+-+-+-+-+-+-+
                                | J O U S T |
                                +-+-+-+-+-+-+

              GAME:  JOUST
          PLATFORM:  ARCADE
             GENRE:  ARCADE ACTION/STRATEGY
           CREATOR:  WILLIAMS 1982
AUTHOR OF THIS FAQ:  Kevin Butler AKA War Doc
            E-MAIL:  kevinb(at)technologist(dot)com
       FAQ VERSION:  1.01

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS

    UNIT   I:  INTRODUCTION

1.  Legal Stuff
2.  Version Information
3.  Acknowledgements
4.  Welcome
5.  Overview

    UNIT  II:  GAME INFORMATION

6.  The Game

    6.1  The Controls
    6.2  The Playing Field
    6.3  Scoring
    6.4  Wave Setup

    UNIT III:  STRATEGIES

7.  Playing the Game

    UNIT  IV:  CONCLUSION

8.  Conclusion

_______________________________________________________________________________

To find a particular chapter or subchapter do the following:

1.  Highlight the chapter or subchapter name you wish to find.
2.  Press CTRL-C
3.  Press CTRL-F
4.  Press CTRL-V
5.  Press CTRL-F
5.  You will arrive at the desired chapter or subchapter.

_______________________________________________________________________________

                                **************
********************************* U N I T  I **********************************
                                **************
+=================+
| 1.  LEGAL STUFF |============================================================
+=================+

This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal
private use.  It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advanced permission from the author.  Use of this guide on
any other web sit or as part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and
a violation of copyright.  All content in this guide is Copyright 2003 by
Kevin Butler.  Only the sites listed below have permission to publish this
work or to display it:

www.gamefaqs.com
www.cheats.de
faqs.ign.com

If you wish to put this guide on your site, e-mail me and ask.  Save yourself
the headache of putting up with lawsuits and whatnot because you failed to ask
a simple "Can I post your guide on <insert site>?".  If you wish to use info
in this guide, please acknowledge that you have done so.

If you see this guide on any other site then the one listed above, please
e-mail me.  If you wish to ask questions or give input to this guide, please
e-mail me.  Just have Joust as the subject so I know it isn't another kooky
vendor trying to sell me hair gel or another XXX site telling me I have new
friends.

+=========================+
| 2.  VERSION INFORMATION |====================================================
+=========================+

Version 1.0   8/28/03:  A guide is born.

Version 1.01  8/29/03:  Fixed some formatting errors.

+======================+
| 3.  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |=======================================================
+======================+

The following are a list of people or organizations that have made this FAQ
possible:

My wonderful family (who has had to put up with the tapping on the keyboard)
Williams for making a great arcade game
GameFAQ's for putting up this FAQ

+=============+
| 4.  WELCOME |================================================================
+=============+

Welcome to my FAQ for Joust.  Since the game is just an action game that goes
until all your men are killed, there is no walkthrough per se.  Instead it will
be broken up into the game itself, strategies for survival, and some in-
teresting quirks in the game.  Input is appreciated along with constructive
criticism.  If you wish to e-mail me thoughts on this FAQ, better ways of doing
things, other strategies, etc., feel free.  Make sure you put Joust in the
subject line.  If you don't, I'm liable to discard the e-mail as spam.

+==============+
| 5.  OVERVIEW |===============================================================
+==============+

Well "Buzzard Bait", are you ready to test your bravery and skill against other
jousters?  You won't be fighting for the hand of a fair maiden, but you will be
fighting for your life.  Instead of horses and armor, you get an ostrich and
your opponents get buzzards as steeds.  Both of you, though, will use a lance
to attempt to knock the other off of their steed.  Following on the successful
wave of games such as Defender and Robotron 2084, Williams was proving itself
to be a force to be reckoned with in the video game world.  Controls are easier
on this game but the usual theme of being put into "peril" immediately as you
start the game holds true.  This is a true game of skill, strategy, and some-
times just blind luck.  Good luck as you go forth to prove yourself a worthy
opponent for the enemy jousters.

