NFS Carbon

Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii contains some unique driving control options, but none of them can escape the sensation that this game simply wasn't built for motion control.

The Good: More enjoyable cheesy FMV sequences; loads of customization options; plenty of unique control options.

The Bad: Frustrating boss battles; underutilizes police chases; no online play.

After rebooting the franchise with Need for Speed Underground, EA has continued to produce some solid street racers under the Need for Speed banner. Last year's Need for Speed Most Wanted, which featured hilariously over-the-top live-action cutscenes and seriously tense police pursuits, proved to be a high watermark for the franchise. Now it's being followed up by Need for Speed Carbon, which downplays the role of the police chases, introduces some simple team-racing mechanics, and occasionally takes the action off the city streets and into the outlying canyons. Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii contains roughly the same content as it did on the Xbox and looks about as good. Additionally, it adds five different control schemes, each of which makes use of the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities in a different way. Some are more practical than others, but none are as precise as a standard gamepad. You can just tell that this game wasn't originally designed with the Wii in mind, and it suffers for it.

Carbon's controls on the Wii can be novel, but at the cost of overall playability.

Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii defaults to a control scheme where you hold the Wii Remote sideways, using the buttons and the D pad to accelerate, brake, use your nitro boost, and so on. The actual steering is done by tilting the controller to the left or to the right, like a steering wheel. It's the control scheme we've seen in several other driving games for the Wii, and it's most obviously analogous to actual driving. By default, the steering isn't sensitive enough for you to make the game's many hard turns, though you can hold the A button to activate oversteering to compensate. It's an extra step that takes some getting used to, and it makes this scheme feel like a bit of a hack job. The other four control schemes are different from the default, making use of both the Nunchuk and the Wii Remote, though they're pretty similar to each other. There are options for using the analog stick on the Nunchuk to steer, as well as simply tilting the Nunchuk from side to side to steer. While tilting the Nunchuk feels more tactile, it can be hard on your wrist and doesn't offer the same degree of precision as the analog stick. These control schemes use the Wii Remote like it was a gas pedal. To accelerate, you aim the front of the Wii Remote down and aim it up to ease off. There are options to use this tilting to also control braking or to assign braking to the Z button. In these uncertain early days of the Wii, it's smart of EA to provide all of these different options, which, while certainly different from the norm, aren't so alien that they take too much time to learn. Still, as interesting as these controls can be, it doesn't compensate for the familiarity and ease of use of a standard gamepad. It's close, but not quite.

Carbon continues the story where Most Wanted left off. For those just tuning in, Most Wanted ended with you recovering your stolen car and bailing out of the city of Rockport while the overzealous, anti-street-racing Sgt. Cross continued his pursuit. At the start of Carbon, you're making your way to Palmont City when Cross, now a bounty hunter, catches up with you and totals your car during the chase. Before he can collect his bounty on you, though, your old friend Darius steps in and pays off Cross. You are then put to work, taking over the turf of the other rival street-racing crews in Palmont City. It seems that you've got a history in this town that predates the events in Most Wanted. And during the course of the game, you'll learn more about that fateful night you skipped town. Different characters will give their takes on the night you supposedly ran off with a big red duffle bag full of cash. And by the end of the game, you'll not only find out what really happened, but you'll have taken over all of the street-racing territory in Palmont City.

Outside of the actual gameplay, one of the more endearing aspects of Most Wanted was the way it used live actors in CG environments for its story sequences. These sequences invariably featured plenty of actor/model types, trying a little too hard to talk tough and failing spectacularly at it. The technique remains the same in Carbon, though there are more story sequences now and a slightly more self-aware tone. The heavy use of flashbacks is an interesting idea, but the story ends up being kind of muddled. And none of the villains come off as particularly menacing. Although it's hard to really qualify any of it as sincerely good, it's just over-the-top enough that folks who enjoy stuff like The Fast and the Furious, ironically or otherwise, should get some enjoyment out of it.

Most Wanted had you racing to raise your visibility with the police and take on the most notorious street racers in Rockport. In Carbon, it's all about turf. Palmont City is divided into four major territories, each of which is predominantly controlled by a different street-racing crew. Each territory is then further divided into zones, and within each zone, you'll find starting points for a variety of different race events. Winning at least two events in a zone will put it under your control. And once you've taken over all the zones in a given territory, you can take on the head of that crew. As you continue to extend your reach across Palmont City, rival crews will come back and try to retake territory the same way you took it from them, forcing you to accept their challenge if you want to maintain control. Having to go back and rerace events that you've already won is kind of a pain, but the open-world structure is nice and gives you plenty of options to take on races at any given point.

