Welcome to the Jungle

[JsARCLIGHT]

Is there a car in the game that looks like the 90's Ford mustang 5.0? I've seen the NSX but with all the good research Rockstar did I can't believe that would leave that car out.

There is a car that looks similair to a early '90s Mustang... it's called "Buffalo". It looks like the same overall feel and wheelbase as those boxy fox bodies but it has this weird slab front (no grille) and four round headlights. I swiped one a while back and kept it in my garage but it got blowed up real good on a mission. They are nice cars, a bit squirrely but nice. I have only seen them in white if that means anything...

As for the NSX looking car that is apparently the new Inferius and I've only seen a handful of them. Both the Inferius and the Buffalo seem to only pop up in the downtown business district on my game and even then only if you are driving a fast car or a motorcycle.

[Gumper]

the game crashed on me for the first time ever.

bit of a small spoiler here.

I was on a mission where I have to drive around with Catalina on a quad and kill some cowboys who robbed a liquor store before I could....drove half away around the bloody world! and then had to get back to my hideout...on a quad!!!!

So, was almost there when the game just froze...music kept playing, sfx were still going...but nothing else

Dont know what to play now as Im so annoyed at it

[Commander McBride]

Is there a car in the game that looks like the 90's Ford mustang 5.0? I've seen the NSX but with all the good research Rockstar did I can't believe that would leave that car out.

There is a car that looks similair to a early '90s Mustang... it's called "Buffalo". It looks like the same overall feel and wheelbase as those boxy fox bodies but it has this weird slab front (no grille) and four round headlights. I swiped one a while back and kept it in my garage but it got blowed up real good on a mission. They are nice cars, a bit squirrely but nice. I have only seen them in white if that means anything...

As for the NSX looking car that is apparently the new Inferius and I've only seen a handful of them. Both the Inferius and the Buffalo seem to only pop up in the downtown business district on my game and even then only if you are driving a fast car or a motorcycle.

There's a buffalo out in the middle of nowhere at a hillbilly shack north of the central small town in Red County.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I wouldn't know anything about that... seeing as I'm STILL stuck on that last Sweet mission...

Razzafrazin game...

[Commander McBride]

I'm stuck on the stupid drive-by.

[Agent ONE]

I wouldn't know anything about that... seeing as I'm STILL stuck on that last Sweet mission...

Razzafrazin game...

I am not there yet, but have you tried heavy weapons? Rocket Launcher or anything?

[JsARCLIGHT]

I have yet to get a rocket launcher or anything bigger than the AK47.

The problem with the mission is the (spoiler alert if you have not gotten here yet) the second half of the mission which is a very, very long rail shooter sequence with you manning a rifle hanging out the back of your car shooting the cops who are persuing you. My problem is the cops just eat me alive every time and my car blows up at the exact same spot every time, no matter how "good" I think I'm doing.

[Effect]

You could always use some cheats to get passed the part. Maybe some have been released already? Like one to restore life, armor, etc.

[Cyclone]

Or sneak a peek at the walkthroughs, ton and a half already out there and less "cheaty" than cheat codes.

If that makes sense...

Cyc

[JsARCLIGHT]

The problem is not with the game it is with my inability to take out those cop cars... I'm sure I could cheat my way into the next world but that is not "me". I'd rather have the satisfaction of kicking the game's ass on my own merits than having to buckle down and "cheat" to pass. I just need to keep playing that mission until I get good enough to finish it with my car in one piece... the problem is it is just so frustrating as the mission is so long (the longest one in the game for me to date) and it pains me to have to replay everything up to that shooter spot every time. I've overcome my issues with the autoaim and now my issues are with the freeaim...

I know a lot of the cheats are out there for this game (and most of the people I have talked to who are further along than me are cheating to beat the band) but when you use them they also "mark" your game and prevent you from getting 100%.

