Joust 2 flapped into arcades in 1986, attempting to build on the success of its predecessor. Subtitled "Survival of the Fittest," It was kind of an odd duck – er, ostrich – in the Williams lineup, as it came during the arcade slump of the 80s and was designed as a conversion kit for vertical cabinets, hence the switch from the original horizontal format. It kept the basic formula but added more sophisticated graphics and sound, new enemies, the ability to transform into a slow-but-strong pegasus and a range of new level designs (many supposedly M. C. Escher-inspired). The game's aesthetic also evolved into a sort of fantasy/sci-fi hybrid, with metallic platforms and a giant robot "boss" (really more of a humanoid building defeated by pushing four buttons). Joust 2 becomes frantic and chaotic in its later levels, but fortunately you can keep on hitting that coin button.

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