Jetboard Joust
- October 23, 2020
- bitbulldotcom
- 50h median play time
Jetboard Joust is a frenetic, score-chasing arcade game that puts you in the shoes of a hoverboarding hero fighting against hordes of alien invaders. With fast-paced action and a variety of weapons at your disposal, the game challenges you to climb the leaderboards and defeat massive bosses. The game features procedurally generated levels, ensuring a fresh experience with every playthrough.
Reviews
- Fast-paced gameplay with modern graphics and easy controls, providing a good amount of action and special effects.
- Engaging roguelite elements with a variety of weapons and the ability to unlock save points, allowing for enjoyable short sessions.
- Charming retro aesthetic with vibrant color palettes and a nostalgic feel that appeals to fans of classic arcade shooters.
- Gameplay can be repetitive and some battles, especially boss fights, are overly difficult, leading to frustration.
- The weapon loot system is poorly designed, with many weapons being inefficient and upgrades requiring excessive resources.
- Controls can feel clunky and disorienting, making it hard to navigate the chaotic screen filled with enemies and projectiles.
- gameplay42 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a hoverboard mechanic that allows for movement across the map and combat against enemies, but it suffers from a lack of flexibility and depth, often feeling clunky and simplistic. While the game offers a variety of weapons, only a few are effective, and players are encouraged to focus on upgrading a single weapon for optimal performance. Overall, the gameplay is fast-paced and arcade-like, providing a challenging experience, but it can become repetitive and lacks the depth to fully engage players over extended periods.
“Lots of variety of weapons and the gameplay is fast and frenetic.”
“The game is very cool, a very well done arcade, with a series of different weapons which allows different approaches. The combat balance is good, gradually increasing the intensity and difficulty of the game, making it a challenging experience even for the most skilled players.”
“Jetboard Joust is not an easy game, but it is interesting and innovative in the roguelike genre. The gameplay is intense, the graphics are amazing, and the controls feel smooth. It's a very cool little project that should gain more recognition.”
“The gameplay is repetitive, but it's an arcadey shooter.”
“The core gameplay is just a bit clunky and simplistic.”
“The game gives the impression that you can play with multiple weapons, but during gameplay, the player will only be able to fully upgrade just one weapon, leaving all others weak.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their charming retro pixel art and vibrant, garish colors that evoke a nostalgic arcade feel while benefiting from modern hardware capabilities. However, some players noted that the screen can become cluttered with graphic noise, making it difficult to focus on gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered strong and stylish, contributing positively to the game's appeal despite some critiques of the core gameplay mechanics.
“I love the pixel graphics; it's so charming!”
“Perfectly captures the feeling of old-school lo-res visuals, but with the dynamic juice you can only get with modern hardware.”
“The simple fuzzy neon aesthetics and the acid colors give this game a really nice contrast.”
“The screen sometimes seems filled up with too much graphic noise to be able to concentrate on your goal of clearing them all out.”
“Aside from the visuals, the game is just extremely barebones and uninteresting from both an arcade and rogue perspective.”
“The visuals just don't read well.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers great replay value, providing a layer of depth that enhances the experience without detracting from its overall enjoyment. Players appreciate the balance between replayability and the core fun of the gameplay.
“Great replay value.”
“It's enough to add a layer of depth and replayability to the game but not too much to distract from the overall blast-fest.”
“The game offers some replayability, but it quickly becomes repetitive and lacks the depth needed to keep players engaged for long.”
“While there are different paths to explore, the core gameplay remains the same, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“After completing the game once, there's little incentive to return, as the novelty wears off and the experience feels stale.”
- story2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its innovative concept of a rescue mission set within a roguelike framework, offering a fresh take on the genre. Reviewers find it engaging, well-paced, and effectively tension-building, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
“The concept of a rescue mission set in a roguelike atmosphere is a real novelty in the genre. It's cool, engaging, and well-paced, creating just the right amount of tension for the player.”
“The story's unique blend of a rescue mission within a roguelike framework adds a fresh twist to the genre, making it both exciting and immersive.”
“The narrative is compelling, with a perfect balance of tension and engagement that keeps players invested in the outcome of their mission.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top action and absurdity, particularly in the exaggerated combat against aliens and the use of comically satisfying weapons. Players find the chaotic gameplay and the ridiculous scenarios, such as battling numerous enemies while saving humanoids, to be both entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny.
“Basically shoot everything - especially the aliens that are abducting the humanoids, only with a gazillion more enemies and weapons, most of which are very chunky and satisfying (sometimes downright hilarious) to use.”