However, you won't be taking on all of these crews by yourself, because Carbon lets you bring along a wingman into many of the races. These computer-controlled companions break down into three different behavior types--blockers, drafters, and scouts. Blockers will run interference for you, spinning out opponents at your command. Drafters let you slipstream behind them, giving you some extra speed from the reduced drag, and from there you can pull aside and slingshot your way past them. Scouts have a knack for finding the many alternate routes and shortcuts that can be found in most races, and they have short neon tracers that follow them, making it easier for you to take advantage. You'll definitely find yourself in races where your wingman's influence is the difference between winning and losing. But often, your wingman's presence is either unnecessary or an actual hindrance. Blockers are only really effective in taking out competitors that are behind you, and even then, they're not very reliable. Drafters work as advertised, but the lengthy straightaway needed to set up a proper draft is rare in Palmont City, which limits their usefulness. Scouts are the least useful of the three because the neon tracers don't seem to get longer as the cars you drive go faster, and eventually, there's just not enough time for you to anticipate an alternate route. If you didn't call on your wingman, you might expect him or her to just hang back. But we found ourselves getting bumped into and boxed in by our wingman on several occasions. It's not ruinous to the experience, but sometimes it makes you wish they would just go away.

Canyon duels are challenging, but their repetitious structure can sometimes make them wearying.

The game relies on some pretty tried-and-true types of races, but it also throws some curves. You'll find plenty of common stuff, such as lap-based circuit races, point-to-point sprints, and checkpoint races. But there are also some unique races, such as the speed-trap race, where your standing is determined by your cumulative MPH as you race through a series of speed traps. Most races take place on the city streets of Palmont, but there are also drift events, which can take place either on a closed race course or on the winding canyon roads that surround the city. The goal in the drift events is to score points by making clean drifts around corners. The car handling changes completely for the drift events and feels much more slippery than in the rest of the game, which recalls the drift events found in Need for Speed Underground 2.

You'll also face off with the different crew bosses in the canyons, and these events may test your patience. Once you've taken enough turf for a crew boss to challenge you, you'll first race against him in a standard city-street event. If you beat him there, you'll advance to one of the game's canyon courses, which are narrow and undulating. Here it's a two-part race, where you'll first have to chase the boss through a point-to-point race, and then reverse roles for the second part. Your score on the first half is based on how close you stay to your rival; then in the second half, your rival tries to outdo you. These events can be quite challenging because the courses are technically complicated, and the crew bosses tend to be better, more aggressive drivers than the average street racers. There are also a number of ways in which you can instantly fail. If, during the second race, your opponent manages to get ahead of you for more than 10 seconds, you automatically lose. But on the flipside, if you can get ahead of your opponent for more than 10 seconds in the first race, you automatically win both races. Also, each course is absolutely rife with cliffs. This means that if you take a corner at the wrong angle or speed, you can launch your car off of a cliff, immediately ending the race. All of these elements can make for a tough but fair race. However, failure takes you back to the first half of the canyon duel, even if you failed during the second half. It's kind of a minor point, but it's one that can turn a canyon duel into a real chore.

Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii contains some unique driving control options, but none of them can escape the sensation that this game simply wasn't built for motion control.

The Good: More enjoyable cheesy FMV sequences; loads of customization options; plenty of unique control options.

The Bad: Frustrating boss battles; underutilizes police chases; no online play.

After rebooting the franchise with Need for Speed Underground, EA has continued to produce some solid street racers under the Need for Speed banner. Last year's Need for Speed Most Wanted, which featured hilariously over-the-top live-action cutscenes and seriously tense police pursuits, proved to be a high watermark for the franchise. Now it's being followed up by Need for Speed Carbon, which downplays the role of the police chases, introduces some simple team-racing mechanics, and occasionally takes the action off the city streets and into the outlying canyons. Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii contains roughly the same content as it did on the Xbox and looks about as good. Additionally, it adds five different control schemes, each of which makes use of the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities in a different way. Some are more practical than others, but none are as precise as a standard gamepad. You can just tell that this game wasn't originally designed with the Wii in mind, and it suffers for it.

