Features:

  • Take your game online with the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities for head-to-head and co-op multiplayer mayhem and Chat, trade guns and commodities with your friends, and more on the Rockstar Games Social Club.
  • Utilizing the superior audio and visual processing power of the PSP, Chinatown Wars is reborn with noticeable boosts in graphic and sound quality.
  • Contemporary Liberty City is a massive world complete with pedestrians, weather and traffic patterns, five different radio stations and four different sprawling boroughs to explore.
  • Mature storyline with over 70+ story missions; plus dozens of side quests, collectibles, contextual mini-games and the all new mission replay feature.
  • Addictive drug dealing side game adds street economics to the mix with 6 different drug types, 80+ drug dealers and a supply / demand driven narcotics economy.
More GTA Than You'd Think

The lower-star reviews on this game are garbage; Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is every bit of a modern GTA experience as GTAIV and its relatives. The sprawling metropolis of Liberty City, tons of cars to hijack with unique handling and physics, tons of missions (with new replay feature), in-depth narrative with a silver tongue, guns, stunts, police chases, drug dealing, the works. Everything is presented here to make Chinatown Wars an experience on-par with the franchise's biggest releases, and the fact that Rockstar Leeds managed to cram all of this awesomeness into a tiny, half-gig DS cartridge is a feat in and of itself. If you missed out on Chinatown Wars the first time around, don't hesitate to pick this up now. It's brilliant.

"Oh God, I need to change my pants"--Chan Jaoming

This game is awesome! I was skeptical how a complicated game like this would work on Nintendo DS. I was also worried, since I'm of the Atari generation and have never played Grand Theft Auto or many other popular highfalutin modern games, that I would be completely lost. Well, there is no problems getting lost as the game is self-explanatory and very smooth. It is also mission oriented which I really like. Mission-driven games like Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz are my favorites. You visit or sometimes you are emailed by the rival bosses and the story begins with the game explaining what you need to do and guiding you along the way. That does not mean it is easy, it can be quite difficult to complete each mission but, if you choose the option to manually save, you can repeat the missions as many times as needed to pass. I'll admit it has sometimes taken me 7 or more tries to get through a mission. Be sure to save in the safe house closest to the next story. You are Huang Lee and arrive in Liberty City, a violent hellhole where drugs are plentiful, life is worth nil, and the drivers are the worst in the world--no fire hydrant, street lamp, or pedestrian is safe. You would think chastity would be a rare commodity in such a city; but, surprisingly, a lot of the pedestrians you run over will declare, "I'm still a virgin!" The reason for the visit is to deliver a sword to your uncle. Before you can accomplish the task, you are beaten, the sword is stolen and you are left to die in a car plunged into the water. Once you escape you are dropped smack dab in the middle of a gang war and battle between rival bosses to get control of Triad--the gang once lead by your father who was murdered. Avenging your father's death and recovering the sword is the ultimate goals but they may be hard to remember during all the missions and drug dealing you will be doing. The game play is guided by a GPS system which is excellent. It is easy to go anywhere because the navigation system maps out the exact route and, if you miss a turn, it will update the map automatically with a new route. You can walk or drive--either your own car, leader's cars, or any car you can steal by hot wiring or grabbing the driver and throwing him or her out. The maps include safe houses, auto repair shops, drug dealers, leader's headquarters and other important stops. One tip is to create "Favorite" tags on the armor icons (blue bullet-proof vests--builds up your bullet defense) and maybe health icons (green crosses) although you can replenish your health once you've saved inside a safe house. During missions that are not timed and especially those where you are not being chased ("Street of Rage" and "The Wages of Hsin" are good examples), take time out to find those spots and re-build your armor and health levels before continuing the mission. You can also take time out to fix up your car if it is smoking (i.e. "Driven to Destruction"). One aspect of the game I really like is the freedom you have. You are not forced to begin a new mission until you are ready. Take some time to walk around the city. Check dumpsters for weapons and other goodies (as well as some nasty stuff) or make a few Molotov cocktails. Earn money as a tattoo artist or cab driver. The Taxi Driver mission is tough because of the time limits but, if you can manage 15 successful fares in a row, all the cabs become bullet-proof which really helps in certain story missions like "Offshore Offload". During a barrage of emails from dealers, you might take time traveling to each one and buying and selling all sorts of drugs and realize that is where the real money is at. There are also side missions you'll encounter on the streets that could consist of such things as planting a bug on a car or taking a woman on a joy ride. You'll meet these characters again for updates. The game play is addicting and the story is intriguing and heavy with sometimes hilarious dialogue (especially Chan). Your character will witness all sorts of carnage including a rival boss cutting out an adversary's heart! Oh the humanity! As I'm sure other reviewers have noted, this game is rated mature with a capital M. Drugs, obscene language, racist remarks, bloody murders, sexual paraphernalia and situations--it's all here! It is fun to live vicariously in such a world through Lee Huang and it's incredible such a world can be packed in a little DS game cartridge. To anyone wanting to take their Nintendo DS on a hella ride, I recommend this game without hesitation!

