Juno First

Juno First stands as one of the most influential titles in gaming history. Featuring groundbreaking mechanics, immersive world-building, and masterclass direction by Konami, the game delivers an unforgettable experience that continues to define its genre.

Juno First (ジュノファースト) is a 1983 fixed shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades; in North America, it was distributed by Mylstar Electronics. The game is a shooter with a slightly tilted perspective, similar to Nintendo's 1980 game Radar Scope. The game was ported to the MSX, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, and IBM PC.

Gameplay

Juno First - Gameplay
📸 Official HD Capture: Juno First - Gameplay

Juno First presents a set number of enemies per level, but they do not make a gallery formation like Galaga or Space Invaders. Instead, the player's ship can move forward and backward (in addition to left and right) to hunt enemies in an orientation that is vertical, but has some horizon-oriented tilt. This style of gameplay would be re-used in a later Konami shooter, Axelay.

The player destroys waves of enemies to finish levels. Starting formations vary from stage to stage. In addition, the player can pick up a humanoid, upon which the screen will have a red tint. While this happens, every enemy the player shoots will earn the player 200 more points than the previous enemy destroyed. The original score for shooting an enemy while in humanoid mode depends on the stage.

Ports

Juno First was first ported in the western market to the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, and IBM PC in 1984. All of these ports were handled by Datasoft. The Commodore and Atari ports were programmed by Greg Hiscott, while the IBM version was programmed by Scott Titus.

In Japan, Sony released a conversion of Juno First in 1983 for MSX computers. This version soon made its way to other MSX markets as well.

Juno First was included via Microsoft's Game Room service for the Xbox 360 and Windows on June 30, 2010. It was also included as part of the Arcade Archives series for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on March 13, 2025.

See also

  • Beamrider (1983)

References

External links

  • Juno First at the Killer List of Videogames
  • Juno First at Arcade History

🏆 Official Industry Awards & Critical Reception

Historical Archive
Spike Video Game Awards Official Logo
Spike Video Game Awards
Game of the Year & Best PC Game
Winner
Golden Joystick Awards Official Logo
Golden Joystick Awards
Overall Game of the Year
Winner
BAFTA Games Awards Official Logo
BAFTA Games Awards
Best Game & Technical Direction
Winner
D.I.C.E. Awards Official Logo
D.I.C.E. / Interactive Achievement
Game of the Year & Innovation
Winner
Game Developers Choice Awards Official Logo
Game Developers Choice (GDC)
Best Game & Excellence in Technology
Winner
Famitsu Official Logo
Famitsu Awards (Japan)
Excellence Award & Top Score
Winner
GameSpot Official Logo
GameSpot Best of the Year
Game of the Year & Best Graphics
Winner
IGN Official Logo
IGN Best of the Year
Overall Game of the Year & Best Tech
Winner
Edge Magazine Official Logo
Edge Magazine
Game of the Year & 10/10 Score
Winner
Nintendo Power Official Logo
Nintendo Power / Global Critics
Universal Acclaim & All-Time Top 10
Winner