Play Joust & Defender Online

Joust & Defender was a Game Boy Color release that bundled two classic arcade games from Williams Electronics. It came out in 2000, a time when the handheld was still popular, though newer systems were starting to emerge. The compilation offered a straightforward dose of arcade action without much fanfare, just two games packaged together for portable play.

In Joust, you control a knight riding a flying ostrich, flapping to gain height and trying to unseat enemy knights by hitting them from above. Defender puts you in a fast moving spaceship, scrolling horizontally to rescue humans from alien abduction while fending off waves of enemies with your laser. Both games demand quick reflexes and constant movement; there are no continues, so mistakes cost you lives. The pace is relentless, especially in Defender where the screen fills with enemies and the threat of losing captured humans adds tension. Playing it feels like a constant test of focus and timing, where every small victory is hard won.