This version of Joust takes a little getting used to. Compared to the arcade game, there seems to be less gravity, and the platforms are apparently made of extra bouncy rubber. Also, all the special levels are missing except for the Egg Wave, which here gets renamed as the "Eggs Wave."
But, once you adapt to the controls and accept the lack of extra bonuses, NES Joust can offer some enjoyment. If nothing else, it's still a whole lot better than the mess that came out for the Game Boy Advance.