Play Arcade Classic No. 4: Defender / Joust Online

Summary

Arcade Classic No. 4: Defender / Joust brings two beloved 1980s arcade experiences to the Game Boy Color in a single cartridge. The compilation runs on the original Game Boy, the Super Game Boy peripheral, and GBC via backward compatibility, and it even tweaks the graphics slightly to suit the handheld’s screen. While you can’t hook up a Link Cable, the title offers a simple turn‑based mode that lets two friends alternate play for each game. Joust is faithfully emulated, keeping the 1982 Williams visuals, sound effects, and single‑screen platform layout intact. You pilot a knight on a flapping ostrich (yellow) or, in two‑player mode, a stork (blue), using the D‑pad for horizontal movement and a button to keep the bird aloft. The goal is to out‑elevate enemy knights on buzzards, smash them, gather eggs for points, and dodge hazards like the lava troll and pterodactyl. The handheld version also preserves the classic enemy roster—Bounder, Hunter, and Shadow Lord—and the quirky cooperative twist where each player can attack the other while trying to survive as long as possible.