Line #27 VideoGame/TheGreatGianaSisters


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4	[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giana_sisters_c64.png]]
5	[[caption-width-right:325:[[TemptingFate Good luck with that.]]]]
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7	''The Great Giana Sisters'' is a platform/action adventure game from Germany. It's the first in the ''VideoGame/GianaSisters'' series. It was published in the 1980s to [[FollowTheLeader basically cash in on]] ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' for the Platform/{{Commodore 64}} market, since Creator/{{Nintendo}} has rarely, if ever, published games for non-Nintendo consoles.[[note]]Videogame/SuperMarioBrosSpecial and several other games based on Nintendo's early arcade and UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem titles were made for the PC-8801 and Sharp X1 home computers, and while Nintendo does keep to their tradition of exclusivity to this day, they have since somewhat softened their stance with spin-off instalments of their main franchises to mobile platforms.[[/note]]
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9	''The Great Giana Sisters'' is the story of Giana, an innocent little girl from Milan, Italy, who collected rubies and sapphires as a hobby. One night, an evil dragon of nightmares from DreamLand stole all of Giana's jewels and sucked her into his nightmare kingdom, where he set upon her with his army of evil owl minions, so she (along with her sister Maria, possibly) sets on a quest to re-capture her family jewels.
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11	The original ''Great Giana Sisters'' was pulled off the shelves after threats from Nintendo. A sequel was made years later in Europe, ''VideoGame/GianaSistersDS'', and later released in the US. An unofficial sequel, ''[[http://www.gianas-return.de/ Giana's Return]]'', has also been released.
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13	Like Mario, Giana has a variety of power-ups to help her along her way. Her main ability is transforming from her very ''Literature/AliceInWonderland''-ish normal persona into "Punk Giana" (in the 1980s, a punk rock chick with a crazy mohawk and loads of piercings who shoots bubbles; in the more recent version, into a {{Goth}} that shoots fire) which allows her to shoot projectiles to subdue enemies, take another hit[[note]]unless it's the original game[[/note]] and break blocks with her head. She can alter these projectiles by collecting other power-ups which give the projectiles properties like bouncing or homing. Giana can also use convenient vending machines to give her giant bottles of soda which she can spray to break through walls or attack enemies, or bubble gum to allow her to fly - provided she doesn't pop the bubble.
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15	An official sequel, known as ''VideoGame/GianaSistersTwistedDreams'' was released at GOG and Steam on October 23rd, 2012, with an eShop release on September 5th, 2013, and a Director's Cut disk version released on October 29th, 2015, just under three years and one week later. This one changes things up a bit by allowing Giana to switch between her normal and punk form at will. Doing so not only alters Giana's abilities, but also [[DualWorldGameplay switches the world around her from dream to nightmare]] (though which is which seems to be a matter of perspective). Each world has its own hazards, and switching between the two at the right times appears to be the focus of the gameplay. This was followed by a mini-expansion pack / mini-standalone game, ''Rise of the Owlverlord'', which adds a fourth world and boss (the titular Owlverlord who can swap between Pirate and Ninja modes) to the game.
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17	See also ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJxuyxqWg-w Duludubi Star]]'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''[='s=] analogue to this game.
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19	----
20	!!This game provides examples of:
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22	%%* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Compare the [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/c64/572482-the-great-giana-sisters/images/166559 original European box art of the first game]] to that of the [[https://giantbomb1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/7/73970/3039951-great_giana_sisters%2C_the_ast_2_1.jpg North American version]].
23	* BigBad: A slightly disfigured-looking dragon (referred to as Fucha in the original game manual).
24	* BottomlessPits: Though some lead to secret areas and warps.
25	* BubbleGun: The sisters' main offensive ability in the original game can be acquired when they touch lightning, giving them the ability to shoot "Dream Bubbles". This can be further upgraded with a Double Lightning power-up to shoot Dream Bubbles that will bounce off walls, and further upgrades with a Strawberry into homing Dream Bubbles.
26	* CaptainErsatz: Giana and Maria are faux-{{Distaff Counterpart}}s to Mario and Luigi, natch.
27	* DreamLand: The game takes place in Giana's (and Maria's) dreams.
28	* DungeonBypass: Stage 2 and 6 allow the player to run across the top row of bricks, in a similar style as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' All other stages that don't allow this either have no ceiling, or make the ceiling solid stone and provide no means to start a ceiling run.