                               ***************
******************************** U N I T  II **********************************
                               ***************

+==============+ 
| 6.  THE GAME |===============================================================
+==============+ 

Joust is a two-dimensional action game.  You control your man and ostrich to
topple the enemies from their buzzard mounts.  It is definitely the survival of
the fittest in this fast-paced game.

 ____________________
/ 6.1  The Controls /__________________________________________________________
--------------------

In order to become a master of this game, you must be familiar with the
controls.  The controls are a little complicated just due to the fact that you
have to learn how to not only flap your ostrich's wings, but also to move
around the game screen.

-  One 2 way joystick that controls your man's movements left and right.

-  One button that flaps your ostrich's wings.

 _________________________
/ 6.2  The Playing Field /_____________________________________________________
-------------------------

The playing field consists of your man and ostrich and a whole lot of buzzards
with their riders.  In addition to the enemy riders, you will also have to deal
with prehistoric birds and trolls.  I have included an example of what the
playing field look like (a little larger then normal):

    +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                                                   |
    |                                                                   |
    |----------                     ENTRY POINT               ----------|
    |-- 4 --                           V                         -- 6 --|
    |                       -------+-----+------                        |
    |                          ------ 5 ----                            |
    |                                                                   |
    |                                                 /      --+---+-   |
    |--+-----+----                          ENEMY->( )/      \__ 3 _/---|
    |     2     /                                                   ----|
    |----------+                                                        |
    |                          ------------------                       |
    |                            ------ 1 -----                         |
    |                                                                   |
    |                                                          LAVA     |
    |                    |                                     TROLL    |
    |                    +( )<-YOUR OSTRICH                      |      |
    |                     / \                                    V      |
    |             --------------+-------+------------------     |||     |
    |               ---+   SCORE|MEN LEFT              +--     ||||/    |
    |                   \                             /         \ /     |
    |--------------------|                           |------------------|
    |                   /                             \                 |
    |                  /                               \                |
    +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

    NOTE:  I have put the numbers for the above platforms.  These numbers do
           not appear in the game.

You control the ostrich and rider to avoid the enemy riders, pterodactyl, and
the lava troll.

 _______________
/ 6.3  Scoring /_______________________________________________________________
---------------

Scoring in this game is pretty easy.  You basically get points for everything
(even for dying).

Knocking an enemy off their buzzard                    :   500 points
Bounder (Red Enemy)                                    :   500 points
Hunter (Silver/Gray Enemy)                             :   750 points
Shadow Lord (Blue Enemy)                               :  1000 points
Getting killed                                         :    50 points
Pterodactyl                                            :  1000 points
Not getting killed during a Survival Wave              :  3000 points
(Two player only) Not knocking each other off his mount:  3000 points

Eggs:  A progression that goes 250, 500, 750, and 1000 points for the next egg
       and every egg thereafter.  The progression starts again if you get
       killed or you go to the next wave.

You start with three ostriches and get a free one every 20,000 points.

 __________________
/ 6.4  Wave Setup /____________________________________________________________
------------------

The waves (or levels) in Joust are set up in somewhat definite pattern.  There
are certain waves that specific events occur.  I will list these events along
with the first 20 waves.  Use the game screen to refer to platforms I am
talking about.

+---------------+
| SURVIVAL WAVE |
+---------------+

As the name implies, you must not get knocked off your ostrich during these
waves.  If you succeed, you will get the points.  These occur every 4-6 waves.

+----------+
| EGG WAVE |
+----------+

Instead of enemy riders, you are presented with 12 eggs distributed among the
different platforms.  The eggs will hatch after a time to give you enemy riders
to deal with.  These occur every fifth wave.

