Joust (video Game) - Popular Cluture

Popular Cluture

Joust has been parodied in popular culture. References appear in:

• Joust was parodied in the Robot Chicken episode "Celebutard Mountain."

• Joust was referenced in the Code Monkeys episode "Just One of the Gamers."

• Joust was also referenced in the video games Mortal Kombat 3 and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

• The Knight and Ostrich appear in Wreck-It Ralph. It is seen flying in Game Central Station.

Author Steve Kent considered Joust one of the more memorable games of its time. Author David Ellis agreed, and stated that the game retains it enjoyment in contemporary times. In 2008, Guinness World Records listed it as the number sixty-nine arcade game in technical, creative, and cultural impact. A writer for Video Gaming Illustrated called Joust exotic and praised the animation as lifelike. Kevin Bowen of GameSpy's Classic Gaming wrote that despite a concept he described as "incredibly stupid", Joust is an appealing game with good controls and competitive gameplay. Bowen further commented that the multiplayer aspect differentiated the game from others at the time. He described it as "one of the first really fun multiplayer games" and a precursor to the video game deathmatch. Retro Gamer writer Mike Bevan praised the game's physics, calling them "beautifully realised", and described Joust as one of Williams' "most remarkable and well-loved titles". A Computer and Video Games writer called the game "weird and wonderful". Author John Sellers praised the competitive two-player gameplay, and attributed the game's appeal to the flapping mechanism. In 2004, Ellis described Joust as an example of innovative risk absent in the then-current video game industry. In retrospect, Newcomer commended Williams' management for taking a risk on him and the game. The game has garnered praise from industry professionals as well. Jeff Peters of GearWorks Games lauded the gameplay, describing it as unique and intuitive. Fusion Learning Systems' Jeff Johannigman praised the flapping mechanism and Kim Pallister of Microsoft enjoyed the multi-player aspect.