The Introduction

Liberty City's Red Light District in The Introduction

The Introduction is a roughly twenty minute video, created with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' video engine, that details how events in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City led to events in GTA San Andreas. It was available with the North American PS2 Special Edition of GTA San Andreas or the official soundtrack double CD. It is set in early 1992. The video ends directly at the beginning of GTA San Andreas, when Carl arrives in San Andreas after hearing the news that his mom has died.

Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski

The video features a scene that depicts Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski, who had just came from a meeting with Big Smoke and the Ballas, begin discussing Jimmy Hernandez' assignment with them, and the threat Ralph Pendelbury poses. In a later scene, Tenpenny is overheard verbally harassing an unknown person on the phone. When they go to pick up Hernandez, he appears to be a good, straight cop, and Tenpenny is particularly hard on him. In the last scene featuring this trio, Pulaski is kicking a downed officer, obviously Pendelbury. Tenpenny hands a pistol to Hernandez and tells him, "You cap him or I cap you." Hernandez shoots and kills the downed officer.

Mike Toreno

Mike Toreno and T-Bone Mendez in San Fierro.

Another scene features T-Bone Mendez and Mike Toreno (who is sitting on a parked ZR-350), focusing on Mendez beating an unidentified person to death against a container crate. Toreno discusses with Mendez prospects of a "buyer down in Los Santos."

Ken Rosenberg

A later thread of scenes documents Ken Rosenberg's path from Vice City to San Andreas. The first scene depicts Johnny Sindacco proposing to Salvatore Leone a three-way split between the Sindacco Family, the Leone Family, and the Forelli Family of a new casino, with Salvatore's five million dollar investment managed by the Sindaccos. Salvatore isn't pleased with the terms of this offer, and names his own terms; he gets control of the books. He then suggests to Johnny that he would be pleased with a "neutral" third-party to manage things, and tells Johnny to get rid of their guy to prove the value of his involvement.

The next scene shows Ken Rosenberg walking out of the Fort Carson Medical Center, talking to himself about being sober, being disbarred from practicing law, needing a job, and needing a ride. Later, Ken tries to call Tommy Vercetti from a pay phone, and reveals that he is avoiding Ken's calls.

Two Sindacco Family goons burying Mickey in the desert.

The following scene depicts two anonymous Sindacco Family thugs digging a hole for the body of Mickey and burying it, while discussing the rumor that the Leone family is lending their bosses some money. This scene is the reason for the famous "Mass Grave" myth within the game. The next scene shows Johnny Sindacco walking into Salvatore Leone's office to tell him they've gotten rid of their guy. Salvatore suggests a lawyer he's heard about that just got out of rehab; he used to work for the Forellis in Florida.

The final scene in this thread depicts Salvatore barging into Ken Rosenberg's office, demanding to know why Ken hasn't worked harder to earn his investment back. Salvatore implies that he got this job for Ken so that he could be his man.

Kent Paul and Maccer

Another scene features Kent Paul and Maccer in a recording studio in England. Their cryptic conversation consists of becoming owner of a band, buying Maccer out of his contract, and Maccer's excitement over going to America.

CJ and Sweet

The main thread of scenes in the video, focusing on CJ and the members of gangs in Los Santos, begins with three Ballas members smoking a joint in an alley, talking trash about Grove Street Families, and discussing their planned murder of Sweet.

The next scene shows Big Smoke and Ryder in a house, having a cryptic conversation about "destiny" and "choices". The scene that follows features Sweet, Big Smoke, OG Loc, and some other Grove Street Members shooting craps on the sidewalk. Smoke is warning Sweet that "standing by our principles" may be the reason they're "losing the streets". Loc explains that he's a "Gangsta Rapper", and asks them to stop calling him Jeffrey. Smoke and Sweet tell him he should avoid a life like theirs and go to college, "Make something of yourself". Smoke asks Sweet if he's heard from his brother CJ, and Sweet explains that they're not speaking.

The following scene shows CJ in Liberty City, attempting to steal cars parked on the side of the road until he pulls a man out of his stopped car and steals it. He then speaks on the phone to Joey Leone, and asks where to take the car, as he needs to get it off the street soon. There is a quick cut-scene of a green Sabre pulling out of a garage, then the next scene depicts CJ mugging a man in an alley.

There is another shot of a green Sabre cruising down a road in Ganton, then the final scene features the Sabre driving down the street Sweet's house is on, and then gunfire coming from the car, riddling Sweet's mother's house with bullets. As the car drives away, Sweet rushes into the house, then back out to stop Kendl Johnson, who was just about to enter. As Kendl weeps on the steps of the porch, Sweet calls CJ to tell him that his mother Beverly is dead.

The first mission of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas continues the storyline from this point on.

DVD Trivia

• All of the scenes (with the exception of Liberty City) were shot in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas locations despite the fact they are meant to be somewhere else. For example, Kent Paul's studio in England is actually the interior of Madd Dogg's mansion.
• One of the possible reasons Tommy Vercetti does not talk in this movie is that Ray Liotta, the voice actor of Tommy, had a dispute with Rockstar North about how much "effort" he put in to GTA Vice City.
• The appearance of Sex Club Seven in the Liberty City scene is a canonical error. Before 1998, it was called Paulie's Revue Bar. This happened because Rockstar wrote GTA Liberty City Stories after GTA San Andreas.
• After the Ballas do their drive-by on Sweet's house, a member of the Grove Street Families is seen running towards the Sabre and returning fire on them. However, no gunshot sounds are heard.
• In the movie, when Sweet calls Carl, Carl says, "Okay, whatch you want?" Though in the game he says, "Sup Sweet, what you want?"

External links

• The Introduction on YouTube
• The Introduction script on GameFAQs