If you love Super Mario Bros. but have always found it just a bit too masculine, then your dreams are about to come true. Giana Sisters gives you all the brick-breaking, fire-throwing, flag-reaching action you could want, and it wraps it up in a tidy feminine package.
While there's no doubt that this game is a total rip-off of the Nintendo classic, it's not a pixel-for-pixel re-skin. The levels are new, the bad guys are different, and the controls feel looser and more jaunty. None of these are bad things. The game is actually really fun, which proves once again that if you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best.
Double your flavor, double your fun.
The paper-thin story tells the tale of a blonde-haired girl whose treasure chest full of diamonds explodes, blanketing the 2D platform-filled land with her gems. Her only recourse is to hop, skip, and jump around until she gets them all back. By herself, she's weak and can be killed with one hit. But nab a powerup, and she transforms into her red-haired, fireball-slinging sister.
You take control of the Giana girls using a simple left/right D-pad and buttons to jump and shoot. The touch interface is responsive and totally up to the task of navigating the perilous terrain you'll encounter. And make no mistake: The environments are expertly crafted, with pits, platforms, and enemies packed into every level. The stages are fairly short, too, which makes for great on-the-go gaming.
Like in all iDevice platformers, falling in pits due to the lack of tactile feedback from the touch buttons can be annoying. Giana Sisters sidesteps this issue by placing checkpoints in the longer levels, meaning that you'll never be put back very far when you bite the big one.
Piranha fish instead of piranha plants.
Giana Sisters is a very fun game, but we have to note its astonishing lack of creativity. This game borrows everything and pioneers almost nothing. From pipes to powerups, breakable bricks to gem boxes, this game is a shameless clone of Super Mario Bros. The things that set it apart, like the chewing gum bubbles that allow you to float, are nice touches, but they're very few and far between.
For a game that originally came out for Amiga and Commodore 64 more than 20 years ago, it's impressive that Giana Sisters can still provide such enjoyable gameplay. The original 32 levels are intact, an impressive 80 new ones have been added, and the whole thing has received a pretty facelift. That's a lot of bang for your buck. And since Mario won't be making an appearance in the App Store any time soon, we encourage you to give this one a try.
20 Comments
I didn't mind this game, but there is absolutely no way it is better than Rayman 2, in my opinion. The story, characters, and setting are all worthless in the Giana Sisters. I think this "jaw-dropping unoriginality" alone would put this game on an even plane with Rayman 2 (according to the site, I personally would have given Rayman at least a 3). So I have a question for everyone, site staffers and forum members:
Which is better, a very unoriginal game with okay controls that is relatively short for $2.99, or an original IP (albeit a port of a game from 1999), that is pretty long, deep, has varied gameplay and a decent story and characters, but sometimes-clunky controls, and is $7.99?
(or is Rayman $6.99, I can't remember?).
This is an honest question for everyone, I'm not criticizing or inviting negative or insulting comments, I'm just curious to see what the community and staff thinks about this subject. As an amateur blogger/reviewer I'm interested to see what everyone thinks.
Keep up the great work STP staff, looking forward to listening to your latest podcast today.
Interesting question I must say. I am personally looking for games that are fun and I can play on my iPhone on the tube. That match comes perfectly with Giana Sisters.
"Unoriginality" of Giana Sisters as you and the article call it , so what ! Mario will never come onto the iPhone !!!
I like Rayman as well but do I complain that he hardly looks like a decent character without the proper legs and arms ? No. It is as much fun as Giana Sisters is fun for me but in a completely different way. This is my personal opinion, I do not look for "varied gameplay and a decent story" on the iPhone.
Out of curiosity, what do you look for on the iPhone? Something like Canabalt with no story and one gameplay mechanic? I'm not being negative, that is a perfectly valid taste to have in games, I'm just curious, as I have my own review blog for iPhone apps.
no problem your question makes sense. I am looking for gameplay, yes but nothing that goes too deep. I have my PS3 and flatscreen for that. And as you are writing in each of your comments it is about your own taste and it seems that your taste differs from mine. If you have your own review blog or not does not really make a difference to me. I hope that you enjoy writing that.
Thanks for the review. Of course Nintendo will never ever launch Marion on Iphone. But for me Giana is an original as I played it hours and hours back in the days on the C64. No need for Rayman2 for me ;-)
Rayman 2 is a pretty bad port... Giana Sisters is a good port (and nicely upgraded, with convenient checkpoints). Giana Sisters is a good game, Rayman 2 you should buy with "caution".
