Previous Next

Roust is a conversion of the William Electronics classic arcade game Joust. Joust was loved by millions worldwide for its addictive gameplay with many of us pumping coin after coin into the arcade cabinet. Despite the simplicity of the game, the Spectrum never received its own port... until now. Allan Turvey has used the 'Arcade Game Designer' to code a wonderfully playable version of the coinop favourite which will not leave fans of the original disappointed.

Roust is a single screen jousting game where you take control of a brave knight riding his very own blue ostrich. You are equipped with a jousting lance and are tasked with defeating the many enemies which spawn throughout the level. The winner of each joust is determined by the height of the character's lance as it makes contact on your enemy. If your lance is deemed to be higher you win the joust and the opponent disappears, dropping an egg which you can collect for the ever important points tally. By catching the egg in mid flight you are rewarded with bonus points, but leaving the egg uncollected results in it hatching and a new enemy will join the fray. The game is a simple concept but it is a joy to play due to the flight mechanics of the ostrich. If you think along the lines of the swimming levels in Mario Brothers where pressing the jump button moves you up slightly so to reach the top requires repeatedly tapping it while not pressing it allows the character to descend. Now if you triple the speed, add in lots of enemies seeking to de-ostrich you and an unforgiving time limit you will build a decent picture of what's on offer.

As the levels progress, the platforms are removed and you spend more time flying and less time running with your ostrich. The gravity of the controls is different to the arcade machine and it takes some getting used to, but ten minutes in and you are familiar with how to perfectly control your ostrich. The worry with arcade conversions on the Spectrum is the memory limitations of the machine. All too often some of the features or levels of the original games have to be sacrificed. On this occasion you will be pleased to hear that that the egg wave and survival wave are not only present but just as much fun as in the arcade original. The Hand still emerges from the Lava to catch those that fly too close to the bottom of the screen and the pterodactyl is there to punish those who are too slow in dispatching their enemies.

There is no over-complicated plot here or story to follow. The concept is simple and all the more fun for it. You are unaware of the reasons for climbing aboard your blue ostrich and attacking vulture riding knights. You are not saving a princess or protecting your homeland from an evil villain. This is a fight for survival. There is no elaborate ending screen but you can use your imagination to insert Ryu's ending from Street Fighter 2, walking side by side with your noble (feathered) steed into the sunset and rest assured that you have achieved greatness.

The game is just as frustrating as it always was but keeps you coming back for more. Whether it's to experience Joust for the first time or to enjoy the experience of playing it on the Spectrum, this is definitely worth checking out.

The controls are intuitive and you quickly become skilled at navigating the screen while knocking your opponents from their steeds. Score chasing is addictive and keeps you coming back for more. All of the best aspects of the arcade original are present and fun to play.

Sometimes the spawning of the enemies can be temperamental, meaning there can be spells of inactivity during levels while you wait for enemies to arrive. This wasn't present in the arcade game and sometimes spoils the frantic feel of the level. At the moment there is no option for a second player. This has been promised in future versions of the game but if you want to battle through the levels with a friend and relive those golden arcade memories of 2 player bliss you'll need to look elsewhere.

Roust raises the question of why Joust was never coded for the ZX Spectrum before. The controls and format of the game suit the machine perfectly and the result is a joy to behold. The game is as addictive as its arcade counterpart which is high praise indeed.