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Joust
A landmark action game for the NES, Joust combines tight controls with engaging gameplay. Its enduring appeal lies in the perfect balance of challenge and reward.
- Developer
- HAL Laboratory
- Released
- 1988
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.3 / 5 (657)
- Last updated
Joust Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Joust on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Joust Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Joust on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Joust" NES longplay 1988
Joust Cheat Codes
14 community-curated cheats for Joust. Tick any to activate them automatically when you click "Play with cheats" — or copy a code into your own emulator.
-
Start With 9 Lives
PAPGAXZEOGLAIE -
Infinite Lives
SLLGEGSXXKKZVI -
Start with 1 life
PEOGLAIA -
Turbo flying
PASGKGAA -
Heavens above?
GXVKOZSP -
Start on last level reached
GXSKTASA+GXSKGASA+GXVGGASA -
Untouchable
AOAIGZ+AOLGKZ -
Wave Modifier
003A:00+003C:00 -
Gravity Modifier
0050:80 -
Skywalker Mode
005E:01 -
Invincible
0068:00 -
Infinite Lives P1
00E9:09
Show 2 more cheats Show fewer
-
Strange Auto-Complete Wave Code
0075:09 -
Max Score P1
00EC:99+00ED:99+00EB:99
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Joust released?
Joust was released in 1988 for the NES.
Who developed Joust?
Joust was developed by HAL Laboratory, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Joust support?
Joust supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the NES.
What type of game is Joust?
Joust is a Action game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Joust for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Joust runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Joust in the browser?
No. Joust streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Joust?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Joust work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Joust this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Joust. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