[CoryHolmes]

The problem is not with the game it is with my inability to take out those cop cars... I'm sure I could cheat my way into the next world but that is not "me". I'd rather have the satisfaction of kicking the game's ass on my own merits than having to buckle down and "cheat" to pass. I just need to keep playing that mission until I get good enough to finish it with my car in one piece... the problem is it is just so frustrating as the mission is so long (the longest one in the game for me to date) and it pains me to have to replay everything up to that shooter spot every time. I've overcome my issues with the autoaim and now my issues are with the freeaim...

I know a lot of the cheats are out there for this game (and most of the people I have talked to who are further along than me are cheating to beat the band) but when you use them they also "mark" your game and prevent you from getting 100%.

Kinda reminds me of the Elevator fight in Prince of Persia. I got so frustrated with that fight that I've given up on the game entierly.

[mantisfists]

The biggest thing with the aiming is that you have to be facing the people you're trying to shoot at. It is a better strategy to book it if you start to get surrounded. If you're going to start a gang war.....make sure you've got an escape route.....a fence you can jump.....an alley to run into. Then...just grab your M-16....sight em up....and blast em one by one. I kinda like the fact that you have to have some sort of strategy. Makes for a good challenge. I beat Vice City in a week. I was kinda dissapointed.....even though every GTA has some parts that are hard as hell. Sh*t....it took me four hours to beat that one cat at the club in a race in vice city. I ended up having to learn the route....cutting across....and blasting his ass with my bazooka....then going about the route at my own pace. My my girlfriend was PISSED. Four hours on a game....maybe that's why she's my EX.

[Effect]

Running is always a good idea. That's what I tended to do in GTA 3 and Vice City. If I had a misison where there was going to be a lot of shooting I tended to place cars in certain positions before I got to close to where the shooting was going to take place. Then run (if I don't have to protect anyone) and then get them caught running around the cars or between then. Gave me time to line up shots and avoid gun fire.

Haven't played GTA: SA yet but from the sounds of it, if its a rail gun type of action, why not just go for the engines if you can aim at the cars or maybe shoot at other cars. If its anything like GTA 3 and Vice City cars tend to start driving crazy after being shot at, crashing into anything in their path which should push some of the cops away cause they are getting hit thus increasing their damage. Or just go for the tires.

[JsARCLIGHT]

My problem with this rail shooter part of the mission is that I am trying to aim for the cars, tires, guys hanging out the windows shooting at me, etc etc etc but the darn crosshair is all over the place and to me it feels like trying to aim while drunk, dizzy, sliding around on the top of a erraticly moving car roof and trying to line up a shot looking over your shoulder using mirrors. I'm just not that good using these darn teenly little sticks on the PS2 controllers for manual aiming... my crosshair dances all over the place, across the cars, back the other way, up, down... I can pretty much fire a burst across the cars then I have to come back at them from the other direction.

Then this is the real pisser: that second bike cop that jumps on the front hood. I see him coming, I line up my crosshairs as best I can and let him have it with one long burst into him and his bike... but he just does not die. He comes alongside the car, jumps over and on to the hood... but then it takes like a year to rotate my crosshair around front to aim at him and he starts punching me which causes the crosshair to dance all over erraticly and I just... can't... line... a... shot... up. This level pisses me off soooooooo much. Just like Vice City and the first rail shooter mission in San Andreas, it is nearly impossible for me to aim using these sticks when the crosshair is bouncing everywhere thanks to the motion of the vehicle you are in... combine that with the uber sllllloooooooooowwww tracking of the crosshair it is painfully hard to line up precise shots and most of the pick-off type shots I achieve are pure luck as my line of fire dances across the target.

If they were trying to simulate how hard it is to shoot a weapon hanging out the top of a speeding car as it zigs and zags all over the place they hit the nail on the head a bit too well.

[NSJ23]

My problem with this rail shooter part of the mission is that I am trying to aim for the cars, tires, guys hanging out the windows shooting at me, etc etc etc but the darn crosshair is all over the place and to me it feels like trying to aim while drunk, dizzy, sliding around on the top of a erraticly moving car roof and trying to line up a shot looking over your shoulder using mirrors. I'm just not that good using these darn teenly little sticks on the PS2 controllers for manual aiming... my crosshair dances all over the place, across the cars, back the other way, up, down... I can pretty much fire a burst across the cars then I have to come back at them from the other direction.

