Grand Theft Auto

Overview

Grand Theft Auto is a 1997 action-adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive. It is the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series and was released in November 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows, in December 1997 for the PlayStation and in October 1999 for the Game Boy Color. The game's narrative follows a criminal who climbs in status within the criminal underworld across three fictional cities, inspired by real-life locations. The gameplay is presented from a top-down perspective. It takes place within an open-world environment where the player must gather several points ranging in the millions to progress through the game's chapters. Points are gathered by completing various missions throughout each city, although the player can also gather points through other means.

Grand Theft Auto began development as Race 'n' Chase, in which the player controlled a police officer pursuing criminals. However, the game was considered dull, and the concept of playing as a criminal was adopted. The development team worked to ensure that the player would have the freedom to play however they wanted. Grand Theft Auto created much controversy even before its launch due to its violent content, with discussions about banning its sale. The marketing campaign, organised by publicist Max Clifford, exploited this stirring of controversy as free promotion.

Grand Theft Auto received mixed reviews but was a commercial success. While the graphics and controls were criticised, the entertainment value, sound design, and freedom of the gameplay were praised, and it has since been recognised as one of the greatest games of all time. Two expansions taking place in 1960s England, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, were launched in 1999. The success of Grand Theft Auto spawned a series of games built upon the original's gameplay and themes; the Grand Theft Auto series has since become one of the most popular and best-selling video game franchises of all time. Grand Theft Auto 2 was released in October 1999.

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto - GBC Longplay/Walkthrough #20, Longplay Universe. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Series

Grand Theft Auto

Platforms

Game Boy Color

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

ESRB

T

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. Game Boy Color games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

No online features; the cartridge runs on any Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
GameRankings	Game Boy Color	57	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
IGN	4	10
Nintendo Power	6.2	10

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Tarantula Studios
Publisher	Rockstar Games
Original game	DMA Design
Original game director	Keith R. Hamilton

Notes for collectors

• A Game Boy Color version of the first Grand Theft Auto, with very similar levels and missions.
• Its city maps are many times larger than most Game Boy Color game worlds.
• Toned down for a younger audience: most gore and swearing were removed, and it was rated T where the PC original was rated M.
• Trains are replaced by teleports, and the graphics and sound are simplified.

Credits

Publisher

Rockstar Games

Developer

Tarantula Studios

Released

1999-11-22

Age rating

ESRB T

Region

US

Time to beat

about 8 hours