Carbon's controls on the Wii can be novel, but at the cost of overall playability.

Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii defaults to a control scheme where you hold the Wii Remote sideways, using the buttons and the D pad to accelerate, brake, use your nitro boost, and so on. The actual steering is done by tilting the controller to the left or to the right, like a steering wheel. It's the control scheme we've seen in several other driving games for the Wii, and it's most obviously analogous to actual driving. By default, the steering isn't sensitive enough for you to make the game's many hard turns, though you can hold the A button to activate oversteering to compensate. It's an extra step that takes some getting used to, and it makes this scheme feel like a bit of a hack job. The other four control schemes are different from the default, making use of both the Nunchuk and the Wii Remote, though they're pretty similar to each other. There are options for using the analog stick on the Nunchuk to steer, as well as simply tilting the Nunchuk from side to side to steer. While tilting the Nunchuk feels more tactile, it can be hard on your wrist and doesn't offer the same degree of precision as the analog stick. These control schemes use the Wii Remote like it was a gas pedal. To accelerate, you aim the front of the Wii Remote down and aim it up to ease off. There are options to use this tilting to also control braking or to assign braking to the Z button. In these uncertain early days of the Wii, it's smart of EA to provide all of these different options, which, while certainly different from the norm, aren't so alien that they take too much time to learn. Still, as interesting as these controls can be, it doesn't compensate for the familiarity and ease of use of a standard gamepad. It's close, but not quite.

Carbon continues the story where Most Wanted left off. For those just tuning in, Most Wanted ended with you recovering your stolen car and bailing out of the city of Rockport while the overzealous, anti-street-racing Sgt. Cross continued his pursuit. At the start of Carbon, you're making your way to Palmont City when Cross, now a bounty hunter, catches up with you and totals your car during the chase. Before he can collect his bounty on you, though, your old friend Darius steps in and pays off Cross. You are then put to work, taking over the turf of the other rival street-racing crews in Palmont City. It seems that you've got a history in this town that predates the events in Most Wanted. And during the course of the game, you'll learn more about that fateful night you skipped town. Different characters will give their takes on the night you supposedly ran off with a big red duffle bag full of cash. And by the end of the game, you'll not only find out what really happened, but you'll have taken over all of the street-racing territory in Palmont City.

Outside of the actual gameplay, one of the more endearing aspects of Most Wanted was the way it used live actors in CG environments for its story sequences. These sequences invariably featured plenty of actor/model types, trying a little too hard to talk tough and failing spectacularly at it. The technique remains the same in Carbon, though there are more story sequences now and a slightly more self-aware tone. The heavy use of flashbacks is an interesting idea, but the story ends up being kind of muddled. And none of the villains come off as particularly menacing. Although it's hard to really qualify any of it as sincerely good, it's just over-the-top enough that folks who enjoy stuff like The Fast and the Furious, ironically or otherwise, should get some enjoyment out of it.

Most Wanted had you racing to raise your visibility with the police and take on the most notorious street racers in Rockport. In Carbon, it's all about turf. Palmont City is divided into four major territories, each of which is predominantly controlled by a different street-racing crew. Each territory is then further divided into zones, and within each zone, you'll find starting points for a variety of different race events. Winning at least two events in a zone will put it under your control. And once you've taken over all the zones in a given territory, you can take on the head of that crew. As you continue to extend your reach across Palmont City, rival crews will come back and try to retake territory the same way you took it from them, forcing you to accept their challenge if you want to maintain control. Having to go back and rerace events that you've already won is kind of a pain, but the open-world structure is nice and gives you plenty of options to take on races at any given point.