GTA for DS!

There is not very much I can say about this game that other reviewers have not already said. This game is obviously well thought out. It is amazingly full of detail. The developers managed to squeeze all of Liberty City into such a tiny cartridge, and they did it with flair. The city is bustling with life. Unlike console versions of GTA where raids and stake-outs are large scale, with 20 characters shooting at you all at once, the developers of this game kept in mind that this a hand held and they scaled down these battles as well. This is a plus since trying to take out 20 or so gangsters on the DS might have felt a bit overwhelming. This game takes good advantage of the DS touch screen. It's use is seamless and it is used in interesting ways like scratch cards, digging in dumpsters, hot-wiring cars, selling drugs, and more. The use of the touch screen takes the customary GTA tasks and makes them interactive. This is another plus because it makes you feel that much more involved in the game. The only tiffs I have with China Town Wars are that the radio stations don't have any of the funny dialogue or any recognizable songs - this is understandable, and doesn't take anything away from the game at all - and that the graphics of the story scenes are kind of ugly, luckily the dialogue is just as off beat and funny as the console versions. These things weren't big enough cons for me to take any stars away from my rating. Overall, I am very happy to have bought this game. It is a great addition to the collection of any GTA fan, and the best adult DS game that I have seen so far. Every time I turn it on I find out something new. This game is definitely worth owning, even for those who are not the biggest GTA fans. This game will not disappoint.

... that a handheld grand theft auto game would be fun but I was greatly mistaken

I wouldn't think that a handheld grand theft auto game would be fun but I was greatly mistaken. Further to the point for the Nintendo DS nonetheless. It is an homage to the earlier titles (1 and 2) if you liked those games you are most likely going to enjoy this

Best game on the DS and the most M-rated

When this was first announced I was a bit skeptical given the DS's limited power. I enjoyed the PSP's GTA games but I couldn't imagine something this great on the DS. First of all it's amazing how they managed to put all of GTA IV's Liberty City on a tiny DS cartridge. Even though it returns to the top down view of the early GTAs, it's still a blast to play. The combat is fun but not really challenging since the auto aim system makes it easy to aim and take out your targets. I also like the new cop evasion system that that allows you to loose your wanted level by disabling the cop cars. Oh and her parents just because this is on the DS which is usually a child friendly system does not mean this is kid friendly, this game has everything that gave the console GTAs an M-rating. There's graphic violence(although cartoony) including violence against police, frequent profanity, drugs, and explicit sexual references. Do not buy this for your child if you don't feel comfortable with them being exposed to the above things.

Buy this if you own a DS !

The DS needed an adult game and this is it. I own many GTA games which I enjoy on my pc, psp and now ds. When I first started playing Chinatown Wars I was a little let down to be honest. I recently picked up a psp and it is a powerhouse for a handheld . After a short time though I have come to really dig the DS GTA game and put my PSP aside for now. The game seems fresh and new and maybe it is a throwback to the old GTA game. The story is good the controls solid and the fun factor is there. The PSP gta games feel so much like the ps2 counterparts that I almost feel I am replaying a game I have finished a few times already. Don't get me wrong...all gta games are the same basic make up but Chinawars is my passion for now. I even have put GTA 4 aside on my 360 till I complete CW. The presentation is very good for a ds game. They made good use of the ds hardware here. I am playing it on a dsi and have no complaints at all. Zelda is put aside for now and if you want an adult game for the ds that is worth the cash...BUY THIS NOW>!

What an entertaining game!

My dissertation writing productivity has almost certainly taken a hit with the purchase of this game. Like most of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, this game is multifaceted. Of course there are the numerous missions that are somewhat diverse in what you need to accomplish. There are a number of gang-boss characters and your missions differ somewhat depending on the person you're working for at the moment. You can take part in a large economy of illegal drug sales, pulling in big profits by purchasing cheap and selling when demand increases. There are a smattering of random of missions, odd jobs, and games throughout the map to provide variation. And of course when you get bored one can always go on a rampage, seeing how long you can last as an infinite number of law enforcement comes your way. I've only played snippets of the GTA series on larger consoles, so I can't make much of a comparison. However, compared with most DS games, Chinatown wars is simply outstanding. Most games on the the DS are pretty one-dimensional as the dynamics of the gameplay tend to remain the same throughout. This is fine if, like me, you generally want ten to twenty minutes to take a break from books or work or life. This game however is more than a beeping diversion. It's a small world crammed into a DS cartridge. My only critiques are that it is sometimes awkward integrating the stylus into gameplay. It's easy when you have to complete neat little puzzles (hot wiring a car, digging through a trash bin, breaking through a window), but very hard when you need to chuck an explosive at the seven police cars chasing you while simultaneously shooting back at them, avoiding gun fire, and/or holding the accelerator button in your car. It might be better if you just grew a single fingernail out really long in lieu if the stylus. But that would be a strange indeed.

