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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 18 2006, 6:01 PM EDT (current) | Jmann2k1 | 1 word added, 1 word deleted |
| Apr 12 2006, 4:51 PM EDT | Jmann2k1 |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Prologue:
Joust is an old school game from the Eighties. Yup, the good ol', quarter munchin', arcade friendly, Eighties. These were the days when you went someplace else to spend a few bucks in quarters that you got for your allowance with your friends, just to play video games for a little while. See, kids... When people like me were young, we didn't have the games that wreak of awesomeness right at home on our HDTVs. Nope, the best that we got was an Atari 2600, or if you were lucky, or a bit younger, an NES, later on. And while these games were fun, they didn't usually capture the competitiveness that old arcade games like Joust did.
Description:
Joust was a fairly simple game, that required quick reflexes, and if you were playing against another person, a quick wit, as well. The game was simultaneously a competitive and co-op experience. The two players wanted to keep each other alive so that it was easier to kill the swarms of evil ostrich riders (not to mention the terrifying pterodactyl). However, they also wanted to kill their human opponent, so that they could get all of the points, themselves.
Graphics: 10/10 (For Retro Goodnes. Read and you'll see why)why); 1/10 (by today's standards, and that's being generous)
Okay, I agree, by today's standards, the graphics are total crap. However, they are an absolutely PERFECT recreation of what was in the arcade 20 years ago. Besides that fact, they're in High Definition, so they look better on your HDTVs and monitors. This is explained in a bit of detail below.
Sound: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 1/10 (True Rating By Today's Standards) Joust was never a great sounding game, however, everything that was there, is there, again. Besides, if you don't like the fact that there's no background music, you can always add your own, using the Xbox 360's built in custom soundtrack feature. Bring back the memories, and rock out to Air Supply while kicking butt online in a game of Joust, while trash talking with your opponent using the microphone headset.
Gameplay: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 5/10 (By Today's Standards) Single button mashing never felt so good. You simply have to press the button to flap your bird's wings to keep afloat, thus enabling you to bounce off of your opponents' heads. This turns them into eggs which you have to collect (for points) before they hatch into new opponents. Watch out for the seemingly invincible pterodactyl, though. He has one weakness, which won't be explained here, but it's easy to figure out. Platforms burn away as the game progresses and the enemies become more difficult. I only rate it down by today's standards because it is such a simple concept, and there isn't too much to the gameplay.
Overall: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 8/10 (By Today's Standards) Joust is an absolute perfect recreation of the old arcade game, with Live leaderboards, and both local and online multiplayer, thus making it seem like the actual arcade version in your game room. Surprisingly, the game actually holds up today, being one that is just generally fun. It provides an environment of constant tension, and excitement at the same time. For the price of admission (a few hundred MS Points), you can have a great old school game that is still fun with buddies. I consider it a definite buy.
Joust is an old school game from the Eighties. Yup, the good ol', quarter munchin', arcade friendly, Eighties. These were the days when you went someplace else to spend a few bucks in quarters that you got for your allowance with your friends, just to play video games for a little while. See, kids... When people like me were young, we didn't have the games that wreak of awesomeness right at home on our HDTVs. Nope, the best that we got was an Atari 2600, or if you were lucky, or a bit younger, an NES, later on. And while these games were fun, they didn't usually capture the competitiveness that old arcade games like Joust did.
Description:
Joust was a fairly simple game, that required quick reflexes, and if you were playing against another person, a quick wit, as well. The game was simultaneously a competitive and co-op experience. The two players wanted to keep each other alive so that it was easier to kill the swarms of evil ostrich riders (not to mention the terrifying pterodactyl). However, they also wanted to kill their human opponent, so that they could get all of the points, themselves.
Graphics: 10/10 (For Retro Goodnes. Read and you'll see why)why); 1/10 (by today's standards, and that's being generous)
Okay, I agree, by today's standards, the graphics are total crap. However, they are an absolutely PERFECT recreation of what was in the arcade 20 years ago. Besides that fact, they're in High Definition, so they look better on your HDTVs and monitors. This is explained in a bit of detail below.
We all know what happens when you try to put standard definiton pictures on an HD display (at least you do if you've got one). They tend to not look as good as they originally did on the Standard Definition television. If you want proof of this, look at any PS2 or Gamecube game running at 480i using your Component cables, or using the standard Composite cables and run it to your LCD or Plasma HDTV. While the pictures are still watchable, you will notice a significant "degredation" in the quality. While this "degredation" is not real, for it's just that your display can show that much greater detail, so you see the imperfections, it still doesn't look as nice.
Sound: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 1/10 (True Rating By Today's Standards) Joust was never a great sounding game, however, everything that was there, is there, again. Besides, if you don't like the fact that there's no background music, you can always add your own, using the Xbox 360's built in custom soundtrack feature. Bring back the memories, and rock out to Air Supply while kicking butt online in a game of Joust, while trash talking with your opponent using the microphone headset.
Gameplay: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 5/10 (By Today's Standards) Single button mashing never felt so good. You simply have to press the button to flap your bird's wings to keep afloat, thus enabling you to bounce off of your opponents' heads. This turns them into eggs which you have to collect (for points) before they hatch into new opponents. Watch out for the seemingly invincible pterodactyl, though. He has one weakness, which won't be explained here, but it's easy to figure out. Platforms burn away as the game progresses and the enemies become more difficult. I only rate it down by today's standards because it is such a simple concept, and there isn't too much to the gameplay.
Overall: 10/10 (For Retro Goodness); 8/10 (By Today's Standards) Joust is an absolute perfect recreation of the old arcade game, with Live leaderboards, and both local and online multiplayer, thus making it seem like the actual arcade version in your game room. Surprisingly, the game actually holds up today, being one that is just generally fun. It provides an environment of constant tension, and excitement at the same time. For the price of admission (a few hundred MS Points), you can have a great old school game that is still fun with buddies. I consider it a definite buy.
