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:''This article is about the first game in the [[Grand Theft Auto]] series. Visit that link for all the others.''
:''This article is about the first game in the [[Grand Theft Auto|Grand Theft Auto series]]. Visit that link for all the others.''


'''Grand Theft Auto''', now known primarily as '''GTA1''', was the first game in the [[Grand Theft Auto]] series. Many GTA games have been made since, such as [[GTA Vice City]] and [[GTA San Andreas]].
'''Grand Theft Auto''', now known primarily as '''GTA 1''', was the first game in the [[Grand Theft Auto|Grand Theft Auto series]], released on [[PlayStation 1]], [[Personal Computer|PC]] and later on [[Game Boy Color]]. Many GTA games have been made since.


[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1969]] was made as an expansion pack for GTA1, and [[Grand Theft Auto: London 1961]] was in turn an expansion pack for London 1969. Both of these games require the original GTA1.
[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1969]] was made as an expansion pack for GTA, and [[Grand Theft Auto: London 1961]] was in turn an expansion pack for London 1969. Both of these games require the original GTA disc to work.


Grand Theft Auto 1 is set in [[Liberty City]], [[Vice City]] and [[San Andreas]] in 1997. These renditions of the cities are vastly different from their more well-known counterparts in the [[GTA III era]]. In the game, you can choose 1 of about 6 [[protagonist]]s, and even change their names. It begins with only one mission to choose from.
Grand Theft Auto is set in [[Liberty City in GTA 1|Liberty City]], [[City of San Andreas|San Andreas]] and [[Vice City in GTA 1|Vice City]] in 1997. These renditions of the cities are vastly different from their more well-known counterparts in the [[GTA III Era]]. In the game, the player can choose from one of about eight [[Protagonists in GTA 1|protagonists]], and even change their names.
 
The PC version of GTA1 is now available for free download [http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/ here], along with [[Grand Theft Auto 2]] and another Rockstar game, [[wp:Wild Metal: Reclaim the Future|Wild Metal: Reclaim the Future]]. It's not the original game, but has been remade to work on modern Windows operating systems.
 
 
==Game Information==
 
<div style="float:left; width:200px; margin:15px;">
*[[Characters in GTA 1|Characters]]
*[[Missions in GTA 1|Missions]]
*[[Vehicles in GTA 1|Vehicles]]
*[[Gangs#GTA 1|Gangs]]
</div>
<div style="float:left; width:200px; margin:15px;">
*[[Weapons in GTA 1|Weapons]]
*[[Radio Stations in GTA 1|Radio Stations]]
*[[Cheats in GTA 1|Cheats]]
</div>
<br clear="left">


==Plot==
==Plot==
 
{{tocleft}}
===Liberty City===
===Liberty City===
{{toc}}
*'''Gangsta Bang'''
*'''Gangsta Bang'''


You work for [[Bubby]], and also for Don "Bald Man" Sonetti. They have you do several jobs, ranging from stealing two taxis to killing the police chief. One mission also involves a trap set by Sonetti, in the form of a bomb on a bus that will blow up if it gets below 50 mph (this was probably inspired by the movie Speed). Once you have enough points, Don Sonetti will want to speak to you. Apparently you double-crossed him, and you're a dead man if you do it again. Ironically, Sonetti is the one who double-crossed YOU.
The player works for [[Bubby]]. They have the player do several jobs, ranging from stealing two taxis to killing the police chief. One mission also involves a trap in the form of a bomb on a bus that will blow up if it gets below 50 mph (this was inspired by the movie [[wp:Speed (film)|Speed]]). Once the player has enough points, A Don Sonetti's guy will want to speak to them. Apparently the player double-crossed [[Sonetti|Bald Man Sonetti]], and is a dead man if it happens again.  
 
Now you can replay that mission or move on.