Gory Glory.

The title of this review is perhaps quite misleading, as there is little to no 'gore' in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. It's easy to lose sight of that, however, after you've mowed down a few gang members, stolen their car, and pilfered their narcotics. Anyone familiar with the franchise will find little of this surprising, and veterans may find the scenario a bit redundant. I remember years ago when GTA III was released on the Playstation 2, and at the time, I was entranced by the game. It's appeal was not unlike that of Mario 64, in that its focus on non-linear and open-ended gameplay set it apart from other titles; the similarities, for the most part, end there, however. I think there are very few users of this website who are not familiar with the conventions of Grand Theft Auto, so I'll skip ahead and reiterate that which has been proclaimed by critics and users across the board: this is not "GTA Lite", and anyone who is a fan of this series owes it to his or herself to play Chinatown Wars. Not only does the game accurately adapt the sandbox gameplay seen in previous entries, but it also makes a few additions that are successful enough to probably appear in the next console release. In particular, the drug trafficking feature is satisfying, and lends itself to the portable format of the game. To elaborate, buying and selling narcotics is quick, satisfying, and actually the most effective way to make money in the game. Since it takes less than three minutes to plan and execute a drug deal, I imagine it likely that dealing depressants, coke, acid and the like in Chinatown Wars will serve as ample entertainment for those waiting for a train - not to mention it's a lot safer than actually becoming a drug kingpin (see: Breaking Bad.) Have faith, skeptics and Grand Theft Auto purists, for all technical aspects of the game range from excellent to outstanding. Adapting to the controls will take not but 10 minutes for anyone familiar with the Playstation 2 titles, and perhaps notably longer for those taking a first trip to Liberty City. Visually, the game truly must be seen to be believed; I wholeheartedly encourage any readers who haven't seen the game in action to hit up Youtube and watch a few gameplay videos immediately. I am firm in my belief that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars could pass as a low-grade Dreamcast title, graphically. It's important to make note that gamers who do not care for this franchise will not likely be converted by the DS entry. Additionally, I would not recommend the game to children or teens under seventeen. Any other gamer with a pulse would be missing out on an exceptional gaming experience by skipping Chinatown Wars.

My Favorite GTA

I've played Vice City, San Andreas, and IV, and this game took Vice City's place as my favorite title in the Grand Theft Auto series. Graphically, I thoroughly enjoyed almost every piece of artwork in the game. The world is 3D and has a very cartoonish cell-shading that is not characteristic at all for GTA games on the bigger consoles. A few things were off-putting to me (especially the artwork used for rummaging through dumpsters), but overall the visuals were so good that I had serious doubts about how free and large this GTA world would be on a DS. The world proved to be fairly large. Large enough that size wasn't a concern to me. That is, I never felt that the cities were too small. I was always exploring a new area somehow... And thankfully the game has an incredible GPS system for navigating. You can look up and find people you have met or places of interest that are automatically saved in the game's GPS system, or you can add your own color-coded waypoints (four colors available). The gameplay is almost exactly everything I would ever ask for in a GTA game. There are plenty of weapons, well-designed missions, lots of random pedestrians, a good deal of side missions (in the form of pedestrians that periodically talk to you), and tons of little things to do, including ramping through all advertising billboards, destroying all security cameras, dealing drugs for insane amounts of money, discovering and beating all rampages, finding and beating the go-kart time trials, buying scratch-off lottery tickets (touchscreen!), and more. Overall, I truly enjoyed this game. One last sentence: I've heard it's much closer to the original GTA games.

Currently the best game for the DS

I am about 75% of the way through the story, and I have to say that this is by far my favorite game for the DS. I am a big fan of all of the GTA game, and this game did not disappoint. Even though it is on the DS, and I did not think it would be as deep as other games in the series, it definitely is. Tons of side game (including the drug dealing game, which is great). You have a very deep story line, and a big city with a ton of different stuff to do. Also, the game does a great job of incorporating the touchscreen into the game. If I had to make one gripe, it would be with the camera. However, you get over this within an hour of gameplay. It is just an adjustment from other games in the series, obviously. Overall, great game, just as many other reviewers and sites have said. I would say a must have for the DS or DSi.

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