Then this is the real pisser: that second bike cop that jumps on the front hood. I see him coming, I line up my crosshairs as best I can and let him have it with one long burst into him and his bike... but he just does not die. He comes alongside the car, jumps over and on to the hood... but then it takes like a year to rotate my crosshair around front to aim at him and he starts punching me which causes the crosshair to dance all over erraticly and I just... can't... line... a... shot... up. This level pisses me off soooooooo much. Just like Vice City and the first rail shooter mission in San Andreas, it is nearly impossible for me to aim using these sticks when the crosshair is bouncing everywhere thanks to the motion of the vehicle you are in... combine that with the uber sllllloooooooooowwww tracking of the crosshair it is painfully hard to line up precise shots and most of the pick-off type shots I achieve are pure luck as my line of fire dances across the target.

If they were trying to simulate how hard it is to shoot a weapon hanging out the top of a speeding car as it zigs and zags all over the place they hit the nail on the head a bit too well.

Yeah, I hated that mission too. Those bike cops go all T2 on you. When I finally passed it I only had a sliver of health left and had to run to get something to eat before I saved the game.

One time while I was Shooting at the cop on the car I accidentally shot up the car and failed the mission.

[Phyrox]

I didn't have much trouble with the Sweet mission...on the second part, make sure you aim for the hoods of the cop cars, they are area sensitive and catch fire/blow up much faster if you shoot the hoods (or bonnet if you not american)

[mantisfists]

I haven't done that particular level yet. You CAN kill folks with one shot if you hit em in the head, though. Does a resident evil head explosion if you do. Maybe that'd help if you try that with the cop you're havin problems with. I'm to busy gettin some from my girl and startin gang wars. No offense, but I was crackin up listening to some folks say that they couldn't understand what was being said. Never really thought of slang as another language....but, I guess it is. I have the dubious distinction of having most of my friends (ok, ok.....me too) talking just like that. It's just cool to me to see a video game say "git the f*ck out that ride, n*cca!!!" It's hilarious to me. What's better is that I didn't even know they had subtitles for that. Has anybody tried them out? Do they really translate into "proper" english? Yo.....O.G was the SH*T!!!

Edited November 4, 2004 by mantisfists

[Gumper]

I managed to do that rails mission first time. Kinda got a fright when the cop jumped onto the hood though

Maybe its just cause im so used to playing PS2 FPS I dont have much of a problem with the aiming...at least not at that part...it can still take me a while to line up the perfect headshot using the analogue sticks.

Now ive seen that cheating marks your game I might have to go back a few missions then to my original save.......doh...already saved over it.

A friend of mine came round and wanted me to cheat to spawn a Rhino tank, have a pedestrian riot...which is just scary as old ladies suddenly have RPGs and fire them at anyone and anything. Anyways, after he got bored of that he saved did a few missions and saved the game to a different slot so he could do whatever he wanted...after watching him do some of those missions though I just carried on from his game and saved over my own...wish I hadnt now as I didnt know about the cheating marking the game down a bit....humbug!

[NSJ23]

Nope, the aiming still frustrates me... and I'd need hours and hours and hours of practice to get good enough at it as I am at the PC version of the games... time I can't dedicate to a game sadly.

Man, you are really going to hate the shooting range. I'm used to the free aim and it still pissed me off.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'm pretty much at the point of shelving this game and waiting for the PC version. I just can't pass that rail shooter mission. I played it three times in a row last night and still could not pass that last section.

[UN Spacy]

I'm pretty much at the point of shelving this game and waiting for the PC version. I just can't pass that rail shooter mission. I played it three times in a row last night and still could not pass that last section.

Just make sure you keep your distance or else Big Smoke's bullets will hit the train.

I'm almost done with San Fiero......now all I have to do is take over more gang territories (I have about 33 so far).

[JsARCLIGHT]

No no no not that stupid "chase the train on the dirtbike" mission that one was simple because all I had to do was hit that jump and jump onto the train and have him shoot the guys.

