Vice City Stories

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a prequel to Vice City, developed by Rockstar Leeds with Rockstar North and released on 31 October 2006 in North America. Europe followed on 3 November and Australia on 10 November. The North American date had originally been 17 October, before a two-week delay. Leslie Benzies produced it. It launched as a PlayStation Portable exclusive, the tenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following Liberty City Stories (2005) on PSP. It belongs to the series' 3D Universe continuity.

Vice City, 1984: a soldier, a frame-up and a new empire

Rockstar's own synopsis opens with "Vice City, 1984", a city rising from the swamps on the back of a violent fight over the drug trade. That puts the game two years before the 1986 story of Vice City, and some places look different for it, with buildings still under construction.

The protagonist is Victor "Vic" Vance, a soldier stationed at Fort Baxter. He turns to crime to pay for medication for his sick brother Pete. His corrupt sergeant, Jerry Martinez, frames him, Vic is dishonourably discharged, and he then builds a criminal empire together with his brother Lance Vance. In 2009 Rockstar confirmed that Vic is the man killed in the ambush at the start of Vice City.

Dorian Missick voices Vic, and Philip Michael Thomas returns as Lance. Danny Trejo, Gary Busey and Luis Guzmán are also in the cast. Phil Collins plays himself: in one storyline Vic protects him from hitmen before and during his concert in Vice City.

Build an empire, then defend it

The main new feature is empire building. Vic takes over the businesses of rival gangs, such as protection rackets, smuggling and brothels, and grows his income through business missions. The system borrows from Vice City's property purchases and San Andreas' gang wars, and the businesses Vic owns have to be defended against attacks.

Combat was reworked, with better targeting and new hand-to-hand moves, including grapples and throws. When wasted or busted, players can bribe the police or hospital staff to keep their weapons. The hidden packages of earlier games are replaced by 99 red balloons, a nod to Nena's 1984 hit "99 Luftballons", which featured in Vice City.

Compared with Liberty City Stories, it loads faster and has a longer draw distance and denser traffic and crowds.

The PS2 port gets new content but loses multiplayer

The PSP version has wireless ad hoc multiplayer for up to six players across ten modes. The PS2 version, which arrived in March 2007, has none.

It did come with improved graphics and new content, among them extra odd jobs, unique jumps and rampages. It was the first Grand Theft Auto port to add in-game content and not only technical changes.

A Metascore of 86 and more than 7 million copies sold

On Metacritic the PSP version holds a Metascore of 86 and the PS2 version 75. IGN gave it its award for best licensed soundtrack on PSP in 2006, and it won Best Handheld Game at the 2007 Golden Joystick Awards.

It sold 4.5 million copies by March 2008 and more than 7 million in total, which makes it one of the best-selling PSP games. In the United Kingdom the PSP version earned an ELSPA Platinum award for at least 300,000 copies sold.

Back on PS3 in 2013, gone from the store in 2017

The PS2 version was re-released on PlayStation 3 as a PS2 Classic in April 2013. It was removed from the store on 24 July 2017.