The Great Giana Sisters is a 1987 side-scrolling platformer developed by Time Warp Productions for DOS. Famous for its striking similarities to Super Mario Bros., it stars sisters Giana and Maria as they navigate a dangerous dream world to recover their lost diamonds. You must run and jump across 33 stages, dodging or stomping on bizarre enemies like giant owls and rolling eyeballs while hitting blocks from below to find power-ups.
How to play
Your goal in each stage is to reach the large jewel at the end before the timer runs out. Use the arrow keys to move and the Spacebar or Up arrow to jump. If you collect the punk upgrade, you can use Alt or Z to shoot dream bubbles. Stomp on enemies from above to defeat them, and gather 100 small diamonds to earn an extra life.
Tips
- Collecting the magic wheel transforms Giana’s hair into a punk style, which lets her break bricks with her head and shoot projectiles.
- Other power-ups include a lightning bolt that freezes enemies, a double-lightning bolt for homing projectiles, and a water drop that makes you immune to fire.
- Hold the jump key right as you bounce off an enemy’s head to get extra airtime, which is useful for reaching high platforms or hidden blocks.
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