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Daily iPhone App: Grand Theft Auto Vice City Anniversary is a great way to relive the memories
I don't know why it's so unbelievable for me to see this game running in full motion on my iPhone's screen. The iPhone 5 is a powerful device, and we've seen quite a few console-quality titles on the App Store. But there's something special about this game, probably the most coherent and well-made of the original Grand Theft Auto 3 series. There's a place in my heart, too, for San Andreas, but Rockstar hasn't announced that release yet, and seeing it running on iOS is just like magic to me. Let's start with some of the best voice acting in video games, none other than Ray Liotta as the great and rambunctious Tommy Vercetti. Vice City presents a huge area based on Miami, completely with a Scarface-style mansion and helicopter topped skyscrapers to explore and conquer. And there are plenty of side missions to find and assets to buy as well, not to mention that excellent '80s soundtrack. Vice City is a classic game, and it runs beautifully here on iOS. The touchscreen controls will occasionally trip you up, but they also work surprisingly well at times, so they're a livable reality on a device without buttons. You can see me being shocked at seeing the game finally out and working so well in the video below. If you want to take a trip back in time for yourself, the game's available for $4.99 on the App Store.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City comes to iOS
Ten years after Grand Theft Auto: Vice City took the PlayStation 2 by storm, it has come to iOS. The game that lets you sample the life of a 1980's Mafia hitman has been faithfully ported from the console with some added new features, including: Updated graphics, character models and lighting effects New, precisely tailored firing and targeting options Custom controls with a fully customizable layout iCloud saved game support Support for Retina display devices Another nice feature lets you listen to customized iTunes playlists as you drive around stealing, murdering and pimping. To use a custom playlist, first create one in iTunes titled "VICECITY." Once in the game, select the radio station "Tape Deck" and your music starts. Considering this is a full console port, it's pretty amazing that Rockstar has managed to make Grand Theft Auto: Vice City playable on all models of the iPad, the iPhone 4, 4S and 5, and the fourth- and fifth-generation iPod touch. The company does, however, recommend that users reboot their iOS device after installing the app and close all other applications while playing it for "optimal performance." Grand Theft Auto: Vice City weighs in at over 1 GB and costs US$4.99.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City coming to iOS this fall
Great ready, Grand Theft Auto fans, "Vice City" is coming to iOS this fall. Rockstar Games will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City by releasing it for "select iOS devices" sometime this fall. Rockstar didn't mention exactly which devices will get the game, or if it'll be universal. But fans can expect "several enhancements unique to iOS." Sounds like fun! Look for it soon and get ready to wreak havoc on your iOS device.
GTA III for Android hits 1.3, brings Liberty City to the Transformer Prime
Select iOS and Android devices have had the ability to terrorize Liberty City while on-the-go since December, but sadly those with Transformer Primes thus far have been left out of all that fun. Luckily, an update to the game ends that double standard, enabling Rockstar's classic to run on ASUS' tablet and Medion Lifetabs everywhere. It doesn't just bring expanded hardware support to the table though, as amongst other "technical fixes," the release also heralds new video display settings, Immersion haptics support and the capability of installing the game on a SD card. And fans of tactility, know that controls on the Xperia Play have been reworked, and it now boasts full support for GameStop's wireless controller. Still here? You shouldn't be -- grab the update in the source link below.
Grand Theft Auto III now available on international App Stores, coming to US
Rockstar's classic sandbox game, Grand Theft Auto III, is now available on international App Stores in New Zealand and Australia. As the day rolls across timezones, it should be available in Europe and the US later today. Rockstar promised to launch the game on December 15 for both iOS and Android, and it's kept its word. Grand Theft Auto III, the game that brought the whole sandbox experience into the forefront of gaming and arguably did a lot to make games more "adult-oriented," is available as a universal game for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch for just US$4.99. The controls for the game will be fully touch-based, so it will be intriguing to see how well (or how poorly) the full experience of Grand Theft Auto III translates to the smaller touchscreens of Apple's portable devices. I'm sure at least one member of the TUAW team will be happy to give this game a runthrough and review soon after its release. Grand Theft Auto III is supported on both models of iPad, the iPhone 4 and 4S, and the 4th generation iPod touch. It is a surprisingly slim 462 MB download, and while it's not available in the US Store as of this writing, it should be coming out within hours from now.
