Giana Sisters

The Great Giana Sisters - the 1987 platformer for Commodore 64 from Rainbow Arts.

Run and jump through a dreamy world of bricks, clouds, and caves.
Blocks hide surprises and breakable sections, the clock is always ticking,
and every enemy pattern is learnable if you watch how they patrol.

Core loop
- explore horizontally scrolling stages
- collect items and power ups while avoiding pits and spikes
- reach the exit before the timer runs out

Power ups
- punk power - Giana toughens up and can smash bricks from below
- projectiles - further pickups let you fire at enemies
- safety boosts - brief shields and handy bonuses tucked in hidden blocks

Level design
- dozens of compact stages with secrets and bonus rooms
- alternate routes reward curiosity and careful brick busting
- no boss gates - momentum and timing carry you forward

Feel on C64
- tight joystick response in port 2
- chunky, colorful sprites and clean parallax free scrolling
- an earworm soundtrack by Chris Hülsbeck that defines the mood

Why it is notable
- famously pulled from shelves after legal pressure due to similarities
with Super Mario Bros - which only cemented its cult status on C64

Tips
- test suspicious brick clusters for hidden items before risky jumps
- learn bounce timing on enemies to cross gaps safely
- keep moving - the timer is strict, but secrets often sit near safe ledges

At a glance
Year - 1987
Developer - Time Warp Productions
Design and programming - Armin Gessert
Graphics - Manfred Trenz
Music - Chris Hülsbeck
Publisher - Rainbow Arts
Genre - Platformer
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2