+-------------+
| PTERODACTYL |
+-------------+

In addition to the enemy riders, you will have to deal with a pesky pterodactyl
or pterodactyls.  There are specific ways you can eliminate them.  This is
discussed in Chapter 7.  Occurs every 4-6 waves.  You start with one and it
progressively moves up to four.

+----------------+
| FIRST 20 WAVES |
+----------------+

 1.  Beginning wave, good for training.
 2.  Survival Wave.
 3.  Regular Wave, bridge burns out.
 4.  Hunters appear.  Lava Troll appears.
 5.  Egg Wave.
 6.  Platform five disappears.
 7.  Platforms four and six disappear.  Survival Wave.
 8.  Pterodactyl Wave (One Pterodactyl).
 9.  Platform one disappears.
10.  Egg Wave, all platforms restored.
11.  Survival Wave, platform 1 disappears.
12.  Pterodactyl Wave.  Platforms four, five, and six disappear.
13.  Regular Wave.
14.  Regular Wave.
15.  Egg Wave, all platforms restored.
16.  Shadow Lords appear.
17.  Survival Wave.
18.  Pterodactyl Wave (two Pterodactyls).
19.  Regular Wave.
20.  Egg Wave.

-  The above progression occurs roughly along the line although the platforms
   don't follow a pattern as to when they disappear.  The things that change
   are the enemies get faster and more Pterodactyls appear.  After wave 22,
   it's all Shadow Lords.


-  These progressions will continue until you hit wave 255.  After that, the
   waves roll back over to wave 1 and you start the cycle again.

                               ****************       
******************************** U N I T  III *********************************
                               ****************       

+======================+
| 7.  PLAYING THE GAME |=======================================================
+======================+

When you start the game, your man will be at the entry point at the bottom of
the playing field.  From the other entry points, enemy riders will appear.  It
will then be up to you to successfully defeat them.

-  Learning to flap your ostrich's wings is the most vital aspect of this game.
   How fast or slow you flap the wings determines speed and maneuverability.
   Once you get good, you will be able to glide around and only flap for either
   altitude or to hit an enemy rider.

-  The name of the game is height.  Whoever is the higher rider during a joust
   is the winner.  If you and an enemy collide on the same level, the impact
   will knock you both backwards a little and turn you both around.  This can
   prove to be dangerous if more then one enemy is coming for you since the
   first one turns you around and the second knocks you off your mount.

-  You need to pay particular attention to the screen setup on each wave.
   Different platforms may collapse forcing you to readjust your strategy
   accordingly.  Using the 20 wave example from Chapter 6.4, I will give you
   some basic strategies.

   -  During the non-pterodactyl waves and platform one is intact, your best
      bet is to hang out under the right side of platform one.  The enemy
      riders have to drop to get to you.  Just a quick press of the flap button
      should give you altitude over them and the easy kill.

   -  If you lose platform one, the next best place is platform five.  This
      forces the enemy riders to rise up to you.  If you hover over the left or
      right edge, you can drop on enemy riders trying to rise up from the areas
      of platforms two and three.  Of course, if any make it to your level,
      just sit on that entry point.  When an enemy rider gets near, rapidly
      climb and move over toward the enemy to knock them off their mount.

   -  When you only have platforms two and three, you will use a modified
      strategy from the one above.  You will hover around the area that plat-
      form five was at.  This forces the enemy riders to rise up to you, there-
      by exposing themselves to you dropping down on them.

   -  If any of the above have Shadow Lords in them, you will have to be pre-
      pared to move around quickly since Shadow Lords are very fast and they
      tend to bounce off the top of the game screen.

-  There are a couple of ways to kill off the pterodactyl during the
   pterodactyl waves:

   -  First of all, you must be facing the pterodactyl in order to kill it.

   -  If platform one still exists, then just wait for the pterodactyl and be
      ready for it to choke itself on your lance.  If there are multiple
      pterodactyls, they usually come from opposite sides so the first one
      will have you turned around to meet the second one.