However, you won't be taking on all of these crews by yourself, because Carbon lets you bring along a wingman into many of the races. These computer-controlled companions break down into three different behavior types--blockers, drafters, and scouts. Blockers will run interference for you, spinning out opponents at your command. Drafters let you slipstream behind them, giving you some extra speed from the reduced drag, and from there you can pull aside and slingshot your way past them. Scouts have a knack for finding the many alternate routes and shortcuts that can be found in most races, and they have short neon tracers that follow them, making it easier for you to take advantage. You'll definitely find yourself in races where your wingman's influence is the difference between winning and losing. But often, your wingman's presence is either unnecessary or an actual hindrance. Blockers are only really effective in taking out competitors that are behind you, and even then, they're not very reliable. Drafters work as advertised, but the lengthy straightaway needed to set up a proper draft is rare in Palmont City, which limits their usefulness. Scouts are the least useful of the three because the neon tracers don't seem to get longer as the cars you drive go faster, and eventually, there's just not enough time for you to anticipate an alternate route. If you didn't call on your wingman, you might expect him or her to just hang back. But we found ourselves getting bumped into and boxed in by our wingman on several occasions. It's not ruinous to the experience, but sometimes it makes you wish they would just go away.

Canyon duels are challenging, but their repetitious structure can sometimes make them wearying.

The game relies on some pretty tried-and-true types of races, but it also throws some curves. You'll find plenty of common stuff, such as lap-based circuit races, point-to-point sprints, and checkpoint races. But there are also some unique races, such as the speed-trap race, where your standing is determined by your cumulative MPH as you race through a series of speed traps. Most races take place on the city streets of Palmont, but there are also drift events, which can take place either on a closed race course or on the winding canyon roads that surround the city. The goal in the drift events is to score points by making clean drifts around corners. The car handling changes completely for the drift events and feels much more slippery than in the rest of the game, which recalls the drift events found in Need for Speed Underground 2.

You'll also face off with the different crew bosses in the canyons, and these events may test your patience. Once you've taken enough turf for a crew boss to challenge you, you'll first race against him in a standard city-street event. If you beat him there, you'll advance to one of the game's canyon courses, which are narrow and undulating. Here it's a two-part race, where you'll first have to chase the boss through a point-to-point race, and then reverse roles for the second part. Your score on the first half is based on how close you stay to your rival; then in the second half, your rival tries to outdo you. These events can be quite challenging because the courses are technically complicated, and the crew bosses tend to be better, more aggressive drivers than the average street racers. There are also a number of ways in which you can instantly fail. If, during the second race, your opponent manages to get ahead of you for more than 10 seconds, you automatically lose. But on the flipside, if you can get ahead of your opponent for more than 10 seconds in the first race, you automatically win both races. Also, each course is absolutely rife with cliffs. This means that if you take a corner at the wrong angle or speed, you can launch your car off of a cliff, immediately ending the race. All of these elements can make for a tough but fair race. However, failure takes you back to the first half of the canyon duel, even if you failed during the second half. It's kind of a minor point, but it's one that can turn a canyon duel into a real chore.

Grand Theft Auto(My favourite)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''''' was developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the ''Grand Theft Auto series''; including previously released 2D titles bearing the ''Grand Theft Auto'' name, it is the seventh to be released. It was released for the PlayStation 2 on 2004#October 26|October 26, 2004 in North America and on 2004#October 29|October 29, 2004 in Europe and Australia, and for the PC and Xbox on 2005#June 7|June 7, 2005 in North America and 2005#June 10|June 10, 2005 in Europe.

History and speculation

Following the success of ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'', many gamers eagerly anticipated a new ''Grand Theft Auto'' game on the PlayStation 2 in late 2003. Most theories were shot down when Rockstar had given no announcement of a new game by summer of that year. The first hint at there even being a new installment was on October 30, 2003, when Take-Two Interactive announced that an untitled "''GTA5''" game was set for release in the "latter half of the fiscal fourth quarter 2004" [http://ps2.ign.com/articles/457/457293p1.html]. By this time, pundits online had two theories about the plot of the game; it would either be based in the city of San Andreas, (based on wikipedia:San Francisco, California|San Francisco) in the modern day, or in Sin City, (based on wikipedia:Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas) in the 1970s, as both would be ideal regarding new innovative ways to commit crimes, and new storylines that could grow.
On 2003#December 17|December 17, and 2003#December 21|December 21, 2003, Take-Two had registered 10 ''GTA''-related trademarks (''GTA5'', ''GTA6'', ''GTA: San Andreas'', ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', ''GTA: Sin City'', ''Grand Theft Auto: Sin City'', ''GTA: Bogota'', ''Grand Theft Auto: Bogota'', ''GTA: Tokyo'', and ''Grand Theft Auto: Tokyo'') [http://ps2.ign.com/articles/462/462261p1.html]. After the information was divulged on 2004#January 12|January 12, 2004, it seemed likely that most of the titles were either wikipedia:Ignoratio elenchi|red herrings or possible future incarnations of the franchise.

