Last updated on January 17th, 2026 at 04:03 am
Giana Sisters – Family Game Review
Giana Sisters is a Family/Casual game from Kaasa solution GmbH, first launched in 9th February 2010.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 17+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Giana Sisters Stand Out
Supporting MFi controller!
When idols die – legends are born!
More than 25 years ago Armin Gessert developed with GIANA SISTERS one of the first Jump'n Run games for the Commodore 64. The console manufacturers got anxious and tried to stop the sisters. The end seemed close. But they failed and GIANA SISTERS with packaging has become a rare collector's item.
"It draws its strength from its unashamed inspiration, offering a tight, fully-featured and excellently crafted platformer that really raises the bar for the AppStore"(toucharcade.com)
"Giana Sisters is definitely a worthy addition to your game library…. Giana Sisters is among the best platform games for the iPhone" (touchgen.com)
The legend is back, better and bigger than ever before. To use the potential of current devices we improved the graphics and controls. Today the game captivates through its full HD graphic and a new userfriendly menustructure.
The game offers everything a real Jump'n Run game needs. Perfectly balanced for hours of fun on all current iOS devices.
Freed from the dust of decades, GIANA SISTERS always retains its cherished style, familiar features and the legendary original soundtrack in a fresh revision. By then the polished 32 fully restored classic levels will cause teary eyes to many fans of the original version!
Today the sisters celebrate their jump on the hitlists of the gaming world. Including a lot of new adventures, retro feeling and modern design:
- 80 completely new adventures
- 32 retro level
- superbright Full HD graphic
- 5 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
- legendary soundtrack, inspired by Chris Huelsbeck
- freely selectable controls
- Game Center
We love to play Giana Sisters as well and we act on the principle: “Bug reported. Bug fixed.”
Feel free to send us your questions and suggestions to: [email protected]
This Family game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Giana Sisters is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 17th February 2016
Recent improvements include:
This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
fixed crashes on some devices
Download & Availability
Giana Sisters is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Giana Sisters on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
For people saying that you can not beat the dragon because your fire balls dont do any damage your wrong! You can easily beat the dragon by stomping on it head not shooting it!. Also the game is a bit laggy at times so for the developers make the game free with in app currency and change it up not game wise but how it runs Thankyou.
Yo love this game yall needa come back and update it for new gen iPhones like the x and 11 and pro max edition screens.
The game is much more fluid with its animations and movements. The wall bug is gone now. The game looks like it got a much needed makeover, no problems to be found. Good job.
Im on the level with the dragon and we cant get past it. It seems like theres some sort of glitch because no matter how much we shoot it the level just runs out of time and doesnt advance.
Wanted to love it but its just not enjoyable. Everything just feels tight and bad. You constantly hit your head and plunge to your death because of the blocks and character size. Jumps are horrible. Maybe thats how the game originally was but its no fun. Hate how it jumps continuously when you hold jump button it causes deaths as well. And wall bugs are still there. Levels are very short but there is A lot of them but its all the same very redundant. If your looking to remember how games were back then we can recommend. All in all Giana sisters is decent but we recommend the remake Giana sisters twisted dreams its eye and ear candy for miles beautiful game with interesting mechanics where you change the … Youtube it trust us! Now if we could get that game on here thatd b sick.
Fun at first but gets kind of boring after awhile; a bit repetitive. Finding platformers on iOS that are worth your awhile are few and far between. Rely on a console to meet your needs rather than apps.
Our husband is thrilled this game is on Apple TV. It was one of his favorites on his old C64. However–it is not without glitches. Most annoying–during the level intro screens, the music abruptly cuts off. Hope this gets fixed soon.
This game has 2 major glitches… Every time we get in the bubble gum ball, as soon as it gets to the top of our screen, the game crashes. The second glitch, on two of the boards, if we lost a life, it would take us to the beginning of the screen but lost 2 lives instead of 1!!! We'd give it 5 stars otherwise! But at the moment we're stuck at a level and can't use the bubble because the game crashes. We're stuck at world 4, level 3! Please help.
We LOVE this game, but we got to 6-8 and can no longer play. As soon as we move, it crashes. Please fix! We'd give it five stars if it's fixed.
It is a good game, but with the new update, we can no longer play ANY levels. The app crashes before we can do so.
Game crashes about 15 seconds into level 7-8 every time.
We purchased the DLC for level pack and it freezes the screen and wont let us click once we finish all the levels on the island.
Update 5: Version 2.2.1, performance is still garbage compared to 1.x. Been recycling the same accurate review for 14 months now, shocked you guys even bother to update. Same ol' review with present day revisions: Version 2.2.1, same. Absolutely terrible support, performs nothing at all like the 1.x.x versions. Or the 2009 Nintendo DS game for that matter. Frame rate issues, animations and loading screens/transitions are rough, and upon closer inspection graphical artifacts exist such as lines/gaps between sprites (see 1st retro level for example.) Versions 1.x played flawlessly on our iPhone 5; 2.x has just been unplayable for us (under iOS 6, 7, and now 8.) Really don't see the point of these updates if all they do is break what used to work. Clearly this wasn't ready to be updated and yet you release it anyway, unoptimized and untested; this is greatly concerning to us. We had hopes it would improve, but 14 months later we're convinced you really just don't care. Not a good game plan for success.