@ the rayman guy: I think Giana is a lot better, and Rayman never was a truly original game.
Fair enough guys, thanks for all your comments. ojmayo - I wasn't saying Rayman was really original at the time, I was referring to the review's use of the term "jaw-dropping unoriginality," when referring to the Giana Sisters and comparing that with Rayman. Saying Rayman wasn't original doesn't really hurt my feelings, and isn't related to my question at all. Thanks anyways though.
When it comes to the game, I guess I'm not a big fan of games that seem like they are targeted at little girls. I liked Rayman based on nostalgia, and enjoying it back in the day, but if it came out now, I'd want nothing to do with it either, I'm sure. I tried playing Giana Sisters, but I really felt that there was no challenge or complexity, and couldn't stomach all the pink. I bet one of my little sisters would like it though, as they seem to be the target demographic.
Once again, its a matter of opinion. For those of you who answered my question without bringing negativity into it, thanks :)
"as they seem to be the target demographic." - is paraphrased from the review, so before people start hating me for saying that its a game for girls, please read STP's review!
I was thinking of using the tagline "Mario minus the mustache." The game isn't really girly beyond having female main characters.
Well, I just gave Giana Sisters another try, and in my opinion this game is atrocious. Hideous design, terrible controls, and the gameplay couldn't be more boring. These are probably the worst virtual control buttons I have seen implemented in an iPhone game yet.
Sorry guys, I gave it another shot because everybody said it was great, and I really wanted to like it, but its just plain bad. I'd give it a 1/4. Remember, before you start hating me, this is only my opinion, and I'm not forcing it on anybody. I totally respect all the people who think this game is quality, and their opinions.
We respect yours as well :)
The difference between us is that you like to discuss this until the very end and I (probably some others here as well) just like to play. For ne the buttons work and Rayman is a great game but just not my taste.
That Giana Sisters is targeted at a female audience is an interesting thought of you. But what do you say to the history of the game ? I doubt it that it was played by many women way back then.
brian, I just asked you a question out of curiosity. I told you I have a blog to give you context as to why I asked you a random question, I never posted the address or tried to advertise. If you only like to play, then why comment 4 times today? You could always feel free to leave discussion to people that enjoy discussing games, and leave the insults out of it. That's a fundamental contradiction in your argument.
I like to discuss games and hear a lot of opinions about them. I'm sure Slide to Play likes having their articles read, and discussion provoked in the comment sections, why else provide the forum for discussion? So unless Slide to Play asks me to stop posting about their reviews and trying to generate intelligent discussions about games, I will continue to happily be a part of this community. But thank you for answering my question, although I think you interpreted it as an insult, even though I clarified that it wasn't. Believe it or not, I respect your opinion about games as well, otherwise why would I have asked you that question?
About the comment about "I doubt that it was played by many women way back then." It's a pretty common misconception to think that there are more male gamers than female. I hope the inherent sexism in that comment was out of ignorance as opposed to informed prejudice. There may have been more men playing games in the 80s, I'm not sure, because I was born in 1983, So I won't make a statement about something I'm not sure of. Although I spent a lot of time programming on the C64, and playing those old games, I never played Giana Sisters back then. But I don't think you could make a solid argument that it's a game targeted towards men, but who knows.
I loved Giana Sisters on the DS. It was made with quite a bit more care and love than you see in most platformers these days. This is the first real showing for it stateside and I'm glad to see it.
Lol, there's nothing masculine about Mario Brothers
Anyways, I'm loving this game so far
I really like the animations. But, man, does it look like Super Mario Bros.
Awesome game on the DS, highly reccomended if the controls hold up
OK Jordan, now we learnt you dislike this game, stop writing essays how bad it is, and allow us to enjoy it.
Haha okay, not sure how writing about the game would amount to me "not allowing you to enjoy it."
I suggest if you want something other than discussions and opinions on games, a gaming website's forum wouldn't be the best place to go.
I was simply talking about a game.
But hey, thanks for your continued insults and for obviously disliking me for whatever reason, good luck with all that negative energy my friend. I'll make sure not to try to start a discussion with you again.
By the way if you want to enjoy the game, stop hating on people in forums and play the game.
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