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GTA jacking DS in March

Chinatown Wars now set to rage on Nintendo's portable in US on 17th, EU on 20th.

Just over five months after it was revealed at Nintendo's E3 press conference, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars finally has a release date. In North America, the DS debut of Rockstar Games' multi-multiplatinum series will ship on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. In Europe, it will arrive in stores on March 20.

Chinatown Wars has not yet been rated in any territory. However, in a recent interview with Edge magazine, Rockstar's vice president, Sam Houser, said that Chinatown Wars will be courting an M for Mature rating in the US. "It can't be softened to make it family-friendly--that's not the game we're making," explained Houser. "[Nintendo] didn't want us to make a GTA for kids, and we weren't interested in making a game we wouldn't normally make."

By the sound of it, Chinatown Wars will be a hard M indeed. Though it sports cartoon-like cel-shaded graphics, Chinatown Wars will feature such age-unsuitable activities as drug peddling, carjacking, and armed mayhem. Unlike previous portable GTA offerings, it will include 3D isometric graphics and stylus-based minigames to let players hotwire cars and tattoo themselves. It will also re-create much of the same open-world Liberty City as its console cousin, Grand Theft Auto IV.

For more details on Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

168 Comments

  • BLuFAlc0n

    Posted Jan 4, 2009 3:40 pm GMT

    Awesome, I really like the style of the game, although I'm not a GTA-Fan, it looks ok.

  • ConstiPlopz

    Posted Jan 2, 2009 1:29 pm GMT

    actually not only kids own the ds
    most ppl that own it r teenagers or adults so maybe this game will sell

  • CieranB

    Posted Jan 1, 2009 5:49 pm GMT

    Lmfao!

  • Boat95

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 2:12 pm GMT

    Why would you buy a GTA game, given its history on the console versions, for you kid?

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 6:38 am GMT

    I may have to pick this game up.

  • tekken220

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 12:15 am GMT

    why would parents even want to buy this game for their children and other m rated games?

  • tekken220

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 12:12 am GMT

    more children can play gta now

    at least it's better than a gta game for kids

  • tekken220

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 12:11 am GMT

    this game looks like the first gta

    it makes you want to get a psp badly

  • Rookie395

    Posted Dec 30, 2008 5:37 am GMT

    It might end up being okay ... we'll have to see ...

  • Adichatty

    Posted Dec 30, 2008 12:31 am GMT

    honestly...gta for kindergardenfolk...

  • necronaux

    Posted Dec 27, 2008 8:53 am GMT

    Just in time not to watch "March Madness", cool.

  • callsignAPOLLOj

    Posted Dec 27, 2008 3:45 am GMT

    Now you can be the biggest jerk in the dirtiest city in 2D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Do they make 2 pixel g-strings...?

  • Sledge_4314

    Posted Dec 25, 2008 11:34 pm GMT

    I guess Rockstar is better off not making this instead put more work on their next gen consoles GTA games. I doubt this would receive much sales or even ruin the GTA name.

  • King_Louis51

    Posted Dec 25, 2008 5:55 pm GMT

    This has the potential to be stunning.

    Considering how awesome Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories were, this should be equally as impressive (considering it is made by the same developers).

    GTA Advance was no slouch either.

  • -KU-

    Posted Dec 24, 2008 7:13 pm GMT

    Leo can you restate you statement what other two
    What do you mean not sell enough? 42 million?

  • Darklord9193

    Posted Dec 23, 2008 10:05 pm GMT

    why
    would
    they
    try

  • Leo_Colt

    Posted Dec 23, 2008 12:38 pm GMT

    We'll just have wait and see. Don't judge a book by it's cover, and all that. We haven't even seen any actual footage yet, and usually gameplay screenshots (that haven't deliberately been set up to look interesting.) look terrible, so yeah, just wait and see.

    For those of you who are wondering why there isn't another PSP GTA on the horizon, it's because the other two simply didn't sell (enough).

  • Normaral85

    Posted Dec 23, 2008 4:42 am GMT

    LAME!!!!!!!!

  • SalarianChemist

    Posted Dec 22, 2008 12:42 pm GMT

    I will have to keep my eyes on this one.

  • Desulated

    Posted Dec 21, 2008 3:47 pm GMT

    Doesn't impress me that much. Looks more like the first two GTA games and the GBA one instead of the PSP versions.
    But let's hope Rockstar does a good job at presenting the game.