Grand Theft Auto III anniversary edition for iOS and Android exalts a decade of metropolitan mayhem
Before Niko Bellic, there was a man who was known as Claude, who was just as willing to terrorize Liberty City back in Grand Theft Auto III. If fond memories of carjackings and Flashback 95.6 are starting to rush back, know that Rockstar plans to sell you a fresh copy for your iOS or Android devices come December 15th. And just so we're clear, the $4.99 redux is a full re-release -- not some watered-down version with an alternate story line. Already counting the days? Peep the list of compatible devices after the break so it's not all for naught. Go on, we've left you a surprise.
GTA's Liberty City recreated in Google Street View, reveals your nearest Ammu-Nation
Type "Liberty City" into Google Maps and it whisks you to some place east of Wichita, Kansas. Yup, Wichita, for Pete's sake. No self-respecting Grand Theft Auto fan can stand for an omission like that, and thankfully now they don't have to. Those hardcore Niko-lovers at gta4.net have not only recreated the real fictional Liberty City using the Google Maps API, they've even cobbled together 80,000 screenshots to provide full-blown Street View too. Man, we haven't seen this much Gay Tony passion since the Trashmaster. Oh, wait a minute -- apparently this so-called Street View leaves out a couple of ramps that gta4.net considered to be "not very interesting." Hush, and you call yourselves fans?
Real Racing 2, Grand Theft Auto, others on sale this weekend
A whole slew of apps are going on sale this weekend, including Firemint's Real Racing 2 (which has dropped down to half price at US$4.99) and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (also $4.99, down by the same discount). Adult Swim's hilarious little Robot Unicorn Attack running game is only 99 cents, on sale for both iPad and iPhone. In fact, all of the Adult Swim titles are on sale for just 99 cents, so you can look through those to see what you like. I'm not sure what the impetus is behind this sale, but it's best not to ask questions. If you need a few new games to play this weekend (and honestly, I'm not sure you do, given all of the great titles on the App Store lately -- I'm still loving Battleheart), there you go.
Feature-length film, The Trashmaster, made entirely in Grand Theft Auto IV
If you're familiar with The Sims-style gaming, where actual life, art, and the game can easily blur, this little story may not come as a huge surprise to you. Grand Theft Auto IV player / enthusiast Mathieu Weschler spent two years making The Trashmaster, a feature-length 'film' made entirely in the game, about a garbage man who has another gig on the side. Now, we'll freely admit that we did not watch the entire thing (yet), but from what we have seen, it actually looks fairly engaging! The film is embedded after the break.
Cypress Hill backup singer sees himself in Grand Theft Auto, sues Rockstar
Our friends, this next post is fraught with danger, excitement, and West Coast rappers with names like B-Real, Sen Dog, and Michael "Shagg" Washington. Indeed, the latter is alleging that Rockstar appropriated his likeness for the character CJ, a hood in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas whose life apparently shares many details with his own troubled upbringing, "including how the teen-agers in his gang rode around on bicycles," according to his lawyer. It seems that way back in 2003 the Cypress Hill backup singer met with reps from the game studio for a two hour interview "to talk about street life," and the next thing you know, San Andreas is released and you have criminals riding around on bikes! Coincidence? Mr. Shagg doesn't think so, and he's asking for twenty-five percent of Rockstar's profits from the game -- approximately $250 million -- because they've "stolen his image and never paid him." Now that we think of it, isn't there an obsessive gadget blogger in that game that looks awfully familiar? We'd better call our lawyers.