*'''Heist Almighty'''
*'''Heist Almighty'''


Once again, you must do several jobs to beat the level. Right away, someone calls you saying their girlfriend, Sasha, has been kidnapped. You can rescue her, or you can ignore the mission or fail it and the cops will bring her in. Someone heard her scream in a trunk. Once you do a bunch of jobs and have enough points again, Bubby will ask you to come see him. Bubby will say you did a good job, but the cops are close enough to looking up his ass with flashlights looking for you. Bubby, however, booked you a flight to San Andreas.
Once again, the player must do several jobs to complete the level. Right away, Bubby calls saying "Sasha" has been kidnapped (failing the mission will reveal that Sasha is actually the boss' puppy). The player can choose to rescue her, or fail it and the cops will bring her in. Someone heard her scream in a trunk. Once the player does some jobs (including killing Sonetti) and has enough points again, Bubby will ask the player to come see him. Bubby will say the player did a good job, but the cops are close enough to look up his ass with flashlights. Bubby, however, booked the player a flight to San Andreas.
 
Replay those two as much as you want, or move on.


===San Andreas===
===San Andreas===
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*'''Mandarin Mayhem'''
*'''Mandarin Mayhem'''


Now you've arrived in San Andreas. You work for Uncle Fu. Once you do enough work and get enough points, you can see the old man. He is building a crime cyndicate of extraordinary magnitude, and you honor his family.
Now the player has arrived in San Andreas. The player works for [[Uncle Fu]]. Once the player does enough work and gets enough points, they can see the old man. He is building a crime syndicate of extraordinary magnitude, and the player honors his family.
 
Once again, replay or continue. Your choice.


*'''Tequila Slammer'''
*'''Tequila Slammer'''


Now, you work for El Burro. Once you do enough jobs, please him, and get enough points, he'll ask you to come over to his place. You did good work for him, and he is grateful. Now he's going to return the favor. He's going to reward you personally this time.
Now, the player works for [[El Burro (GTA 1)|El Burro]]. Once the player does enough jobs, pleases him, and gets enough points, he'll ask them to come over to his place. The player did good work for him, and he is grateful. Now he's going to return the favor. He's going to reward the player "personal" this time.
 
Replay, continue, it doesn't matter.


===Vice City===
===Vice City===
Line 42: Line 51:
*'''Bent Cop Blues'''
*'''Bent Cop Blues'''


A cop named Deever calls you, and you screwed up somewhere. You work for him now. Following the same routine, once you get enough points, go see Deever. Deever is PISSED. If you cross him again, you're screwed for life... if you even have a life after.
A cop named [[Samuel Deever]] calls the player because apparently they screwed up somewhere. The player works for him now. Following the same routine, once the player gets enough points, they can go see a now very angry Deever. If the player crosses him again, they're screwed for life... if they even have a life after.
 
Replay or continue.


*'''Rasta Blasta'''
*'''Rasta Blasta'''


Now you work for [[Marcus|Brother Marcus]]. Most jobs involve killing. Get enough points and see him. Brother Marcus is proud, and apparently you got the job done. He thinks you did a good job on that. Now he doesn't think he'll be seeing you for a long time.
Now the player works for [[Brother Marcus]]. Most jobs involve killing. When the player gets enough points and goes to see him, Brother Marcus is proud, and apparently the player got the job done. He thinks the player has done a good job. Now he doesn't think he'll be seeing the player for a long time.


==Weapons==
==Weapons==
{{main|Weapons in GTA 1 Era}}


*'''Fist''' - You cannot kill people with this weapon; it can immobilize enemies for a few seconds.
*'''[[Fist]]''' - People cannot be killed with this weapon. However, it can immobilize enemies for a few seconds.
*'''Pistol''' - Slow firing rate. But one shot - one death. Much ammo around the city. It is always near hospitals (?!) and police stations. Standard weapon of cops and criminals.
*'''[[Pistol]]''' - Slow firing rate, but kills with one shot. Lots of ammo can be found around the cities. It is always near hospitals and police stations, and is the standard weapon of cops and criminals.
*'''Machine Gun''' - Shoots very fast. Great weapon. It is only in specified places and it hasn't got much ammo. Used by police when player has fourth wanted level.
*'''[[Machine Gun]]''' - Rapid rate of fire, but it is only in specified places and it doesn't have much ammo. It is used by police when player has wanted level of four.
*'''Rocket Launcher''' - Blasty weapon. Explodes on anything. Can fire up buildings. Better not stay near your target. Found only in rare places.
*'''[[Rocket Launcher]]''' - Only used for destroying vehicles, but buildings will also catch fire when shot. It is found only in rare places.
*'''Flamethrower''' - Loads of flames can easily explode the car or put people in fire. Good for enemy groups. Really hard to find.
*'''[[Flamethrower]]''' - Can easily blow up a car or catch people on fire. It is most useful for killing groups of enemies, but it is a rare weapon.
 
