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Developer(s) Time Warp Productions
Publisher(s) Rainbow Arts
Platform(s) Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, Mobile phone
Unofficial ports:
Nintendo DS, DOS, MS Windows, Sega Dreamcast
Release date(s) 1987
Genre(s) Platform game
Mode(s) Single player
The Great Giana Sisters is a platform game developed by Time Warp Productions for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Commodore 64. It was released in 1987 and published by Rainbow Arts. The Commodore 64 version was programmed by Armin Gessert. Graphics were designed by Manfred Trenz.
Due to its strong similarity with Super Mario Bros., Rainbow Arts was forced to withdraw the game from sale almost as soon as it was released and cancel release of the otherwise completed ZX Spectrum version, under pressure from Nintendo’s legal arm. The cover of the C64 version, published in the UK by GO! (a sub-label of US Gold), went so far as to taunt Nintendo’s game with the tagline “The brothers are history”.
Original copies of the game are currently highly prized by video game collectors.
The Spectrum version was reviewed and mentioned in magazines, but was never commercially released.
Despite being unavailable commercially, unauthorized copying of the game has led to its rapid rise to cult status. Some people also altered the game’s sprites to create an ad hoc version of Super Mario Bros. for the Commodore 64.
As of 2005, a new version titled simply Giana Sisters has been made available for mobile phones. There is also an unofficial remake titled Giana’s Return for the Sega Dreamcast. A porting of the Commodore 64 version was made on the Nintendo DS.
In 2008, publisher DPT Entertainment and developer Spellbound Interactive, owner of the game IP have announced that an official remake with extensive graphical update is in development for Nintendo DS. The remake is scheduled for release in June 2009, according to the developer.
Much of the game’s fame may come from its theme music (composed by Chris Hülsbeck), which is highly regarded in the chiptune community, especially among SID chip fans. Music from the game was performed live by a full orchestra at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in 2005, which took place in Leipzig, Germany. The Swedish band Machinae Supremacy has based one of their songs on the music of this game, aptly titled “The Great Gianna Sisters”, which is available on their website. Also, the reggaeton artist Don Omar sampled the theme music for his hit single “Dale Don Dale”.
Since Nintendo has historically avoided porting its console titles to home computers, it is likely that the game was developed to cash in on the popularity of Super Mario Bros., and to provide a similar experience to home computer owners with no interest in buying an NES. The game has two playable characters: one named Giana, mirroring Mario’s status as the prominent Mario Brother, and the other named Maria.
In Super Mario Bros., the main characters (Mario and Luigi) could collect Super Mushrooms. The mushrooms caused the characters to grow taller, and withstand a single attack without losing a life. Damage caused after collecting a Super Mushroom would revert the characters to their original small state. The mushrooms were hidden in blocks, and could be freed by jumping into the underside of the block. In Great Giana Sisters, the sisters would collect brightly-colored balls from blocks, which caused their hairstyle to change into brightly colored Mohawk haircuts. In both games, the alternate state of the characters gave them the ability to break blocks with their heads. Many of the enemy sprites bore strong similarities to the enemies in Super Mario Bros., and in addition to very similar backgrounds and areas, some of the map layouts used were virtually identical to levels in the Nintendo flagship game.
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