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'Grand Theft Auto' returns to its top-down roots next week

'Tiny Racers' is basically 'Micro Machines' with trademark 'GTA' mayhem.

Rockstar Games

If Grand Theft Auto: Online's last big event, the sophomorically named Cunning Stunts, stoked a flame in your racing heart, next week's add-on might set it ablaze with nostalgia. For a few different reasons, no less. With April 25th's "Tiny Racers," the camera reverts to a top-down point of view like the GTA games of yore. More than that, Tiny Racers is a pretty overt homage to the Micro Machines series of stunt-minded arcade racers from the 8-and-16 bit era. I mean, just look at the name; that wasn't an accident.

As you'll see in the trailer below, the highways even have a toy-like feel with their colorful boundaries and weapon power-ups. And since this is GTA Online we're talking about, there's plenty of mayhem involved if you want to take the checkered flag. Sure, you could scoff, but considering that GTA V has consistently been in the top ten games sold each month since its initial release, that derision would be misplaced.

The reason GTA V keeps selling so well well over three years later is directly related to Rockstar's work keeping GTA Online fresh. Will the developer see the same success with this fall's Red Dead Redemption 2 and a possible Red Dead Redemption: Online? If the past is any indication, that's a definite possibility.