==Game play==


==Gameplay==
[[File:Third-personview-GTA1.png|thumb|right|The [[Third-Person View|third person view]] used in the game.]]
The original ''Grand Theft Auto'' is made up of a series of levels each set in one of the three cities in the game. In each level, the player has a target number of points to achieve, and five lives to attain the score.
The original ''Grand Theft Auto'' is made up of a series of levels each set in one of the three cities in the game. In each level, the player has a target number of points to achieve, and five lives to attain the score.


Line 66: Line 74:
On obtaining the target number of points, the player must then drive to a certain location to complete the level, which allows progress to the next one.
On obtaining the target number of points, the player must then drive to a certain location to complete the level, which allows progress to the next one.


Apart from that, the player is free to do whatever he wants. The player can just explore the city, cause death and destruction amid the traffic in the city, or steal and sell cars for profit, although completing a level will almost certainly require the completion of missions. Even in missions there is still some freedom, as usually the player is free to choose the route to take, although the destination is usually fixed. This level of freedom is not found in most action-based computer games.
Apart from that, the player is free to do whatever they want. The player can just explore the city, cause death and destruction, or steal and sell cars for profit, although completing a level will almost certainly require the completion of missions. Even in missions there is still some freedom, as usually the player is free to choose the route to take, although the destination is usually fixed. This level of freedom was not found in most action-based computer games at the time. However, the player is given limited lives so free roaming is, somewhat limited, if the player isn't careful.


===Earning points===
===Earning points===
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There are various ways in which to earn the points needed to complete each level.
There are various ways in which to earn the points needed to complete each level.


Some points can be earned by committing various crimes, such as ramming cars (10 points each), and killing policemen (1000 each). The more serious the crime, the more points, but also the more the police will pay attention to the player. Another way to make money is to steal cars, and sell them at the many docks around each city, usually earning several thousand points.
Some points can be earned by committing various crimes, such as ramming cars (10 points each), and killing police (1000 each). The more serious the crime, the more points, but also the more the police will pay attention to the player. Another way to make money is to steal cars, and sell them at the many docks around each cities, usually earning several thousand points.


These activities can give the player quite a number of points but they are not sufficient to earn the millions of points needed to complete each level (unless the player has a lot of patience), so it is necessary to take on missions to complete a level. On successful completion of a mission, the player gets 'paid', a large amount of points. A typical payment is in the region of 50,000 points.
These activities can give the player quite a number of points but they are not sufficient to earn the millions of points needed to complete each level (unless the player has a lot of patience), so it is necessary to take on missions to complete a level. On successful completion of a mission, the player gets 'paid', a large amount of points. A typical payment is in the region of 50,000 points.


Also after completing a mission, the score multiplier is increased by 1. The score multiplier is multiplied by the normal score for something, to get the points actually awarded. For example a multiplier of 3 will mean that the player gets 3 &times; 10 = 30 points for ramming a car, rather than the normal 10 points. This applies for anything points are awarded for, including the payment for completing a mission.
Also after completing a mission, the score multiplier is increased by one. The score multiplier is multiplied by the normal score for something, to get the points actually awarded. For example a multiplier of three will mean that the player gets three time the regular amount of points, so 30 points for ramming a car, rather than the normal 10 points. This applies for anything points are awarded for, including the payment for completing a mission.


In the Game Boy port, score multipliers are handled differently. The player can collect floating "X"es hidden in each city, that automatically add a multiplier to his score counter. The first time one is picked up it says "&times;2", the second time it says "&times;3", and so on. This only affects points gained after acquiring the multiplier.  The points the player already has are unaffected, so it is in the player's best interests to seek the "X"es as soon as possible.
In the Game Boy port, score multipliers are handled differently. The player can collect floating "X"'s hidden in each city, that automatically add a multiplier to the score counter. The first time one is picked up it says "×2", the second time it says "×3", and so on. This only affects points gained after acquiring the multiplier, not the points the player already has, so it is in the player's best interests to seek the "X"'s as soon as possible.


