It takes a brave man (or woman) to try his hand on the dangerous streets of GTA:SA, and an even braver man (or woman) to try those streets on a motorcycle. Then to go above and beyond that, and drive like a complete and total maniac? Fugeddaboutit.

Thankfully, someone else has done all the work for you, slapped a thrashing soundtrack to it, and uploaded it to YouTube. All you have to do now is sit back, hit play, and enjoy. Better yet, watch it, and then go out and try it all yourself. Virtually, that is. Please don't try this at home. Unless you're trying it on your console. We don't mean standing on your console, we mean ... ah, forget it. Just watch the darn thing.

With the 3.03 downgrade now available, many gamers will undoubtedly be on a frantic search for an unpatched GTA: Liberty City Stories. The copies that are available in stores are patched to prevent the downgrading exploit from working, meaning it may be nigh impossible to find a hack-compatible version.

One seller on eBay is attempting to capitalize on this demand and is selling his unpatched copy for a whopping $400. Surely, this must be a doomed auction? I hope so: you could buy yourself twenty copies of the game at that game. Chances are, you'll find an unpatched one eventually.

So, how about you, PSP Fanboy reader? Are you desperately searching for the exploitable GTA?

[Via PlayStation]

Every Saturday, PSP Fanboy will answer your burning questions. If you have a question for the team, send an e-mail to andrew @ pspfanboy.com with the subject "Ask PSP Fanboy."

Q: With news of the recent "Hello World" N00bz exploit for 2.81-3.03 PSPs, word is that an un-patched version of GTA: Liberty City Stories will be required for the future downgrader. How can I explicitly tell an un-patched GTA:LCS from a patched one?
A: Hope this image from DCEmu helps:


The unpatched version seems to feature different pictures. As a general rule of thumb, you'll have to look for the oldest copies you can find, so they'll most likely be used. When you pop in the disc, make sure the game offers a 2.0 firmware upgrade, not anything higher. Good luck.

See more questions after the break.

A search for "grand theft auto vice city stories" on the ESRB website now yields two results. Surprised? Didn't think so. Despite Rockstar's insistence that Vice City Stories would not go the way of Liberty City Stories (that is, be ported to PlayStation 2), it appears as if the company is again being tempted by the potential gains of a double-dip. Can you blame 'em? (Perhaps the better question: Can you resist them?)

I don't quite get it, but not every gamer owns a PSP. Before the system came out, I thought for sure it would be the biggest thing in portables when I heard Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear was coming to the system. But while both games are system sellers on the home console front, they haven't seemed to do so for the PSP.

Maybe some gamers are just one high end exclusive away from buying a PSP. If that is the case, what game or franchise does Sony's portable need to deflower PSP virgins out there? Will Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII turn the tide or is there some other franchise that the PSP needs to endear it to non-owners? Does such a game exist?

Vice City Stories to be PSP exclusive? Many doubted Rockstar, considering how Liberty City Stories made the jump to PlayStation 2. Well, looks like the doubters were right: A look at the ESRB website reveals a listing for a PS2 version of Vice City Stories. If it follows the footsteps of its Liberty City brethren, it will launch on PS2 for a measly $20, sans multiplayer.

Considering the relatively low sales of the latest GTA, it makes sense. Now, a whole new audience will be able to play with Phil Collins.

[Via IGN]

See also:
PSP Fanboy review: GTA Vice City Stories

Crackdown is gold and on schedule for release February 20. Microsoft has made a point to highlight Crackdown's apparent pre-release popularity, citing a "significant number of pre-orders" purchased in advance. Excited as we may be about David Jones' twisting of his own Grand Theft Auto creation, Microsoft's tying of Crackdown to the Halo 3 Beta should not be understated. It's likely that many pre-orders were placed to secure an invitation to the beta, which will only be bundled with Crackdown for a limited time.

Those who haven't pre-ordered are likely holding out to play the demo, which, according to ads posted on Xbox Live yesterday (now removed), was supposed to be released yesterday. As announced Tuesday, the demo has been delayed (guess marketing didn't get the memo). But Microsoft is sticking to its promise that the demo will be delivered before the month is up -- hopefully in time to consider Buy.com's slight discount.

"We can't go outside, so I prefer to keep inside and keep myself alive."

The words are from Wisam, a gamer living in Baghdad. Wisam is a rarity, and listening to his story on Iraq blog / vlog Alive In Baghdad explains why. Wisam, a recent graduate of the Baghdad University English Department, explains that he spends upwards of $200 on electricity each month -- partly from a local generator that runs 4 p.m. until midnight and partly from the fuel he buys for his personal generator. That's a hefty sum

Wisam said he learned his English from games such as Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. MTV News' Stephen Totilo has a thorough piece on Wisam and the crew of Alive in Baghdad. Among the game-related topics discussed, Wisam talked about the decline in interest for war shooters like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. "We hate the attacking, the gunfire in games," Wisam told MTV News. "We started to hate it."