I'm talking about the "Reuniting the Families" mission where the last part of it you are hanging out the roof of the car shooting at the cops as you try to make a getaway. The freeaim crosshair is just so frustrating... I can't hit crap with it.

[Blaine23]

Hey guys - back from a extended stay away from a computer - but luckily I brought my copy of GTA- SA to play on my nephew's PS2 whilst I was there.

My review -

GTA III was the reason I bought a PS2. I'm not much of a gamer. I usually find a game I like and I simply lose myself in the fun of moving the character around. On the PS1, I was a huge fan of Tomb Raider and Spiderman, because of the movement. I don't usually care about overcomplicated gameplay, RPG style gaming, etc. When I first played GTA III, I'd sworn off gaming as it's just a huge waste of time and it's all so repetitive.

That being said, I played GTA 3 at a friend's house and bought my copy the next day. There's a great deal to be said about the freedom of the game - but even more to be said about the intuitive controls and the ability to "jump right in" and begin having fun.

Vice City came out 3 months after I bought into the PS2 and GTA and I loved it more than I can possibly tell you. The radio stations, the improved graphics, the fun of the story, the setting - I think it was all out of the park awesome. The game's only fault is that I wish it had 50 cities to play in.

San Andreas I've had since it came out and it's a step up and a step down in alot of ways. I'll start with the positives -

Pros -

The world is huge. There are more guns, cars, bikes, cycles, etc. I'm really enjoying taking my time with this one. I honestly haven't done that many missions - I'm just exploring the city they made.

The RPG aspects are good. I was worried that the eating, exercising, tats, haircuts, etc. would detract from the game. Personally, I just don't care about that sort of thing, unless it's fun. Luckily it IS fun in GTA SA. The customizeable look of your character is a blast and it doesn't really take much away from the enjoyment of the game. The increased skills with weapons, vehicles, etc just make playing it for hours have even more benefits.

The gameplay improvements work Unlike alot of games, Rockstar has improved GTA's interface slowly and deliberately. This is where most sequels go wrong. Did it suck not being able to swim in the last 2 games? You betcha. Pissed me off to no end. But I respect that they've slowly introduced new aspects to the GUI rather than throw everything in at once and make the game less fun to actually control. GTA:SA is a HUGE improvement over the last 2 games - but it feels natural.

Cons -

The theme I think they took a big risk here. Being a black gangbanger in early 90's L.A. is cool - but it's not Miami in the 80's cool. I thoroughly enjoy the urban feel of the game, but it's not as well developed as GTA:VC. Vice City made you feel like Scarface meats Crockett... this game makes you feel like... uh, some guy? They really should have worked harder to define the period and play it up, because it doesn't really feel as cohesive as Vice City or even Liberty City. The music is all over the map and it's great music - but it feels disjointed compared to the tight cohesiveness of VC. There's almost too much variety here - in VC I got the impression that if you didn't like 80's tunes - well, too f'ing bad. This one feels like they're trying hard not alienate people who might not enjoy early 90's rap and LA culture - and that hesitation costs them the immersive thrill of the last games.

All that being said - GTA SA is a giant step forward as a game - the size, the controls, the customized characters - all extremely well done. The only drawback is that isn't as perfectly themed as VC. Which is fine, but I'd hate to see them lose the "feel" of the game. The great thing about GTA is the funny stuff you hear on the street and on the radio while you're playing the game. I don't want them to lose sight of that, because anybody can make a game like True Crime: Streets of LA - but nobody can make a GTA but Rockstar.

I'm still hoping for the next game to be set in the 70's. Smokey and the Bandit, Bullet, Dazed and Confused, Starsky & Hutch, the General Lee, disco, Lee Majors - there's so much more material to be mined there. I think picking 90's LA was too safe. Who cares if most of their players are too young to remember the 70's? If the game is good, they'll come along.

ADDED -

My favorite random things heard on the street in GTA: SA -

"Steroids make you dick do WHAT?"

"I smoke because it gives me KNOWLEDGE!"

Good to be back guys.