=== Locations ===
===Locations===
[[Image:GTA1 PC in-game screenshot.png|250px|thumb|right|Screenshot of ''Grand Theft Auto'' showing the top down view in Liberty City]]
The three cities in which the game is set are modeled after real cities, in terms of landscape and style. They are [[Liberty City in GTA 1|Liberty City]] ([[wikipedia:New York City| New York City]]), [[City of San Andreas|San Andreas]] ([[wikipedia:San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]), and [[Vice City in GTA 1|Vice City]] ([[wikipedia:Miami, Florida|Miami]]).
The three cities in which the game is set are modelled after real cities, in terms of landscape and style. They are [[Liberty City (GTA)|Liberty City]] ([[wikipedia:New York City| New York City]]), [[San Andreas]] ([[wikipedia:San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]), and [[Vice City (GTA)|Vice City]] ([[wikipedia:Miami, Florida|Miami]]).


Those three cities later became the settings for the games ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'', ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'', ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' and ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]]'', although in the second-to-last, San Andreas is expanded from a city to an American state, which contains three cities of its own: [[Los Santos]] (based on [[wikipedia:Los Angeles| Los Angeles]]), [[San Fierro]] (based on [[wikipedia:San Francisco| San Francisco]]), and [[Las Venturas]] (based on [[wikipedia:Las Vegas| Las Vegas]]).
Those three cities later became the settings for the [[GTA III Era|GTA III era games]] and [[GTA IV Era|GTA IV era games]]. Although in GTA San Andreas, San Andreas is expanded from a city to an American state, which contains three cities of its own.


===The missions===
===Missions===
{{main|Missions in GTA 1}}
In most cases, missions are started by answering telephones, although some missions are allocated on the spot, or are triggered by entering certain vehicles. Once a phone is touched, the player is stuck doing that mission until they pass or fail it, but with the cars it is different. The player is told "I've got a new job for you, if you want it. Otherwise get the hell out of my car." They then have a few seconds to jump out before that mission begins.


In most cases, missions are started by answering [[telephone]]s, although some missions are allocated on the spot, or are triggered by entering certain vehicles. Once a phone is touched, the player is stuck doing that mission until he passes or fails it, but with the cars it is different. The player is told "I've got a new job for you, if you want it. Otherwise get the hell out of my car." He then has a few seconds to jump out before that mission begins.
The payphones all stop ringing while a player is on a phone mission, but the car missions are still available. By accepting a car mission the player can override a phone mission (failing it but without a failure notice) and do that mission instead, but a phone mission cannot override a car mission as the phones stop ringing.


The payphones all stop ringing while a player is on a phone mission, but the mission cars are still available. By accepting a mission car mission the player can override a phone mission (failing it but without a failure notice) and do that mission instead, but a phone mission cannot override a car mission as the phones stop ringing.
At the start of each mission, the player will be given a series of instructions they must follow. The instructions are given in stages, so the objectives can change in a given situation.
 
At the start of each mission, the player will be given a series of instructions he must follow. The instructions are given in stages, so the objectives can change in a given situation.


Many of the missions involve tasks that can be completed at the player's own pace, so the player can take a leisurely pace, and observe the traffic laws, although there is always a temptation to cut corners. However, sometimes the game imposes time limits on mission completion, or there may be people giving chase, such as enemy gangsters, or the [[police]], forcing the player to cut corners, to get to the destination on time and/or evade the pursuers. This means running red lights, driving on the sidewalk (risking running over pedestrians), and finding shortcuts.
Many of the missions involve tasks that can be completed at the player's own pace, so the player can take a leisurely pace, and observe the traffic laws, although there is always a temptation to cut corners. However, sometimes the game imposes time limits on mission completion, or there may be people giving chase, such as enemy gangsters, or the [[police]], forcing the player to cut corners, to get to the destination on time and/or evade the pursuers. This means running red lights, driving on the sidewalk (risking running over pedestrians), and finding shortcuts.


===The police===
===Police===
[[Image:Grand Theft Auto 1.JPG|left|thumb|GTA 1 poster near the subway stairway, Chinatown]]
{{main|Wanted Level in GTA 1}}
Whilst the cities have other emergency services, as a criminal you are more likely to notice the local cops.