Grand Theft Auto trilogy finally coming to the Mac
Man, it's about $*#(ing time. The storied (and dare I say classic?) Grand Theft Auto trilogy, featuring GTA 3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas, is finally coming to the Mac thanks to Transgaming. Of course, it's about ten years late -- the first game in the grouping came out in 2001 on the PS2. On current-gen gaming consoles, gamers have enjoyed Grand Theft Auto IV for a few years, and Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption earlier this year and is priming for a game called L.A. Noire. I'm surprised these haven't been released on the Mac yet; especially with Steam on the platform, you'd think there would have been a port at some point. You can order the Mac versions of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy right now for $15 each online, and in about a month they'll be showing up in various retail stores. If you somehow missed these the first time around, or if you just want a few terrific older games to play on your Mac, you can pick and play these. Just keep them away from the kids -- they're all very mature games.
Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace relaunches in your browser on November 15
Microsoft just announced that its new Games for Windows Marketplace online PC games store will launch on November 15th. Think Steam, but not quite. The store offers online web access from anywhere and features fast purchase and download turnarounds to accelerate the time to game play; discounted games; and game search by title, genre or publisher. Games for Windows Marketplace is integrated with Microsoft's existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services and will launch with over 100 titles including "Fable: The Lost Chapters" and "Grand Theft Auto III." Anyone with a Windows Live ID can login. Check out the full press release after the break before heading over to Joystiq for more detailed coverage.%Gallery-105819%
Engadget giveaway: Show us your crappy gaming setup and win a custom PS3 Slim from Rockstar Games!
That's right folks, the crew at Rockstar Games is celebrating the launch of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, and they've offered up a custom Grand Theft Auto PS3 Slim to give away. We have just one of these to give away, and the package will contain the following: a custom decorated 120GB PS3 Slim (with a two tone paint job in black and Lexus pearl white, an LED-backlit skyline and logo on the unit, a custom power panel with laser etched back lit power and eject buttons) along with a color-matched controller. So you want this, right? If so, we need to see your current gaming setup -- the crappier, the better. To be eligible to win, you'll need to drop a link in comments of a photo of your gear (if you don't include a photo, you can't win). The deadline to get your pics in is by Friday, April 23rd, 2010, at 12:30pm ET. After we get all the contributions, we'll go through every single one to find the worst of the worst -- and that person will win this very special PS3 Slim. The full rules are after the break -- so get commenting and good luck!
Review: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto is, at this point, one of the most storied franchises in video game history. It was already huge back during the days of DMA Design, when it was a top-down open world crime game with an attitude, but with the coming of Grand Theft Auto 3 on the console generation, the series turned into a full-fledged classic, with the sales, media attention, and depth to match the fun found in those first games. Nowadays, the series has already been through a number of other reboots, and Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS was just another one of those: a return to the game's top-down graphics along with the addition of new elements from the 3D versions and a few touchscreen tricks. Now, the release of the game on the iPhone [iTunes link] shows that GTA is ready for another segment of its life, and that the iPhone itself is ready for the big market titles to start making a splash. I'll say this: there has not yet been a game on the App Store that is so worth the $9.99 Rockstar is selling this one for. If you're a fan of Grand Theft Auto, and, like me, haven't played this latest handheld iteration, you're in for a treat (it's the highest rated game on the DS' Metacritic page, and while I don't agree that it's the best title on that platform, it is an excellent game). And even if you're not a huge GTA fan (this game does have all the swearing and questionable morality that the bigger versions of the series are known for), just know that this game is a great example of what big-time developers on the iPhone should aim for. Indie games are great, but this one's a blockbuster.
Zero Punctuation enjoys Grand Theft Auto-rotica
Zero Punctuation takes on Grand Theft Auto IV this week, but if you're one of the five people who didn't buy the game and are hoping for some ZP hate-fest on par with the Super Smash Bros. Brawl review ... then you have another thing coming. Yahtzee doesn't exactly suck GTA IV's "thumb" -- like he does Valve's -- but the issues he grasps onto are relatively minor points about getting lost in the side stuff. Not really full of his trademark, hyperbolic bile then. Shockingly, he even says that after finishing the review, he went back and played the game some more. It appears Niko Bellic has found a friend in Yahtzee.Find this week's NSFW relative non-hate review of GTA IV after the break.