Please add moga controller support.
We love to give this app five stars but there are a couple of things that keep us from doing that. One the transition from level to level requires that you go to a map and select the level you want. Which sort of brings us to our primary complaint which is if you play a level and you decide to go back to replay the map gets frozen and you wind up getting stuck. The only way to fix this is if you beat the level that you were currently on. The only way we can do that is by playing it over and over but with the map frozen we can't do that. We can only play the level one time and then after we die we can't select anything. Really frustrating please fix this.
We prefer the older version as far as the loading screen, the graphics, and the size of the characters…the game characters seems smaller since the update…also the loading screens are plain and boring now with no animations why fix something that's not broken…plz change it back to how it was… If this is how it have to be because its optimized for the iPhone 5 screen we would rather it not be optimized for our iPhone 5…also the game has tares in the background and the attack detection for the fireballs are way off the fire doesn't even touch the enemy and the enemy dies before the fireball even touch them…please fix and we will rate the game higher…why fix something that is not broken at all…smh.
We payed $1.99 for this app and it doesn't even work. We would like a refund.
We love the game now that you've fixed the issue with it not saving game data when it's closed out. But you still need to work on some things… Personally we don't care about the few minor visual issues like the lines in the water etc. Our issue is with having to pause the game to answer our phone or something & when we come back we have to reopen the game & start the level over, usually losing the "punk Giana" which on some levels is a real pain. Another big issue is with the maps freezing up & we constantly have to quit the game, close the app & then reopen. A few times we had to do a phone reboot for the game to work again. Also level 9-1 is all kinds of screwed up. It's very very slow & choppy. Bad enough it's unplayable. Fix these few things & add more levels… We'd give you 5 stars. Here's a hint for everyone… Since you can go to any level in the game whenever you want, if you need extra lives, go to level 1-3. It's an easy level & there are close to 200 crystals to get extra lives. We would play that level over & over to stockpile extra lives lol.
Zero stars! The second most recent update rendered the game unplayable (on iPod touch 4) and wiped out all our scores/ levels. The most recent update did not fix. Thanks for ruining a great game.
Yikes, what a disappointment. Don't upgrade to 2.0! We haven't run it yet on our 5th gen iPod touch, but on our 4th gen this version is filled with graphical glitching, horrendous slowdown, crashes, and quite frankly the new menu system is rather dull and boring. New high res graphics for retina displays? Well the game looks crappy on the 4th gens RETINA display. Also what is the$1.99 Level pack? Extra levels? A sneaky way to unlock original game levels? More info please!! The awesome intro story and opening level? Gone. Oh and your game progress? Say bye bye to that as well. It appears that the game is under new management. Which seems to the root of the problem. Thanks for breaking a already perfect game. :(.
It took them close to a year before they updated to the 4-inch display. Now the controls are useless. The buttons take 5-6 taps to register. We paid $5 when this first came out and now it's garbage. We wish we could get a refund for the developers ruining a good game.
We we downloaded update, it made us start all over again. We were very far into the game. Very upset.
The most recent update completely ruined the game, adding crippling hiccups and numerous glitches.
What happened?!? The previous version was fantastic and ran great! 2.0 has so many graphical glitches, horrible load times, and LAG! Please fix.
The gameplay is now laggy and 'off' after this new update. The fireball firing is delayed. Poor update to a great game.
This is an easy to pick up and play kind of game that is fun and is a nice Alternative to Super Mario or Lep's World.
Needs a little work and had we known before we wouldn't have paid $5 for it. However that said its a fun game with multiple levels to challenge you.
First time we've ever played this game, nothing overt about it but the aesthetic feels '80s to us anyway. Like watching "gremlins": the pacing is slow, and the characters fantastical…. Early levels are easy (so far), not a lot of extra bells and whistles. Not the most addictive game in the app store but that's part of the charm.
GREAT game!!! Ready for the next one.
Admittedly, we got this game because it was recommended by a few tech blogs as a viable substitute to Mario, but 3 stages into playing it, we love it on its own! The gameplay is interesting, just the right amount of challenging to keep you engaged, and it's looooong! The graphics are awesome and the enemies are fun! The L-R controls are the best we've ever had in this type of game, as well as the control you have over positioning the player. We wish we could give it 10 stars.
Used to play the original as a little kid on the family C64. This is a great port of a great classic. For anyone who played and love the original, this is a MUST BUY! For anyone new, this is a awesome platformer with solid controls.
One of the best platformer in iphone.
So good, could use sharper looking sprites for the 4s.
Download now before it jumps back up to 5$.
We'd love the game, but it has been a long time and no update to fix a crash on iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 — the game force closes when tapping on the fireball button.
We would love to play the game, we bought it and it was going to install but now the app just continually says waiting. It won't download. If there is anything you can tell us to help it would be appreciated and we will give you a good rating. Ridiculous you pay $5 for something that won't work and free apps work all the time.