The [[police]] are constantly on the lookout for criminals. The player has a 'wanted' level, which reflects how much attention the police give him. At the start of the game this is at zero and the player is ignored, but when the player commits a serious crime, the police give the player more attention, and the wanted level increases, up to a maximum of four.
Law enforcement in GTA 1 is generally characterized as a obstacle in the game, appearing in the force of [[police]] officers who are ready to pursue arrest the player if they player has committed sufficient criminal acts. The player's wanted level is defined by the number of police heads seen on top of the screen; the more police heads the player amasses by committing more crime, the more determined the police will be to subdue the player. The player can have up to four police heads, which at this point leads to very hostile officers.


At wanted level one, the police tend only to give chase if they are in the area anyway, whereas at four, the police set up roadblocks on major roads, shoot on sight, and send everyone available to the player's location. The more crimes the player commits, the higher the rating goes. Also, sometimes the player automatically gets noticed, if a mission leads to someone calling the police, or in the case of bank robberies that not surprisingly put the police on full alert.
There are only two ways to eliminate the player's wanted level: But either driving their vehicle to a [[Spray Shop|spray shop]], or picking up a "[[Police Bribes|cop bribe]]" pickup in certain parts of each city.


The police's aim is in general to arrest the player, although they will not hesitate in shooting at him or trying to ram him off the road in the desperate attempt to stop the player, and they get more trigger happy the higher the wanted level. On arrest, the player is dropped off at the nearest police station, losing all his weapons and armour and half of his score multiplier, but the wanted level is reset back to zero.
==Multiplayer==
 
Despite its age, GTA 1 even included a multiplayer function, which allowed players to battle with human opponents. This was possible over either a LAN connection or using a null modem cable.
The police are very determined to catch the player, but they can be evaded. Dotted around each city are a number of [[respray shops]], where your vehicle can be resprayed, or have the [[license plate]]s changed, to disguise it. This makes the police think you are someone else, even if they see you enter the shop, although this does cost money (i.e. points). The higher a player's wanted level, the more points it costs him to to have his car re-sprayed or plates changed.


== Ports ==
== Ports ==


The original ''Grand Theft Auto'' was first available for [[wikipedia:DOS| DOS]], and then later ported to [[wikipedia:Microsoft Windows| Microsoft Windows]], [[wikipedia:Sony PlayStation| Sony PlayStation]], and [[wikipedia:Game Boy Color| Game Boy Color]]. Surprisingly, the Game Boy Color version was unabridged, which was quite a technical achievement due to the sheer size of the cities, converted tile-for-tile from the PC original, making them many times larger than most Game Boy Color game worlds were because of the handheld's limited hardware. To cater for the target younger generation, however, the game was heavily censored, with gore and swearing removed.
The original ''Grand Theft Auto 1'' was first available for [[wikipedia:DOS| DOS]], and then later ported to [[:wp:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]], [[PlayStation]], and [[Game Boy Color]]. Surprisingly, the Game Boy Color version was unabridged, which was quite a technical achievement due to the sheer size of the cities, converted tile-for-tile from the PC original, making them many times larger than most Game Boy Color game worlds were because of the handheld's limited hardware. To cater for the target younger generation, however, the game was heavily censored, with gore and swearing removed.
 
{{Chronology}}
== Controversy ==
== Controversy ==


The game, with its violent subject matter, generated a great deal of controversy. However, this was deemed to be intentional, and was the first game known to have been publicised in such a way. Take 2 Games, the publishers of ''Grand Theft Auto'', hired publicist [[Max Clifford]] to generate an aura of controversy about the game in the local media. As a result, politicians stepped into the foray. Whatever the impact on game censorship and the perception of video gaming, the publicity worked - the title was hugely successful simply because those attempting to ban the game were inadvertently generating publicity for it. This has been a known and recognised phenomenon of violent video games ever since.
The game, with its violent subject matter, generated a great deal of controversy. However, this was deemed to be intentional, and was the first game known to have been publicised in such a way. [[Take-Two Interactive]], the publishers of ''Grand Theft Auto'', hired publicist [[wp:Max Clifford|Max Clifford]] to generate an aura of controversy about the game in the local media. As a result, politicians stepped into the fray. Whatever the impact on game censorship and the perception of video gaming, the publicity worked - the title was hugely successful simply because those attempting to ban the game were inadvertently generating publicity for it. This has been a known and recognized phenomenon of violent video games ever since.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
 
