Joust

Originally named 'Conflict'. The 'Joust' name was used for a video game released in 1981. The game pictured in the flyer has an apron colored blue and red. The ends of its legs are squared off. We do not know how many games left the factory with these features, as most of the games we see have black and red aprons, with legs rounded at the ends. Pictured in this listing is an Early Production game with serial number XP0223. It has the blue/red apron and squared legs. Also included in this listing is a pictorial comparison of two games from Quebec, Canada having several production differences between them. For ease of comparison, we have arbitrarily assigned them as Game 'A' and Game 'B' without trying to suggest which game was made first. Game play is slightly different from each other: Just before the last 30-second unlimited ball mode starts, one game has all lights go out (including GI's), while the other game has only the insert lights going out for about 5 seconds before the unlimited ball mode starts. We have labeled the images that accompany this list to correspond with each item listed. Game 'A' has blue/red aprons with squared leg ends. Serial number 625510. 1a) Certain inserts are clear and faceted. 2a) The metal mini-post next to the spinning target has a different size of screw thread and does not fit Game 'B'. 3a) Egg Multiplier uses four plastic posts. 4a) Lock-down hasps have wide handles. 5a) Three fuses inside front door. 6a) Sound board has unused connector pins. 7a) Power supply board has a fourth fuse. 8a) Screw heads are visible on the wood-grain area of cabinet. 9a) The square bar under the lockdown bar attaches to notches cut into the inside wall of the cabinet. The outside wall of the cabinet is undisturbed. Game 'B' has blue/red aprons with rounded leg ends. Serial number 623689. 1b) Certain inserts are opaque and not faceted. 2b) The metal mini-post next to the spinning target has a different size of screw thread and does not fit Game 'A'. (image not shown) 3b) Egg Multiplier uses three plastic posts and one metal one. 4b) Lock-down hasps have narrow handles. 5b) No fuses inside front door. 6b) Sound board does not have unused connector pins. 7b) Power supply board has a soldered wire, instead of a fourth fuse, that seems factory-original. 8b) Screw heads are visible on the inside of cabinet, not on the outside. 9b) The square bar under the lockdown bar attaches to notches cut into the inside wall of the cabinet. However, the picture shows the notches were originally cut completely through the cabinet wall then pieces of the cut-out cabinet were glued back in place to be flush with the outside cabinet wall. Almost as if they goofed and never meant to cut completely through the cabinet. This suggests experimentation. There was suggestion that two production runs of Joust had occurred and with the same number of games produced in each run. We asked designer Barry Oursler about that. He replies:There was NEVER a second Joust game. There would have been another Joust-type game if it had sold well enough. But as you know, nothing sold well between 1983-1985. We may have made some rule changes to the game after it was on test for a while, but I don�t recall any physical changes, other that the colors, like you mentioned.