In a sad note, Wisam described how Grand Theft Auto is much like Baghdad right now. Omar Abdullah, who interviewed Wisam for Alive in Baghdad, concurred, telling MTV News that "it was very, very similar to Baghdad. We were like, 'Oh my God. These are the same actions that happen in Baghdad.' There are some places that are divided. For each place, there is a gang ruling that place. You can go down the street and drive any car. If you want to jump on a motorcycle, you can do it."

With all the news that circulates about Baghdad, include tonight's U.S. Presidential address, it's thought-provoking to see a often missed perspective on the region.

As noted earlier, a list published by UK newspaper The Independent reveals what many already assume; Nintendo's Mario is the best-selling franchise of all time. Coupled with the second best-selling franchise Pokémon (also a Nintendo property), the two series, which have sold a combined 348 million games worldwide, account for nearly 34% of the total sales of the top-twenty best-selling franchises; which include two additional Nintendo IPs ranked in the top ten, Donkey Kong and Zelda. So what's Nintendo's secret?

Cross-culture appeal, spin-offs (e.g., racers, sports titles, puzzlers), brand saturation (e.g., apparel, card games, TV shows), and E-ratings all appear part of a profitable formula built for the long haul.

I love my Xbox 360 and I also love custom backgrounds. I don't love paying for them though. Luckily PSP users don't have to pay to have a custom background (that's coming in PSP2). Because of this and to help spice up our reader's PSPs, we will be showcasing new backgrounds every Saturday for you to marvel at.

Backgrounds after the jump...

Gamers looking for deals on Rockstar's finest need look no further. It appears that the excellent Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has dropped in price to a very reasonable $30. Considering how much content the game has, this is certainly quite a bargain.

Looking forward, you'll see that Gamestop is also listing the upcoming PSP port of The Warriors at a budget price of $20. The PS2 version of the game wasn't too bad at all, so you may want to pick it up as well.

Use coupon code "SAVER" to get free shipping.

[Via CAG & PlayStation]

Everybody's favorite lawyer is at it again, this time sending a heads up letter to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates promising to "undertake various means to prohibit and stop the sale of [Grand Theft Auto 4] to minors." The letter, a copy of which was sent to Joystiq, warns Microsoft against "participating in any fashion, directly or indirectly, in such sales to minors." We can only guess than indirect participation would be simply allowing the game to be released on the Xbox 360, and we doubt that Microsoft will be willing to give up its day-and-date bombshell just because of a vague threat from Thompson.

In the letter, Thompson cites an Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility report which shows game retailers like Target and Best Buy are actually "doing a better job of controlling sales of violent video games to children." Wouldn't a study that shows retailers doing a worse job have been a better choice? Also, wouldn't such a letter have been more effective going to a retailer than a console maker that has little to no control on point-of-purchase sales ratings enforcement?

And why is Thompson targeting Microsoft while ignoring Sony, which is also planning to host GTA4 on its system later this year? Last year Sony was public enemy No. 1 for allowing GTA in Japan. Has the PS3's launch-time troubles made them a less attractive target?

Bully (PS2)
Bully is my current favorite and has renewed my faith in Rockstar as a forward-moving publisher. The familiar game mechanics don't feel stale in this decidedly more innocent universe. Bully relies more on mischief than shock value, a relief, as are the smaller scale and lower difficulty level (really, the missions are simply less frustrating than some of the tedious tasks that abound in the GTA series). Bully isn't deserving of 'Game of the Year' honors, but Rockstar Vancouver's effort is one of the most refreshing and outright fun titles of 2006. [See also: "Dissecting Rockstar's formula"]

You might be quick to think something rather shifty is going on behind the scenes with such a large quantity of sales, but remember that GCM is a hedge fund with a fiduciary responsibility to its investors, and Take Two's stock has been on a steady rise since the FTC concluded its investigation of the Hot Coffee incident in June.

[Via Seeking Alpha and Dubious Quality]

Microsoft's crack at the Grand Theft Auto crown, from Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones and his Real Time Worlds studio, is set to hit streets February 20. Admittedly, Crackdown shares more in common with Mercenaries than it does with any of the GTA titles, as it's less structured than Rockstar's series and not mission-based -- you're charged with taking down three criminal organizations however you see fit. Of course, the ability to become a 'super freak' (leap buildings, transform vehicles, throw semis, etc.) puts Crackdown in a niche of its own -- if not the superpowers, then the cel-shaded visuals. It's totally like being inside a graphic novel! Right?...

For those of us still concerned that Crackdown lacks some of the cohesive elements necessary for a mainstream hit, Microsoft is offering a demo, set to hit Xbox Live Marketplace on January 18. The demo will include -- for Xbox Live Gold members -- a preview of Crackdown's full-scale online co-op, which gives the game a huge boost over its competition. Free-form gang-stomping with a buddy? Yes please.

[Via press release]