On 2004#March 1|March 1, 2004, Take-Two announced in a press conference that ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' would be released Tuesday, 2004#October 19|October 19, 2004 in the US, and three days later, 2004#October 22|October 22, in Europe [http://wire.ign.com/articles/495/495833p1.html] and 2004#October 29|October 29 for Australia. However, on 2004#September 9|September 9, 2004 Take-two announced in its third quarter financial results for 2004 that the release date of the PlayStation 2 version of ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' would be pushed back to 2004#October 26|October 26, 2004 in North America and 2004#October 29|October 29, 2004 for Europe and 2004#November 15|November 15, 2004 in Australia to allow Rockstar to remove questionable content that would have the game banned there. Nonetheless, the Australian version has been on sale on October 29 and proved to be the multilanguage European PAL (UK) version. In the same release, Take-Two announced a PC and Xbox version would be released on 2005#June 7|June 7, 2005.

The Xbox and PC ports of San Andreas released on 2005#June 7|June 7, 2005 in the U.S. In Europe, the release date was 2005#June 10|June 10th, 2005. Similar to past iterations of the GTA games, both versions have higher-resolution textures, the ability to have custom soundtracks from MP3s, and a 30 second instant replay feature. Both the PS2 and Xbox versions also have a 2-player option for certain missions; however, this feature was removed from the PC version.

The ''Calaveras Enterprise'' newspaper reported on 2004#November 3|November 3, 2004 that the Merchants' Association in the real-life town of wikipedia:San Andreas, California|San Andreas, California has become alarmed about the popularity of the video game, but has conceded that there is little it can do. Also, it turns out there is a retired pastor named Carl Johnson in the real San Andreas (Carl Johnson, the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas, shares the same name).

On 2005#July 20|July 20, 2005 production of the game was suspended and the game received a revised ESRB Rating of Adults Only, making San Andreas the only mass-released AO console game in the U.S. This was the result of the release of a modification allowing access to the hidden "Hot Coffee mod|Hot Coffee" portion of the game. Rockstar has given distributors the option of applying an Adults Only ESRB rating sticker to copies of the game, or returning them to be replaced by versions without the Hot Coffee mod|Hot Coffee content. Many retailers pulled the game off their shelves in compliance with their own store regulations that kept them from selling AO games. Rockstar North released a [http://www.nomorehotcoffee.com Cold Coffee patch] for the PC version and re-released San Andreas with a Mature rating. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions have also been re-released in a [http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/09/23/news_6134252.html GTA Trilogy Pack for Xbox], and a Special Edition for PlayStation 2.

Details
Image:GTASA PC Gameplay Running.jpg|thumb|right|Running in Los Santos, PC version. The player's character initially starts out with little money, lack of body fitness and no skills. These attributes may be improved as one continues to play the game. The health bar pictured, for example, will increase as the player frequently exercise and perform certain physical activities

spoiler
Information about the game began circulating in magazines and on websites on 2004#May 11|May 11, 2004, including that the game world of San Andreas would be not just one city, but an entire state, encompassing three metropolises (Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, based on wikipedia:Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, wikipedia:San Francisco, California|San Francisco, and wikipedia:Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas, respectively), and the countryside in between. Intercity travel is facilitated not only by a huge freeway system but also by wikipedia:airport|airports and a system of wikipedia:passenger train|passenger trains, the Brown Streak Railroad, both of which have vehicles that can be operated by the player. In interviews, Rockstar's designers have reported that the map is between four and six times the size of the area in Vice City.

The game is set in 1992. This game has a Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas soundtrack| soundtrack of period artists, as ''Vice City'' did, as well as "classic" rap and rock stations and a country station. Many of the missions which take place in the game are fairly obvious imitations of California-based phenomena from the early 90s, such as the movie ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Plot
Image:GTASA PC Gameplay Mountain Bike.jpg|thumb|left|Wikipedia:Mountain bike|Mountain biking up Mount Chiliad, PC version.