[JsARCLIGHT]

My favorite random things heard on the street in GTA: SA -

"Steroids make you dick do WHAT?"

"I smoke because it gives me KNOWLEDGE!"

I have heard those and a few others that made me chuckle... but this game has yet to make me outright laugh my ass off, requiring the game to be paused because I cannot stop laughing. Really only Vice City has done that so far... such memories as Tommy running from that SWAT truck I just blew up with an RPG and you hear him blurt out "I'm Innocent!" Or to hear Maurice Chavez lay the smack down on that shiester guy on the radio "Eh? LIFT THIS Hairspray!" SMACK!

I'm just not laughing at this game all the time like I was the last two...

[Blaine23]

I'm just not laughing at this game all the time like I was the last two...

I'm right there witcha. I don't mean to pick on the radio stations so much - but there's definitely no "In the Future There Will Be Robots" or self-help from Thor. Or hear Maurice introduce Africa by Toto by saying "here ees some excellent museek for you to get in touch with yourself with.."

The gameplay of GTA is always great - but it's that attention to humor and immersion that really makes me a fan.

Of course, we're also both confirmed 80's dorks... so it does make a certain amount of sense for us to be all about the Vice City. But I'm still saying it was a more cohesive, fleshed-out theme.

EDITED to add - Also, to be truly fair - nothing in Grand Theft Auto has ever made me laugh as much as "Push It To The Limit" in GTA 3. I even have the song on my iPod... it's simply the most amusing music ever recorded.

Edited November 5, 2004 by Blaine23

[Blaine23]

Anybody besides me doing all the side-missions - collecting oysters, spraying tags, pimping, ambulances, vigilante missions, etc? I did this with Vice City and found that it did two things really well.

One, it acquaints me with the map really well.

Two, it just drags out the gameplay - which I tend to want to do. I want this game to last for months. I don't really care about getting 100% per se - but the benefits to the optional stuff can come in handy when I do main story missions. It's definitely nice having a ton of weapons show up at your house.

Also - anyone played around with Off Track Betting? I've managed to make a pretty good chunk of change that way. I started out targeting and killing drug dealers (quick way to make 2 grand), then betting that dough on the longshots. It pays off.

Nothing's better than having plenty of houses to stash cars, etc.

[Drad]

My favorite random things heard on the street in GTA: SA -

"Steroids make you dick do WHAT?"

"I smoke because it gives me KNOWLEDGE!"

S.W.A.T. officer (in helicopter): "Hey, I can see my house from here!"

S.W.A.T. commander: "Aw, just shut the hell up! Keep firing!"

Edited November 5, 2004 by Drad

[NSJ23]

I'm just not laughing at this game all the time like I was the last two...

I'm right there witcha. I don't mean to pick on the radio stations so much - but there's definitely no "In the Future There Will Be Robots" or self-help from Thor. Or hear Maurice introduce Africa by Toto by saying "here ees some excellent museek for you to get in touch with yourself with.."

The gameplay of GTA is always great - but it's that attention to humor and immersion that really makes me a fan.

Of course, we're also both confirmed 80's dorks... so it does make a certain amount of sense for us to be all about the Vice City. But I'm still saying it was a more cohesive, fleshed-out theme.

EDITED to add - Also, to be truly fair - nothing in Grand Theft Auto has ever made me laugh as much as "Push It To The Limit" in GTA 3. I even have the song on my iPod... it's simply the most amusing music ever recorded.

I agree and disagree on the radio stations. To me there are less great comedy than the other 2 games. But I love all the DJ's and adverts on the stations I listen to. They all match the theme of the game perfectly. Granted I skip all the non-urban stations (except the talk radio station) completely.

I love master sounds the best since it's all the original versions of the sampled Hip hop songs on the game and the songs I grew up with my parents playing. My favorite DJ's are George Clinon, Julio G, and Chuck D.

[NSJ23]

My favorite random things heard on the street in GTA: SA -

"Steroids make you dick do WHAT?"

"I smoke because it gives me KNOWLEDGE!"

S.W.A.T. officer (in helicopter): "Hey, I can see my house from here!"

