
optioned	O
Jousts	B-Application
movie	O
rights	O
to	O
CP	O
Productions	O
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
purchased	O
most	O
of	O
Midway	O
's	O
assets	O
,	O
including	O
Joust	B-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
intent	O
to	O
develop	O
movie	O
adaptations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joust	B-Application
is	O
referenced	O
in	O
the	O
Robot	O
Chicken	O
episode	O
"	O
Celebutard	O
Mountain	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
Code	O
Monkeys	O
episode	O
"	O
Just	O
One	O
of	O
the	O
Gamers	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
video	O
games	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
Shang	O
Tsung	O
turns	O
into	O
the	O
character	O
from	O
Joust	B-Application
as	O
his	O
friendship	O
)	O
and	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Cataclysm	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
book	O
Ready	O
Player	O
One	O
,	O
Wade	O
Watts	O
defeats	O
an	O
NPC	O
in	O
2-player	O
Joust	B-Application
.	O
</s>