Set in 1992, the player controls main character Carl "CJ" Johnson, an African American man in his mid to late twenties returning to Los Santos after five years residing in Liberty City (III)|Liberty City. Carl left Los Santos after being blamed for the death of his younger brother, Brian Johnson|Brian, by his older brother, Sean "Sweet" Johnson|Sean (nicknamed "Sweet"). The murder of his mother causes him to return for her funeral. CJ returns to find disarray in his family and in his old gang, the Grove Street Families (named for their home territory, Grove Street), which prompts him to stay.

Vehicle modification
Image:GTASA PC Gameplay N02 Driving.jpg|thumb|right|Driving a modified sports car in San Fierro while deploying nitrous oxide to boost speed, PC version.
TransFender is a fictitious car modification shop in San Andreas. TransFender ranges in a wide variety of mods for a vehicle from nitro to hydraulics. Most car mods are strictly visual because they only add aesthetic appeal, as opposed to those which improve the performance. Many, but not all, vehicles can be modified in GTA:SA. Common modifications include nitrous tanks, hydraulics, and paintjobs. Vehicles can be divided into four categories: Cars that can be modified but are not wikipedia:low-rider|low-rider or "wikipedia:street race|street racer" cars can only be modified at a TransFender, low-rider cars can only be modified at Loco Low Co., street racing types are modified at Wheel Arch Angels, and unmodifiable cars (most emergency vehicles and some off-road vehicles) cannot be modified at all. One mission requires the player to visit a low-rider mod-shop and then to use the car in a hydraulics competition.

Crossovers from ''Vice City''
Image:GTASA PC Gameplay Police Trouble.jpg|thumb|left|Police trouble in Las Venturas, PC version.

Many characters, locations and fictional elements of ''Vice City'' were kept, sometimes with minor modifications to account for changes that would have occurred in the 6 years that separate both games' fictional worlds. Interestingly, some real-world promotional material Rockstar created for ''Vice City'' can also be found in this game. Since characters from ''Vice City'' appear and the events of the game are hinted at having really happened, this might indicate that Tommy Vercetti's adventures in Vice City gained considerable notoriety in the following years.

Real-world promotional material
* Action figures of Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance can be found on the shelves of Zero's shop in San Fierro.
* Posters featuring the game's box cover art can be seen on some walls, most notably in Denise Robinson|Denise's room (the Hot Coffee mod is required to get there).

Recurring characters
* Ken Rosenberg still works for the mafia. He became a big shot after the events in Vice City, then lost it all because of his cocaine addiction and went into rehab. When he got out, he was picked as a neutral party to manage a mob casino shared by three families.
* Kent Paul is still a music group manager, though no longer for Love Fist. He now handles the Gurning Chimps.
* Jethro and Dwaine owned the boat yard in Vice City, until Tommy bought it from them. They now hold small-time mechanic jobs in San Fierro.
* Claude Speed| Claude shows up as Catalina's new boyfriend, after she "dumps" CJ. CJ beats him in a cross-country race and receives his San Fierro garage as his winnings. When CJ sees how run-down the garage is, he calls Claude a "mute asshole" and a "fucking snake without a tongue".
* Catalina is Cesar Vialpando's cousin and CJ's girlfriend (for a brief time). She is generally hostile towards all men, except to CJ (although she really doesn't show it much). She's a profit-driven lady, who hooks up with Claude just to spite CJ. After she tries to kill Claude in ''GTA III'', he kills her as she tries to escape in a helicopter.
* Salvatore Leone, the big boss of the Liberty City Mafia (until Claude kills him in ''GTA III'') makes an appearance as the Mafia-head of the Caligula's Palace Casino. He provides Carl with a few jobs, until Carl and his crew rob Caligula's vault, which enrages Leone.
* Maria Latore, Salvatore Leone's mistress in ''GTA III'' also makes an appearance as a waitress in Caligula's, who Leone takes a shine to.

Radio personalities
* Fernando, the host of the Vice City radio station Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack#Emotion 98.3|Emotion 98.3, hijacks the '''Lonely Hearts Show''' from its host (and former lover, though their relationship seems to have ended very badly) on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR.

* Lazlow, the host of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack#V-Rock|V-Rock in Vice City, started hosting a show called '''Entertaining America''' on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR after the former host was shot. In between this and V-Rock, it is hinted that Lazlow spent years living on the streets, slept with his best friend's wife, signed up for the army, and did something to his grandmother that is illegal in most states. He no longer enjoys the rock music he played in the 80s. He also says "I wish I could take phone in calls", a hint at the fact that he will eventually become the DJ for the radio phone-in show "Chatterbox" in ''Grand Theft Auto III'' and ''Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories''.

