On Tuesday, April 29th, gamers around the United States will become shut-ins, news networks like CNN and Fox News will have a few pieces on the downfall of society, and parents across the country will be at their local Best Buy asking little Timmy if they're sure the game they are buying is for children. That's right folks; Grand Theft Auto IV is almost here. To ease the wait until millions of PS3's and 360's are become dedicated GTA playing machines, Starpulse offers a look back at the series. So steal yourself a car and join us for the ride. Don't actually steal a car - that was a joke, we can't be liable for anything you do after reading this.

Grand Theft Auto
Originally Released in 1997
Available on: PC, Playstation, Game Boy Color

In the beginning there was Grand Theft Auto, and it was good. Well, it was alright. See, many of you young whipper-snappers might not realize this but there were games in the GTA series before the third installment was released on the PS2. Grand Theft Auto began as a top down driving game where players were required to make it to a destination while gaining points by causing good old fashioned mayhem. Set in the three locations, Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas, players could run around or hop into cars for extra points, laying the groundwork for future installments. This was the first and last time you were able to select your character, from a roster of eight, all of which sported their own unique colored shirt. The series has come a long way. Two mission packs were released for the original game in 1999. Taking place in London, the expansion added a storyline to the game as well as a new locale to play in.



Grand Theft Auto 2
Originally Released in 1999
Available on: Playstation, PC, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast

Claude Speed is fresh out of prison, an amnesiac, and looking to become the kingpin of GTA2's unnamed city. Who hasn't had a weekend like that? Sharing the same perspective as its predecessor, the sequel featured improved visuals along with the ability to complete missions during the day or at night, a feature that would make its way into further installments. Also first seen in GTA2 were cops and the army, who would chase down Claude as he caused more and more violence. As for the violence, rewards for mowing down civilians became standard procedure - and thanks to improved AI, a bit harder to accomplish.
Then it all changed...

Grand Theft Auto III
Originally Released in 2001
Available on: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC


Say goodbye to top-down and welcome to the fully polygonal, mind-bendingly huge metropolis of Liberty City. Players jumped into the role of an unnamed protagonist, making his escape from prison during a transfer outside the city and finding his way into a plot involving several gangs, drug lords, and the mafia.

Gameplay leaped forward on the new generation of hardware with nonlinear story progression, countless missions and characters brought to life by top Hollywood actors. This became the first game in the series that allowed players to get hours of enjoyment out of playing around with the city. Some players never even attempted any missions and created their own fun by achieving the maximum wanted level and seeing how long they could survive being chased by what seemed like the entire American military. With over 14 million units sold to date and more than a handful of Game of the Year awards, Grand Theft Auto III took the series mainstream, which has caused issues.

We'll get into the big controversy in a few minutes, but GTA III had its share of run-ins with the media. The ability to solicit prostitutes for certain favors put the game on the radar of the sex-phobic American media. Also it didn't help that after the lady of the night was finished, the player could kill her and take his money back. Defenders are quick to point out that this activity is not required or encouraged, but merely one of a million ways to live the criminal life in Liberty City.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Originally Released in 2002
Available on: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC

Refinement is the name of the game in this sequel to GTA III. Set in sun soaked 1980's Vice City, Tommy Vercetti (voiced by Ray Liotta) is the man of the hour. Like previous games, Vercetti begins the as a low level hitman and soon finds himself rising to the top of the food chain. Improvements over GTA III include brand new vehicles to drive with the inclusion of boats, helicopters, and motorcycles, all with specific points that can be damaged. A soundtrack of licensed music was featured that could be played when players jumped into a car (each station had a genre, from wuss-rock to Latin) and even purchased at local retailers in a multi-disc set. Vice City was also considerably larger than Liberty, adding even more places to explore. Needless to say, the game was an even bigger success than its predecessor.


More controversy followed including Cuban and Haitian-American groups protesting the game as racist for its depictions of race wars between the two groups. Lawsuits were also brought against Rockstar, the games publisher, for involvement as an influence on teens accused of murder. The "attorney" Jack Thompson became the face of GTA lawsuits and an enemy to gamers, game companies, and even anti-game activists everywhere - the less space wasted writing about his lawsuits, the better.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Originally Released in 2004
Available on: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC

Meet CJ, who has returned from Liberty City to his home in Los Santos to find his mother has been murdered. Clearly CJ isn't happy, and everyone knows what he's going to do next: Revenge. Welcome to San Andreas, the largest GTA game made, with three completely different cities to explore including Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, all available for CJ to visit and tear up. So what else is new then? 200 vehicles, minigames, car modification, and RPG elements that determine the way CJ looks, the clothes he wears, and even how much he weighs. While still a success in sales and critical circles, the series had begun to show its age. Character models were blocky, and detail was sacrificed for size. The game had a “been there done that” feeling to it. Oh, and there was something about a warm beverage...


Hot Coffee
What happens when someone creates a software patch that makes two characters in the game have clothed sex with no nudity and a bit of a thrusting and moaning? All hell breaks loose. Jack Thompson reared his head to attack the game for the scene, and Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton got on the bandwagon to propose new regulations for games after Rockstar had "lied" to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) in order to avoid an Adults Only rating on the game. A Class action lawsuit was filed and Rockstar had to offer refunds to victims of this horrible crime. Need we remind you this was for a scene not available unless someone illegally modified the product that was sold to them? Thus created the war of gamers against parents who don't know how to control what their kids are playing and watching.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Release Date: April 29th, 2008
Available on: Playstation 3 and Xbox 360


Niko has come to Liberty City for Eastern Europe in search of the American Dream. This ought to end well. Thus far, Rockstar has revealed features like using a cell-phone in ingenious ways(buy a gun during an illegal deal, then call the cops as you cruise away), sports like bowling and pool, online multiplayer modes, and a dating simulation of sorts (uh-oh). If you're 18 and older pick it up on the 29, if you're under 18 ask your parents first, otherwise you're hurting the rest of us when your parents file lawsuits against Rockstar because you told them Grand Theft Auto was about adopting puppies.


Story by Dan Chruscinski
Starpulse contributing writer