Radar

For the arrows used in early top-down perspective GTA games, see location compass.
For the directions system in Grand Theft Auto IV, see GPS.

The radar in GTA San Andreas showing blips for various shops and a yellow mission blip indicating the target is higher than the player

The Radar (technically a GPS), is a map on the Heads-up Display showing the player's current location in the game, and the relative location or direction of various points of interest. Introduced in Grand Theft Auto III, the radar essentially replaces the player centered location compass used in preceding GTA games, and remains an element of all GTA games after.

Blips on the radar show the location of various points of interest such as:

• Mission targets - Initially indicated only by colored squares in GTA III, radars from GTA Vice City onwards specifically use squares for targets on the same physical level (altitude) as the player, and a triangle pointed upwards if the target is above or a downwards triangle if it is below. In GTA IV, the radar uses colored circles; if the target is higher or lower, there will be a small arrow inside the circle.
• Landmarks - Such as Pay 'n' Spray, Ammu-Nation, Clothing and places where the player can purchase food.
• Location of characters who can give missions to the protagonists.
• Save Points and Safehouses
• Gang Colors or Territory. (GTA San Andreas)
• Custom way points (GTA San Andreas onwards)

In the Grand Theft Auto IV Era, instead of the Health bar and the Armour bar being located near to the Weapon icon, game clock and money counter, the Health bar and the Armour bar are located around the Radar circle. In GTA IV, the armor is the green semicircle around the radar, the armor is the blue semicircle around the radar. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the health bar is a white semicircle while the armor bar is the purple semicircle. The health bar becomes red when the player is low on health.

Gallery

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

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  GTA III (PC version. In the PS2 version, the safe house marker's is originally green).

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  GTA Vice City.

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  GTA San Andreas.

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  GTA Advance.

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  GTA Liberty City Stories.

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  GTA Vice City Stories.

GTA IV — GTA Chinatown Wars

• GTA IV (Wanted level radar).

  GTA IV (Wanted level radar).

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  The Lost and Damned.

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  The Ballad of Gay Tony.

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  GTA Chinatown Wars (DS version), having been integrated into its HUD.

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  GTA Chinatown Wars (PSP version), being closer in design to the GTA IV version (Wanted level radar).