*GTA 1 and [[Grand Theft Auto Online]] are the only games to date to feature a female protagonist.
* One of the hidden [[Easter egg]]s in the game is the now famous "[[Gouranga]]" bonus, given for swiftly killing an entire group of [[Hare Krishna]] monks.
*One of the hidden [[Easter Egg]]s in the game is the now famous "Gouranga" bonus, given for swiftly killing an entire group of [[Hare Krishna]] monks.
* The parts of the cities are based on their real-life counterparts, such as Liberty City's neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods like the Brix, which is based on The Bronx, Brocklyn (obviously based on Brooklyn). Vice City has the same thing, featuring districts such as Vice Beach and Banana Grove, which are based on Miami Beach and Coconut Grove.
*The parts of the cities are based on their real-life counterparts, such as Liberty City's neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods like [[Brix]], which is based on The Bronx, [[Brocklyn]] (obviously based on Brooklyn). Vice City has districts such as [[Vice Beach]] and Banana Grove, which are based on Miami Beach and Coconut Grove.
* [[El Burro]], the man players would take missions from in the second part of the San Andreas missions, also appears in ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'', he is the man that provide jobs in [[Portland]], Liberty City, and is the leader of the Puerto Rican [[Diablos]] gang.
*A [[El Burro (GTA 1)|character]] called [[El Burro (GTA III)|El Burro]] also appears in [[Grand Theft Auto III]] and a character called [[El Burro (GTA CW)|El Burro]] also appears in [[Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars]].
* [[Head Radio]] is one (if not the only) original station left. It was in this game, and it was also a station in ''Grand Theft Auto III'' as well as in ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]]''.
*[[Head Radio]] is the only radio station from GTA 1 that appears in other games; it was also a station in [[Grand Theft Auto 2]] as well as in GTA III and [[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]].


== See also ==
== See also ==
*''[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1969]]''
*[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1969]]
*''[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1961]]''
*[[Grand Theft Auto: London 1961]]
*''[[GTA 1 Cheats (PS)]]''
*''[[Cheats in GTA 1]]''
*''[[OpenGTA]]''
*''[[Grand Theft Auto 64]]''


[[Category:Games]][[Category:Grand Theft Auto 1]]
{{GTA}}
{{GTA}}
[[fr:Grand Theft Auto 1]]
[[ru:Grand Theft Auto 1]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:GTA 1]]

Latest revision as of 00:31, 12 May 2014

Grand Theft Auto
GTA1 Cover
DeveloperRockstar North
Tarantula Studios
PublisherASC Games
Release dates

PlayStation
October 1997
PC
October 1997
Game Boy Color
1999

PlatformPC
PlayStation
Game Boy Color
Ratings

BBFC: 18
ESRB: M (Game Boy Color: T)
USK: 16+
OFLC: MA 15+ (Game Boy Color: M15+)
OFLC (NZ): R18
SELL: 16
ELSPA: 15+ (Game Boy Color only)

ProtagonistUnknown
LocationLiberty City
San Andreas
Vice City
Year1997
This article is about the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series. Visit that link for all the others.

Grand Theft Auto, now known primarily as GTA 1, was the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series, released on PlayStation 1, PC and later on Game Boy Color. Many GTA games have been made since.

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 was made as an expansion pack for GTA, and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 was in turn an expansion pack for London 1969. Both of these games require the original GTA disc to work.

Grand Theft Auto is set in Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City in 1997. These renditions of the cities are vastly different from their more well-known counterparts in the GTA III Era. In the game, the player can choose from one of about eight protagonists, and even change their names.

The PC version of GTA1 is now available for free download here, along with Grand Theft Auto 2 and another Rockstar game, Wild Metal: Reclaim the Future. It's not the original game, but has been remade to work on modern Windows operating systems.


