Great Giana Sisters
Encyclopedia
The Great Giana Sisters is a platform game
developed
by Time Warp Productions for the Amiga
, Amstrad CPC
, Atari ST
, MSX2
, 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
.
As of 2005, a new version titled simply Giana Sisters has been made available for mobile phone
s. There is also an unofficial fangame titled Giana's Return for Windows, GP2x
, GP2X Wiz
, and Dreamcast. A port of the Commodore 64 version was made for the Nintendo DS
.
In April 2009, publisher DTP Entertainment
and developer Spellbound Interactive, owner of the game's IP
released a new Giana Sisters game in Europe
with an extensive graphical update for the Nintendo DS. It has since been released in Australia
. The game features all-new levels and more gameplay elements, and a recreation of the original game's levels can be unlocked.
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, because of the strong resemblance to Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers game. 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.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Time Warp Productions for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, MSX2
MSX2
MSX2 may refer to:* Msh homeobox 2, a human gene* The second generation of the MSX home computers...
, and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. It was released in 1987 and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Rainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts is a German game developer company founded in 1984 in Gütersloh by Marc Ulrich which was later bought by Funsoft, and eventually absorbed by THQ in 1999...
. The Commodore 64 version was programmed by Armin Gessert
Armin Gessert
Armin Gessert was a computer game developer from Germany. Along with Manfred Trenz and Chris Hülsbeck, he was one of the developers behind the computer game The Great Giana Sisters for Commodore 64...
. Graphics were designed by Manfred Trenz
Manfred Trenz
Manfred Trenz is a German computer game developer. He was the developer of the popular Turrican video game series, the Commodore 64 version of the game R-Type and also The Great Giana Sisters. Several of his games have achieved cult status...
.
As of 2005, a new version titled simply Giana Sisters has been made available for mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. There is also an unofficial fangame titled Giana's Return for Windows, GP2x
GP2X
The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on November 10, 2005, in South Korea only....
, GP2X Wiz
GP2X Wiz
The GP2X Wiz is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on May 12, 2009, and was also the first console from both Game Park and Game Park Holdings to be also released outside South Korea...
, and Dreamcast. A port of the Commodore 64 version was made for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
.
In April 2009, publisher DTP Entertainment
Dtp entertainment
dtp entertainment AG is a German video and computer game publisher, founded in 1995 by Thomas Baur. The headquarters are located in Hamburg and dtp today has more than 180 employees. It is one of Germany's leading game publishers. dtp is known for having published a high number of games which were...
and developer Spellbound Interactive, owner of the game's IP
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
released a new Giana Sisters game in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with an extensive graphical update for the Nintendo DS. It has since been released in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The game features all-new levels and more gameplay elements, and a recreation of the original game's levels can be unlocked.
History
Rainbow ArtsRainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts is a German game developer company founded in 1984 in Gütersloh by Marc Ulrich which was later bought by Funsoft, and eventually absorbed by THQ in 1999...
was forced to withdraw the game from sale almost as soon as it was released and cancel release of the otherwise completed ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
version, under pressure from Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's legal arm, because of the strong resemblance to Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers game. The cover of the C64 version, published in the UK by GO! (a sub-label of US Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
), 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
Video game collecting
Video game collecting is the hobby of collecting video games and related memorabilia. Collectors may focus on a particular area of interest, such as retro consoles like the Atari 2600 and NES. There may also be some overlap with animation, anime, manga, comic books, or other media...
.
The Spectrum version was reviewed and mentioned in magazines, but was never commercially released.
External links
- Original C64 version playable on webpage with JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
- Giana Sisters in C64-Wiki
- Giana Sisters DS - Official remake of the Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
game for the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... - Giana Sisters iPod Touch/ iPhone - Official remake of the Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
game for the Apple iPod TouchIPod TouchThe iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
/ iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
(link to iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
: iTunes-link ) - Review of Great Giana Sisters in Your SinclairYour SinclairYour Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
- Review of Great Giana Sisters in Crash!CRASH (magazine)Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
- Great Giana Sisters at AmigaMemo.com - AmigaMuseum
- Great Giana Sisters at World of Spectrum
- English page for mobile phone Giana Sisters at Jamster!
- Great Giana Sisters theme remixes at remix.kwed.org