  • Media_Mind

    Posted Dec 20, 2008 9:16 am GMT

    should be different

  • Dos-Mos

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 7:43 pm GMT

    Yeah this looks kind of like GTA on the Game Boy Advance, which was okay, but nothing compared to the ones on the PSP.

  • no_cultureicons

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 9:22 am GMT

    I think the graphics look really stylish and they've done a good job with the hardware they have available. My main worry is what they'll do with the control system... being a lefty can make some games a pain to play when the stylus comes into action and to be honest I prefer a good old-fashioned d-pad.

  • SoNin360

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 2:56 pm GMT

    Maybe it will be OK, for the DS, sure the graphics wont be amazing, but it will be portable. Sure it would look better on a PSP, but some people happen to use a DS for a portable system. I know GTA doesn't really belong with Nintendo consoles, but I'm gonna give this game a chance, otherwise I can't really say much else about it.

  • artemisfowl13

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 2:21 pm GMT

    At acsam12304 for the 2:07 PM post: The DS has two screens so maybe the other one has weapons and wanted level.

  • toyota22

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 6:55 am GMT

    it will be like GTA 2!!

    thats bad!

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 5:54 am GMT

    Already pre-ordered!!

  • TurambarGS

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 3:45 am GMT

    I have no idea why on earth you would want to play GTA on DS - it will look absolutely nothing like and play absolutely nothing like its cousins on the bigger consoles.

  • flyingteddy

    Posted Dec 17, 2008 1:38 am GMT

    not sure the DS can handle this kind of game, hope its not watered down too much, the PSP did a great job of the translation.

  • casket56

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:33 pm GMT

    We are kindof going back in time with this layout because its in birdseye view again, what sounds cool though is you can whistle into the ds microphone to call a taxi over

  • Jedilink109

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 9:23 pm GMT

    Hey that's cool. If the world's a similar layout to GTAIV, that should be pretty sweetness.

  • benboz

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 8:23 pm GMT

    I hope it will be good on the DS.

  • acsam12304

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 6:07 pm GMT

    i just saw the pic i zoomed in on it a bit... i have to say the PS1 looked way better then this. the heck is that? is he using a boosters? or something. what are those little block people?? . and what is that fire from the bottom? gun fire boosters?? i mean WTF is that?? i dont even see any stars to see how much cops or FBI are on you.

  • ctg867

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:58 pm GMT

    I cannot express to you how little I care.

    Where the **** is my next PSP GTA? Ya know, the game that actual successfully emulates the proven current and last gen 3D GTA formula on the platform that has already had two awesome GTA games?

  • acsam12304

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:52 pm GMT

    what about San Andreas Storys for the PSP!? when are we getting one?!

  • acsam12304

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 5:50 pm GMT

    thats it? PSP versions of GTAs are better

  • missonrs

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 4:57 pm GMT

    Better graphics then i was expecting.

  • Toro_Nev

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 4:37 pm GMT

    doesnt seem that bad

  • boybrushdred

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 4:25 pm GMT

    gta on ds sux. the psp needs a new gta.

  • mustug

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:46 pm GMT

    They should make it for PSP.

  • Altiar25

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:31 pm GMT

    fail looks terrible

  • star77241

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 2:58 pm GMT

    I thought that GTA was supposed to be out for DS for the holidays.

  • SPARKY329spx posted Dec 16, 2008 1:12 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    SPARKY329spx

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 1:12 pm GMT (hide)

    I cant wait til they stop making gta games, they are the most overratated games of all time and cant stand the test of time.(try going back and play the ps2 versions, they play like garbbage.)

  • no_cultureicons

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 12:58 pm GMT

    I actually like the graphics... with any luck it'll be reminiscent of the very first GTA but will have the improved gameplay of the most recent games. I can live without the stylus stuff though... I just hope it's lefty friendly!

  • jeffgordonfan24 posted Dec 16, 2008 12:42 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    jeffgordonfan24

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 12:42 pm GMT (hide)

    Great graphics! Reaches a whole new level of SH*T

  • THE_WHITE_MAGE

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:39 am GMT

    Haha @ btowntkd, at least this game was not for the Wii, or it would have been GTA jacking Wii

  • cfamgcn

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 10:10 am GMT

    As long as the controls are tight, it will be good. ~de arimasu

  • btowntkd

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 9:54 am GMT

    Most. Unfortunate. Heading. Ever.

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