   -  If platform one is gone, they use platform two to do your prehistoric
      hunting.  If there are multiple pterodactyls, then you will have to move
      around until the second and subsequent pterodactyls are coming at your
      rider head on while you sit atop platform two.

   -  If you are real good (and I mean real good), you can kill the
      pterodactyls off in the air.  You just have to make sure that your lance
      is evenly aligned with the pterodactyls mouth.

   -  Pterodactyls also show up if you take too long on a wave.  These can't be
      killed using the platform method.  The only way is either in the air or
      to lose a man.

   -  Some players take out all the enemy riders but one.  Then they lead this
      rider toward the lave so the Lava Troll can grab them.  The player then
      sits and hunts pterodactyls.  This is a long process that is definitely
      loaded with peril.

   -  If you get killed before killing the pterodactyl, it is very hard to get
      in position to kill the pterodactyl since it does involve a sort of
      rhythm.  Also keep in mind that the enemy riders will still be trying to
      dismount you as you are hunting.

-  The Lava Troll hazard isn't too major unless you fly too close to the
   surface of the lava.  If you do happen to get grabbed, flap rapidly to
   escape.  It is also easy to hit enemies immobilized by the troll.

-  After you hit an enemy rider, they become an egg.  After a few seconds, the
   egg will hatch to the next hardest enemy rider.  For example, a Bounder be-
   comes a Hunter; a Hunter becomes a Shadow Lord.  After that, it will always
   be a Shadow Lord.  Some players leave one egg and then hover over it.  When
   the enemy buzzard comes to pick up the rider, you knock him off the saddle
   again and collect the points.  Again, the pterodactyl will show up soon to
   end this fun.

-  Make sure you don't knock too many enemy riders off at once or there will be
   eggs scattered all over the place.  This makes it hard to keep the enemy
   population down to a dull roar.

-  Whenever your rider gets killed, he will appear at the entrance point all
   shimmery.  If you let the sequence go, it will take up to five seconds for
   your rider to appear.  During that time, he is immune to all attacks.  Your
   rider will enter at the point there is the least amount of enemies.  This is
   usually the very bottom platform.  Keep in mind, the enemies also enter at
   these points.

-  The game does reach a point where there are so many enemy riders running
   around, they are constantly bumping into one another.  This, in effect,
   creates a wall which is very difficult and hazardous to navigate through.
   This means you have to split up the enemy

-  If you die during a wave, try quickly to get your bearings so that you can
   get in position to continue depleting the enemy forces.

-  The above tips are as valid for the two-player game as they are for the one-
   player game.  In the two-player game, though, you and the other player can
   cover each other to make it more difficult for the enemy to knock you off
   your mounts.


                               ****************
********************************  U N I T  IV *********************************
                               ****************

+================+
| 8.  CONCLUSION |=============================================================
+================+

This was a game of both strategy and frustration.  Strategy in the way that one
had to find the best ways and positions to deal with the enemy riders.
Frustrating due to the fact that half of the strategies you tried failed to
work.  This game definitely could keep on busy for a long time as you tried to
find that perfect medium of how much to flap your ostrich's wings versus just
moving around the screen.  No two games were alike even when you knew the enemy
rider's patterns.  The only sure thing were the pterodactyls but the enemy
riders were there to frustrate your attempts for a clean kill.  The game
definitely kept me occupied hours on end and the game only ended when my
quarters did.  Unfortunately, it is very rare to find this machine anywhere.
However, through the miracle of emulation, a whole new generation is realizing
what we "old" folks enjoyed those many years ago.  You can also play this game
at www.shockwave.com.  I hope this guide helps you in being able to get the
most amount of gameplay for this game.  If you do have other ideas or thoughts,
please e-mail me and share them.  Who knows, maybe I'll start a Q&A Chapter in
this guide if enough people ask the same questions.  Anyway, thank you again
for reading this guide.

To see other FAQ's I have written please go to:

           http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/32691.html

           ~~~  No trees were harmed in the making of this FAQ ~~~