S.W.A.T. commander: "Aw, just shut the hell up! Keep firing!"

S.W.A.T. officer (in helicopter): Do i get a medal if i kill this guy?

S.W.A.T. commander: You get Two!

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'm right there witcha. I don't mean to pick on the radio stations so much - but there's definitely no "In the Future There Will Be Robots" or self-help from Thor. Or hear Maurice introduce Africa by Toto by saying "here ees some excellent museek for you to get in touch with yourself with.."

The radio stations in San Andreas just seem to put all their empasys on making fun of whatever it is the station is about. For instance Radio X... you cannot hear one DJ break that they are not making fun of Gex X kids with trust funds or blathering on and on about "X" and being alternative. It just feels so "one trick pony"... I guess that is because in my mind I keep comparing like Radio X in SA to Wave 103 in VC. Adam First just "felt" like an actual DJ from 1986... Sage just feels like an actor making fun of an alt-rock DJ.

And scarily Axl Rose is quite a talented DJ... at least when working from a script.

I dance my way... to express that which cannot be said!

- Claude Maganot (that's Maganot, Madge like in badge, uh like in duh and no like in I know more than you)

[NSJ23]

Ok, The 3rd trucker mission is F'n impossible. To much trouble for only $2000.00.

[Commander McBride]

I, too, wasn't too big on the "Gangsta" atmosphere of the game, although it wasn't too ailen to me, as I've lived my whole life here in LA, but I'm quite glad that, after leaving Los Santos, the game becomes much more like the GTA we're familliar with.

[Gumper]

I own my own airfield now

Can fly apache choppers, fire missiles at things, and fly WW2 planes with machine guns on them...JOY!!!

Game is SO much better once your out of the first city...im on the third city now and there are still missions for me to do in the first and second cities...gonna take a while to complete this fully

But alas...Halo 2 is out in a few days...this may have to go onto the backburner for a while

[NSJ23]

I'm quite glad that, after leaving Los Santos, the game becomes much more like the GTA we're familliar with.

What they ones were you kill people and beat up hookers? Just because you don't like the theme doesn't mean it's a different game. The same rules from all the other games apply. Make money, drive fast, kill or be killed.

Anyway.. when do you get access to the Zip store? I have access to San Fiero but not in las Venturas.

[Blaine23]

The radio stations in San Andreas just seem to put all their empasys on making fun of whatever it is the station is about. For instance Radio X... you cannot hear one DJ break that they are not making fun of Gex X kids with trust funds or blathering on and on about "X" and being alternative. It just feels so "one trick pony"... I guess that is because in my mind I keep comparing like Radio X in SA to Wave 103 in VC. Adam First just "felt" like an actual DJ from 1986... Sage just feels like an actor making fun of an alt-rock DJ.

And scarily Axl Rose is quite a talented DJ... at least when working from a script.

I see where you're coming from there - the X station is just a mess. There's some great songs, but even my fiance who sits patiently in the room reading while I wreak havoc on the streets of San Andreas, said, "what is this station supposed to be? If it's the early 90's they wouldn't still be playing Welcome to the Jungle, then go into the Stone Roses."

Now you can see why I'm marrying her, the little music dork.

She's right, though, in that the playlist is just a random "don't scare white kids" mix and the DJing is just not really up to par.

On the other hand, my favorite DJ and station for that "GTA value" of comedy and general oddness is K-Rose. The DJ cracks me up and the music is a perfect mix of weird country... the only big problem is that it really doesn't belong in San Andreas. The only possible tie-in to the world San Andreas is trying to present is the rural areas outside of the city and maybe a slight Tarantino Pulp Fiction effect.

K-Rose simply belongs in another game - preferably one set in the 70s. No country station in the early 90s played Juice Newton. Ever. It was all Garth Brooks and Billy Ray Cyrus, all the time.

The same goes for the Classic Rock Station - which has great DJing - but the music is so generic and bleh that I feel like that music could have been something more fun and cool. I don't need a videogame to give me Boston. I can get way too much of that in real life.

GTA shouldn't try to be real life - they should stick to being GTA reality.