Famed Mario Rip-off Giana Sisters Coming to DS

Time Warp Productions' long-famed Super Mario Bros. imitation The Great Giana Sisters is officially coming to the Nintendo DS next year, publisher dtp has revealed.

The publisher claims that The Great Giana Sisters is still "a synonym for a whole gaming genre," explaining that "in the late 1980's, there was literally no chance to play Jump'n'Run games on home computers" until the Giana Sisters hit in 1987.

The game bore a striking resemblance to Nintendo's 1985 NES classic Super Mario Bros., with Nintendo legal action allegedly forcing Giana's quick removal from retailers.

Along with "all the great features of the original home computer version," the DS release will sport some new functionality, such as microphone and touch screen use.

Developed by Spellbound Entertainment and Bitfield, The Great Giana Sisters is due for a June 2009 release in Europe. North American release plans have not been detailed.