Prior Offenses: A Grand Theft Auto Retrospective

From its beginnings as a top-down crime sim to the fully 3D Public Enemy Number One we know it as today, Grand Theft Auto's history has been marked by constant evolution. Before GTA IV is dropped on us later this month, we thought we'd take a look back at all the games in the series that have come before.

So sit back, relax and drive over a hooker as we present the prior crimes of Grand Theft Auto.

From its beginnings as a top-down crime sim to the fully 3D Public Enemy Number One we know it as today, Grand Theft Auto's history has been marked by constant evolution. Before GTA IV is dropped on us later this month, we thought we'd take a look back at all the games in the series that have come before.

So sit back, relax and drive over a hooker as we present the prior crimes of Grand Theft Auto.

Developed by DMA Design (which would later be known as Rockstar North) GTA prime was released in 1997. Though it was from a top-down view, many series hallmarks like, well, crime and stealing cars were already in place. More importantly, the game allowed the player to roam freely around Liberty City, an idea perpetuated by GTA games to this day.

The whole of the game was later ported to the Game Boy Color, but with much of the adult content censored.

Fun fact: The game was originally known as Race N Chase internally, but the name had already been used by toy car company Matchbox.

GTA: London 1969 was built on the first game in the series and required the original game to play. As you probably could have guessed without our help, it was set in London in 1969, though it maintained much of the structure from the original game.

Fun fact: GTA: London 1969 was the first ever expansion pack for PlayStation.

Voted the "Most Likely to Be Forgotten Grand Theft Auto Game," London 1961 is technically an expansion pack of an expansion pack, as it required London 1969 to play. It was freeware, and never released for the PlayStation or any other console.

Released in late 1999, GTA 2 was, in many ways, similar to the games that came before it, what with its top-down view, focus on crime, etc. But in many ways, it was the odd game out. Its setting, Anywhere City, was generic and the time period was similarly vague. If you'd like to see what we mean you can download the game for free right here.

The game focused on lead character Claude Speed's quest to become the "King of the City." It was later ported to the Game Boy Color.

Now, this is more like it. Grand Theft Auto III ushered in the modern age of the series, abandoning a top-down view for an over-the-shoulder perspective. Returning the setting to Liberty City, GTA III told the story of a nameless thug and his rise to greatness. Everything was bigger in 2001's GTA III, from the narrative to Liberty City itself.

Fun fact: The nameless thug is revealed later in San Andreas to be named "Claude," the same Claude (most assume) from GTA 2, though it's sketchy from a continuity standpoint.

The next year marked the release of the totally 80s take on the GTA formula: Vice City. More than just a palette swap, VC was a love letter to the decade with the soundtrack to match. The game introduced hitman Tommy Vercetti and a slew of new vehicle types. Another first was the ability for players to purchase their own properties.

Vice City was followed two years later in 2004 by San Andreas, which owed its aesthetic and narrative more to Boyz N the Hood than Miami Vice and Scarface like its predecessor. Encompassing an entire state, San Andreas boasts the largest game world yet, at four times the size of Vice City.

In another first, main character Carl "CJ" Johnson was able to modify his body by eating and working out. Cars could also be tricked out.

Fun fact: Apparently, there's secret doin' it hidden somewhere on the disc. We don't know anything more than that.

Released that same year, GTA Advance abandons the third dimension for the classic top-down look. It also introduces a new character, Mike, who, you guessed it, tools around Liberty City committing crimes. The game was developed by Digital Eclipse.

A prequel to GTA III, Liberty City Stories follows Toni Cipriani as he rises to greatness in Liberty City. Besides being the first GTA on the PlayStation Portable, LCS also sported a competitive multiplayer mode. After its release in 2005, the game was later ported to the PS2 without multiplayer.

This 2006 title stars Vic Vance, brother of VC co-star Lance, in a storyline that actually pre-dates the PS2 title. Like the game before, VCS features multiplayer modes and was ported to the PS2, though that version got several new additions like new rampages and odd jobs.

Set to re-invent the series once more, Grand Theft Auto IV is currently set for an April 29 release. Though much of the plot is draped in mystery, we know it stars Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant. There will reportedly be little continuity between this title and the world of GTA III, little surprise from a series that has defined itself by its ability and willingness to evolve.