Joust
Model No: 849
Released: November 25, 1968
Designed By: Ted Zale
Art By: Christian Marche
Joust was a 2 player machine with Bally's unique zipper flippers - flippers that, when the right target was hit, would move to the center, almost completely preventing the ball from draining between them, for a short amount of time.
The backglass art was, like most games of the time, simplistic. It showed simply a pair of cartoonish knights jousting, with a helmetless knight falling off his horse, and the other knight's lance broken. An orange building on the right has a few damsels watching the contest.
The playfield was rather simplistic, a triangle of pop bumpers, some passive bumpers, and a few other targets.
1050 of this machine were produced.
Joust
Model No: 519
Released: April 1983
Designed By: Barry Oursler
Art By: Constantino Mitchell
Joust, which was originally going to be named 'Conflict' but then renamed to use the theme of the highly popular video game, was one of the most unique pinballs ever to be made.
It was a head-to-head pinball. Instead of the traditional cabinet and backglass, it had a fully horizontal cabinet, with flippers and buttons at both ends, allowing two players to play against each other. The playfield is highest in the center, and slopes down to the players' flippers. It is identical on each side.
Two balls are released during play, one for each player, and they can cross to the other side, as the center has a pair of spinners that go between the sides. Hitting targets can turn on bonuses for your side, while turning them off for your opponent. Misplaced shots can score big points for the other player. When the game is "over", there is a timed 4-ball multiball.
This is one of the rarest pinball games around. Only 402 of this machine were produced, and as it's highly prized for being so different, it is hard to find one for sale, and they're expensive when that occurs.
The Playfield:
As said above, the playfield is divided into two sides, one side for each player, with each side identitical. The ball is launched from one side into the other side, so the ball comes in from the left, following the curved wall straight to the left flipper, making up the inlane. There's an outlane on the far right, with a kicker between it and the right flipper.
The various targets are arranged in a rough arc across the top of the playfield. To the far right is a kicker, then over a little to the left is a round target, and a set of three drop targets. In the center is a pair of spinners leading to the other side, with a round target between the two. Then, to the left a little more is another set of three drop targets. To the left of that is a drop target, which when dropped leads to a little lane with another drop target further back, and it appears that there is a gate behind that second target to the other side.
Sources:
The Internet Pinball Database, http://www.lysator.liu.se/pinball/IPD/
Action Pinball & Amusement, http://www.aros.net/~rayj/action/joust/joustpin.htm