Game Information


Plot

Liberty City

  • Gangsta Bang

The player works for Bubby. They have the player do several jobs, ranging from stealing two taxis to killing the police chief. One mission also involves a trap in the form of a bomb on a bus that will blow up if it gets below 50 mph (this was inspired by the movie Speed). Once the player has enough points, A Don Sonetti's guy will want to speak to them. Apparently the player double-crossed Bald Man Sonetti, and is a dead man if it happens again.

  • Heist Almighty

Once again, the player must do several jobs to complete the level. Right away, Bubby calls saying "Sasha" has been kidnapped (failing the mission will reveal that Sasha is actually the boss' puppy). The player can choose to rescue her, or fail it and the cops will bring her in. Someone heard her scream in a trunk. Once the player does some jobs (including killing Sonetti) and has enough points again, Bubby will ask the player to come see him. Bubby will say the player did a good job, but the cops are close enough to look up his ass with flashlights. Bubby, however, booked the player a flight to San Andreas.

San Andreas

  • Mandarin Mayhem

Now the player has arrived in San Andreas. The player works for Uncle Fu. Once the player does enough work and gets enough points, they can see the old man. He is building a crime syndicate of extraordinary magnitude, and the player honors his family.

  • Tequila Slammer

Now, the player works for El Burro. Once the player does enough jobs, pleases him, and gets enough points, he'll ask them to come over to his place. The player did good work for him, and he is grateful. Now he's going to return the favor. He's going to reward the player "personal" this time.

Vice City

  • Bent Cop Blues

A cop named Samuel Deever calls the player because apparently they screwed up somewhere. The player works for him now. Following the same routine, once the player gets enough points, they can go see a now very angry Deever. If the player crosses him again, they're screwed for life... if they even have a life after.

  • Rasta Blasta

Now the player works for Brother Marcus. Most jobs involve killing. When the player gets enough points and goes to see him, Brother Marcus is proud, and apparently the player got the job done. He thinks the player has done a good job. Now he doesn't think he'll be seeing the player for a long time.

Weapons

  • Fist - People cannot be killed with this weapon. However, it can immobilize enemies for a few seconds.
  • Pistol - Slow firing rate, but kills with one shot. Lots of ammo can be found around the cities. It is always near hospitals and police stations, and is the standard weapon of cops and criminals.
  • Machine Gun - Rapid rate of fire, but it is only in specified places and it doesn't have much ammo. It is used by police when player has wanted level of four.
  • Rocket Launcher - Only used for destroying vehicles, but buildings will also catch fire when shot. It is found only in rare places.
  • Flamethrower - Can easily blow up a car or catch people on fire. It is most useful for killing groups of enemies, but it is a rare weapon.

Gameplay

The third person view used in the game.

The original Grand Theft Auto is made up of a series of levels each set in one of the three cities in the game. In each level, the player has a target number of points to achieve, and five lives to attain the score.

The score counter doubles as a money meter; the player can spend this money on paint jobs and various other things. However, any money spent is of course taken away from the score, making the goal that little bit further away.

On obtaining the target number of points, the player must then drive to a certain location to complete the level, which allows progress to the next one.

Apart from that, the player is free to do whatever they want. The player can just explore the city, cause death and destruction, or steal and sell cars for profit, although completing a level will almost certainly require the completion of missions. Even in missions there is still some freedom, as usually the player is free to choose the route to take, although the destination is usually fixed. This level of freedom was not found in most action-based computer games at the time. However, the player is given limited lives so free roaming is, somewhat limited, if the player isn't careful.

Earning points

There are various ways in which to earn the points needed to complete each level.

Some points can be earned by committing various crimes, such as ramming cars (10 points each), and killing police (1000 each). The more serious the crime, the more points, but also the more the police will pay attention to the player. Another way to make money is to steal cars, and sell them at the many docks around each cities, usually earning several thousand points.

These activities can give the player quite a number of points but they are not sufficient to earn the millions of points needed to complete each level (unless the player has a lot of patience), so it is necessary to take on missions to complete a level. On successful completion of a mission, the player gets 'paid', a large amount of points. A typical payment is in the region of 50,000 points.

Also after completing a mission, the score multiplier is increased by one. The score multiplier is multiplied by the normal score for something, to get the points actually awarded. For example a multiplier of three will mean that the player gets three time the regular amount of points, so 30 points for ramming a car, rather than the normal 10 points. This applies for anything points are awarded for, including the payment for completing a mission.