29	* ExcusePlot: The dream starts with Giana losing her pretty things and needing to get them back.
30	* FanSequel: ''[[http://www.gianas-return.de/ Giana's Return]]''. It even has its own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyYFrgPHgcw&index=10&list=PLSQLREUw9vwmE8HYXkE0uYgR6ur64hjIQ trailer.]]
31	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Giana and Maria, according to supplementary material.
32	* TheGoomba: Owls (officially named [[PunnyName Pillowls]] as of ''Twisted Dreams'').
33	* GoombaStomp: As with many ''Mario'' games, most enemies can be stomped to defeat them. Some must be killed with lighting or are outright immune to the girls' attacks.
34	* MinusWorld: Pressing ARMN on the final stage brings you to the bonus stage (which it calls "Stage 27"). This bonus screen is normally available by entering some areas, but the warp cheat causes the game to treat it as a normal level and not generate the exit lift. Pressing ARMN again will crash the game when it tries loading "Stage 00".
35	* OneBulletAtATime: If your bouncing or homing shot gets stuck on terrain, you have to wait before attacking again.
36	* OneHitPointWonder: Grabbing a Firewheel and turning Punk doesn't add an extra hit point to Giana/Maria, unlike the compatible Super Mushroom in the ''Super Mario'' games. It is still needed to break brick blocks and access other power ups.
37	* PaletteSwap: Giana's sister, Maria, is just Giana with green hair. As of the ''Twisted Dreams'' expansion pack, she now has a paler skin tone, ponytail, and a giant ribbon in her hair in art, but still isn't playable.
38	* PowerUp:
39	** [[TransformationTrinket Firewheel]]: Transforms into Punk Giana who is bigger, and can bash bricks.
40	** [[LightningCanDoAnything Lighting]]: Allows Punk Giana to shoot "Dream Bubbles".
41	** [[LightningCanDoAnything Double Lightning]]: Dream Bubbles rebound off walls and surfaces.
42	** [[PowerUpFood Strawberry]]: Dream Bubbles home in on enemies. The bubble reacts differently to walls depending on the platform (Commodore 64 version has the bubbles constantly bounce, while the Amiga has the bubble tunnel through).
43	** [[TimeStandsStill Clock]]: Freezes all enemies when activated.
44	** [[SmartBomb Magic Bomb]]: Kills all enemies when activated.
45	** [[ElementalRockPaperScissors Water Drop]]: Makes Giana immune to fire-damage.
46	** [[OneUP Lollipop]]: Gives Giana an extra-life.
47	** [[EdibleAmmunition Soda Bottle]]: Shoots a stream of soda that kills enemies and destroys obstacles.
48	** [[LawOfOneHundred Diamonds]]: Collect 100 for an extra life.
49	* RatchetScrolling: Harmful in the penultimate stage, because there is no exit at the end of the level.
50	* SingleUseShield: Surprisingly averted in the original game, were turning Punk ''didn't'' give [[OneHitPointWonder Giana]] an extra hit. In ''DS'', however, Giana just loses her Punk powers upon getting hit and turns back to normal.
51	* SuperDrowningSkills: Jump in water and Giana dies instantly, even if the water is not deep enough to cover her head!
52	* TakeThat: The first game's infamous tagline "[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros The brothers]] are history!" With the benefit of hindsight, it probably ''wasn't'' the best idea to openly taunt Nintendo, a very large and legally savvy media company, about ripping off their biggest IP. Naturally, the ''Giana'' series underwent a major case of DerivativeDifferentiation for its next bite at the apple, and let the brothers be.
53	* TimedMission: In the original, 100 seconds per stage.
54	* TooAwesomeToUse: The Clock (which freezes enemies) and Magic Bomb (which kills all enemies) power ups in the original game.
55	* AWinnerIsYou: Standard issue -- picking up the gem shows a text message, and sends you to high-score entry.
56	* WritingAroundTrademarks: Failed, obviously. This was the first widely-publicized case in which a FollowTheLeader ripoff of a video game was withdrawn from the market as a result of legal threats. They had been extremely common up to this point, with programmers and companies generally assuming near-impunity (the aforementioned TakeThat definitely hurt them more than it helped).

Context VideoGame / TheGreatGianaSisters