If you want Mario, this is better than what you are looking for. Great graphics and good controls. Our best purchase since Angry Birds. Definitely recommended.
Edit: After the new update to improve the controls we really have no complaints about this game at all. Game Center would be nice, but it's hardly worth noting, and a real nitpick to bring up as far as we're concerned. This is our favorite iOS platformer among strong competition! Great work devs, thanks for listening to customer feedback! Our original review: we get what people are saying about the buttons–it could be nice to have the sensitivity area extend past the visual button spots…but if you experiment with the button placements and put them in spots that are easier for you to get to, then it becomes almost a non-issue. But it's worth noting that it could be improved slightly by increasing the sensitivity area or allowing users to increase the size of the buttons visually as well, as with Zenonia 2, for example. This aside, the game could use an update with multi-tasking, and perhaps some Game Center achievements would be nice. But we still think that Giana Sisters deserves a 5-star rating. It's probably the best Mario-style platformer for iOS. It certainly is our favorite, along with Bounce On 2 (can't choose one over the other). What this game has, is a great visual style that feels retro and also fresh and polished at the same time, great music as well. Wonderful gameplay, and strong level design are featured as well. If you're looking for something close to that great Super Mario Bros. Feel with tons of polish and great gameplay, this is it. Well worth $5.
When we first saw this game we thought, " it looks fun, but too expensive…" so we bought it when it was on sale. Well lemme tell ya, we would have bought it at full price. This is a fantastic game, great graphics, great game play, the only thing wrong with it is we wish there was another one.
First of all U must know we were finished this game in 1986 on Commodore 64 (in our school ) – we bought our own C-64 in 1988 … AND we SAW ALMOST ALL GAMES FROM '80 TO TODAY …and still like play games :) specially good games. Now on Iphone GIANA SISTERS remaind us old times . Controls is ….THE BEST !!!! – you can relocate buttons !!!! THX !!!!!! If YOU like this game just go to our IPHONE-AWARDS page : GOIPHONEGO.blogspot and VOTE for the best RETRO GAME on Iphone !!!!!!! …this game is worth it …this is the best platformer on IPHONE ps. GIVE US YET option to pay 1$ to see original game without playing this fantastic game to the end ….we JUST WANT TO SEE ORIGINAL ONE AND we HAVE NO TIME TO PLAY :( sorry 4 our english ;) ………………………..and thank you for possibility relocate buttons.
We have to say, this is our favorite platformer on iOS. It's a whole lot of fun, and has a great style to it. It's not without it's faults, but that's all iOS related. In other words, it's in desperate need of a update! -Needs iOS4 multitasking. -Maybe Retina Display graphics? That's us asking for a lot, if not too much there..! At least the icon? Great game! We hope it will continue to receive support, and that people recognize it's greatness.
This game caught our fancy and sure enough we were right this game rules.
If you love 2D Jum'N'Run games like us, then this game will fit your gaming collection very nicely. We remember when we played the original over 20 years ago on our Commodore 64, it was a great inspired Mario gaming with a "twist", instead of two brothers, you here play the two sisters. With excellent graphics and simple and brilliant very customized controlling, this games is well worth $4.99. So go and grab it, because you will not regret it. And if you like us also own an iPad, it will just be even better, because soon there will be a HD version ready for you to down. – RasmusJ, 2010.
This game has proven to be great fun! We've played off and on for a few months now, and the levels are getting harder at a rate that works really well with the speed at which we are mastering the controls. There are secret places, cute animations, and fun extras. In some ways, this game has more character than Super Mario does. Addendum: we just finished level 6-9. It's not that hard if you find the secret bonus level a few levels before, and use it to stock up on lives. And you won't hit your head if you jump less high. :).
To the makers of this game…..you are truly brilliant! This game is better than ANY of the super mario brothers combined. We've beat the game & can't wait to see what's next!! Everyone we've showed this game too has purchased it & is addicted!!! Thank you guys sooo much for all the fun….you're the best.
This game is very fun to play. It is simple but still offers quite a bit of content. If you like platformers this is one of the best.
Excellent game great graphics!!! Lots of fun.
This game is really fun. We usually get bored with this genre of games but this one has held our interest. Perhaps that's because it's the most Mario-esq platformer available on the iPhone. We'd def recommend this game to others.
We bought this on the recommendation here & we don't regret it. There are some small bugs, it does freeze in certain areas but it does a good job of saving too. Worth the 2.99 for it.
We want to thank you for recruiting us into the Cult of Giana. :) we've only gotten to the 8th level of the iPhone version and the 3rd level of the original C64 version but we're already in love with this. :) Now we just need to get a Nintendo DS and to import the DS version into the US at three times the regular cost and our newest obsession will be complete. :) Everyone who likes platformers should get this; you won't regret it.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 3.1.1
- Size: 326.16 MB
- iOS: 6.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Kaasa solution GmbH
Last updated: 17th February 2016 | Genre: Family, Casual | Developer: Kaasa solution GmbH