HIPerSpace monitor wall makes a great Grand Theft Auto IV canvas
Rolling around jacking up innocents and tossing Molotov cocktails is pretty enthralling on your vanilla 46-inch HDTV, but can you even imagine the rush of swiping a hot dog, burning out in someone else's whip and then snagging a new pair of kicks on this? Researchers (and gamers, obviously) down at UC San Diego have re-engineered their middleware to enable such masterpieces as this to be played on the big monolithic HIPerSpace screen, and needless to say, we can't imagine much real work getting done with this new functionality coming to light. Head on down to the gallery to see what you're missing -- science, research and 4.0 GPAs are such beautiful things. %Gallery-22388%
GTA IV sets sales records with 6 million unit / $500 million first week
Amazingly, prerelease estimates of a $400 million first week for the latest edition of Grand Theft Auto turned out to be low, with publisher Take-Two trumpeting a 6 million unit, $500 million debut. GTA in HD isn't without controversy however, with reports of overscan issues on older HDTVs (we've experienced it, with the last number or letter in mission descriptions sometimes running off the screen), and the PlayStation 3 version of the game not quite meeting our 720p expectations (although some say differences in textures and lighting more than make up for it). Being "only" 640p didn't stop previous record holder Halo 3, and looking at the numbers it appears Rockstar has made the right moves as well, although we're sure some will wait for the inevitable PC version to run the game in as high a resolution as possible.[Via Joystiq]
Around Azeroth: The bloodening (plus a contest!)
Don't kids grow up so fast these days? Especially when you feed them one of Papa Hummel's Old Fashioned Pet Biscuits. Shikozu of <Fallen Ghosts> on Altar of Storms snapped this photo of her blood elf orphan right before Child Protective Services took her in for questioning. Now onto the contest. As you may have heard, the latest entry in a popular series of video games came out this week, and there was much rejoicing. Except from me. Because while I love these games, I am terrible at them, and end up giving up after about five missions and seeing how many times I can drive cars over pedestrians or attack shopkeepers with katanas before the cops catch me. If only there was a way to have the mayhem of GTA with the simplicity of WoW ... ... which leads into a new screenshot idea: Grand Theft Azeroth! Glitchstravaganza was such a success, I decided to try another user-submission gambit. But this time, I'd like to see you doing evil things in the fashion of the GTA series. Jacking mounts. "Mugging" guildmates. Slaughtering innocent critters. Crashing zeppelins. Running your orphan through hot lava. Whatever your evil heart desires. Send your Grand Theft Azeroth screenshots, with a one-paragraph-or-less explanation, to aroundazeroth@gmail.com by noon ET on Wednesday, May 7. The five best entries will go up for a vote on Thursday, with the winner to be announced the following Monday. The winner will be held up for universal acclaim and will receive a spot of honor in the AA gallery. Remember to include your name, guild and server if you want them included. We prefer full screenshots without the UI. And please, no more sunsets ... unless they're over a bloody corpse! Muahahaha!%Gallery-1816%
Sony's Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 bundle spotted in Belgium store
Yeah, that fancy press shot has a certain beauty to it, but there's just nothing like spotting a highly coveted console in the wild. Thanks to our cameraphone toting tipster in Belgium, we're presented with the first image of the GTA IV bundle sitting on a shelf just waiting for someone to trade their €450 in and take it home. Oh, and if you're wondering what type of shop places a sweet PS3 beside an assortment of blank media, a coffee mug and what appears to be a CRT television circa 1990, it's Free Record Shop in Antwerp, sucka.[Thanks, Yannick]
Flickr Find: Grand Theft Auto hides Apple and iPhone parody
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Hilarious_GTA_IV_Apple_parody_iFruit'; What do the authors of Grand Theft Auto IV think about Apple users? Tossers. (Warning: definition link NSFW). They've embedded a brilliant Apple parody into one of the Internet cafe computers in the game. Among other points, they take down Apple (called "Fruit") for being overpriced minimalism. A white shiny unit, superficially similar to the "i" sits next to a near-cinema display and readers are encouraged to "Think Fruit" and live in the Fruit Cocoon. And if that's not enough, the site advertises a new banana-shaped iFruit phone. Its sales points made me laugh out loud: No buttons, no reception, no storage capacity, all Ego! Kudos to GTAIV and thanks to Dylan Unutmaz for sending in the links.