In the Game Boy port, score multipliers are handled differently. The player can collect floating "X"'s hidden in each city, that automatically add a multiplier to the score counter. The first time one is picked up it says "×2", the second time it says "×3", and so on. This only affects points gained after acquiring the multiplier, not the points the player already has, so it is in the player's best interests to seek the "X"'s as soon as possible.

Locations

The three cities in which the game is set are modeled after real cities, in terms of landscape and style. They are Liberty City ( New York City), San Andreas (San Francisco), and Vice City (Miami).

Those three cities later became the settings for the GTA III era games and GTA IV era games. Although in GTA San Andreas, San Andreas is expanded from a city to an American state, which contains three cities of its own.

Missions

In most cases, missions are started by answering telephones, although some missions are allocated on the spot, or are triggered by entering certain vehicles. Once a phone is touched, the player is stuck doing that mission until they pass or fail it, but with the cars it is different. The player is told "I've got a new job for you, if you want it. Otherwise get the hell out of my car." They then have a few seconds to jump out before that mission begins.

The payphones all stop ringing while a player is on a phone mission, but the car missions are still available. By accepting a car mission the player can override a phone mission (failing it but without a failure notice) and do that mission instead, but a phone mission cannot override a car mission as the phones stop ringing.

At the start of each mission, the player will be given a series of instructions they must follow. The instructions are given in stages, so the objectives can change in a given situation.

Many of the missions involve tasks that can be completed at the player's own pace, so the player can take a leisurely pace, and observe the traffic laws, although there is always a temptation to cut corners. However, sometimes the game imposes time limits on mission completion, or there may be people giving chase, such as enemy gangsters, or the police, forcing the player to cut corners, to get to the destination on time and/or evade the pursuers. This means running red lights, driving on the sidewalk (risking running over pedestrians), and finding shortcuts.

Police

Law enforcement in GTA 1 is generally characterized as a obstacle in the game, appearing in the force of police officers who are ready to pursue arrest the player if they player has committed sufficient criminal acts. The player's wanted level is defined by the number of police heads seen on top of the screen; the more police heads the player amasses by committing more crime, the more determined the police will be to subdue the player. The player can have up to four police heads, which at this point leads to very hostile officers.

There are only two ways to eliminate the player's wanted level: But either driving their vehicle to a spray shop, or picking up a "cop bribe" pickup in certain parts of each city.

Multiplayer

Despite its age, GTA 1 even included a multiplayer function, which allowed players to battle with human opponents. This was possible over either a LAN connection or using a null modem cable.

Ports

The original Grand Theft Auto 1 was first available for DOS, and then later ported to Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and Game Boy Color. Surprisingly, the Game Boy Color version was unabridged, which was quite a technical achievement due to the sheer size of the cities, converted tile-for-tile from the PC original, making them many times larger than most Game Boy Color game worlds were because of the handheld's limited hardware. To cater for the target younger generation, however, the game was heavily censored, with gore and swearing removed.

Grand Theft Auto series
chronology of events

2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1961London 1961
1969London 1969


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1984GTA Vice City Stories
1986GTA Vice City
1992GTA San Andreas


2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1997Grand Theft Auto 1


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1998GTA Liberty City Stories


2D Universe
GTA 2 Era

1999GTA 2


3D Universe
GTA III Era

2000GTA Advance
2001GTA III

HD Universe
GTA IV Era

2008GTA IV

The Lost and Damned
The Ballad of Gay Tony

2009GTA Chinatown Wars


GTA V Era

2013GTA Online
2013GTA V

Controversy

The game, with its violent subject matter, generated a great deal of controversy. However, this was deemed to be intentional, and was the first game known to have been publicised in such a way. Take-Two Interactive, the publishers of Grand Theft Auto, hired publicist Max Clifford to generate an aura of controversy about the game in the local media. As a result, politicians stepped into the fray. Whatever the impact on game censorship and the perception of video gaming, the publicity worked - the title was hugely successful simply because those attempting to ban the game were inadvertently generating publicity for it. This has been a known and recognized phenomenon of violent video games ever since.

Trivia

See also