* Timmy, one of the characters of the popular sitcom '''Just the Five of us''' back in the 80s, can be heard in a radio interview on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR News. He's attending a child-actor conference at the Four-Dragons Casino in Las Venturas. In his sitcom ad in Vice City, he played a bad-tempered child who claimed to be a 42 year old investment banker with a rare disease that made him look 12. In the interview on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR, we learn that he still looks like a child, although he claims to be 52 years old now, and that he still has the nasty temper his character had on the show. Whether this is real or Timmy can't break character after so many years is unknown. Timmy's show was cancelled and replaced by a new sitcom called '''My Five Uncles''', about five gay men who adopt an orphan girl. This is a parody of the late eighties sitcom wikipedia:My Two Dads|My Two Dads, about two brothers raising one brother's teenage daughter.

* During the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR show "Gardening with Maurice", someone calls in and asks why so many radio personalities are named Maurice, a reference to Maurice Chavez, a significantly different radio personality hosting the "Pressing Issues" show on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack#VCPR|VCPR. The show also references ''GTA III'', where a caller to the "Chatterbox" radio station was told by Lazlow "this isn't Gardening With Maurice, that's on later!", to which the caller replied "No, they took him off the air!". Besides, the caller, with whom Lazlow talked to on Chatterbox 2001, calls in in the "Gardening with Maurice Show".

* At one point in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR show "Area 53", Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack#Wave 103|Wave 103 DJ Adam First calls in reporting a strange incident involving a Domestabot he saw while hang-gliding over the San Andreas desert.

* Jack Howitzer who appeared only as a movie trailer in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the wikipedia:Rambo|Rambo/Vietnam war movie parody '''Exploder''' as Tim, also appears in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack#WCTR (West Coast Talk Radio)|WCTR promoting his film '''Special Needs Cop''', a parody of wikipedia:Kindergarten Cop|Kindergarten Cop

Other
* The popular fictional drink '''Sprunk''', a parody of the wikipedia:carbonation|carbonated lemon-wikipedia:Lime (fruit)|lime drink ''wikipedia:Sprite (soft drink)|Sprite'' found all around Vice City, is still being sold in San Andreas. ''Sprunk'' cans resemble grenades, owing to the marketing tagline given for the beverage, which says it has an "explosive, bursting" flavor. Or it could be that it resembles spunk, meaning that it is also an energy drink. Another billboard in the game suggests that ''Sprunk'' also refers to spunk, which can be a synonym for ejaculate. Another theory is that '''Sprunk''' comes from the wikipedia:Ebonics|ebonic words: crunk and sprung, making '''Sprunk'''.
* The donut shop '''Rusty Brown's Ring Donuts''', mentioned in a radio ad on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack#Flash FM|Flash FM, still exists. Some pedestrians mention Rusty Brown in their chatter. Also, an unused restaurant that shares its name has been found in the game's code.
* The game console Degenatron', mentioned in commercials and interviews on Vice City radio stations, is still remembered. On the show Area 53, Marvin Trill accuses the console of implanting subliminal messages in the brains of people in the 80s. This is almost certainly a reference to the Polybius urban legend of the 1980's.
* The '''Domestibots''' sold in radio ads in Vice City, still exist. It seems they rebelled and escaped human oppression, and now live hidden in a remote camp. One of them calls in on the Area 53 show.
* A franchise of the Vice City radio station V-Rock is still around, and still uses the old V-Rock triangular logo and the vulture mascot. However, it's not a radio station anymore. It is now the V-Rock Hotel in Las Venturas.
* '''Love Fist''', the fictional hard-rock band, seems to have split and disappeared from the public eye. They are still remembered though. On the radio station K-DST, the host Tommy wonders "Whatever happend to Love Fist?", and CJ hides the specs of the Caligula Casino behind a Love Fist poster. Jezz Torrent can be heard in a radio ad for the Epsilon Tract sect, crediting the group for aiding him in giving up drugs. Love Fist is a reference to a sexual practice. Similarly, Jezz Torrent is a corruption of Jizz Torrent. This reflects the humor of the popular UK adult comic Viz, which provides the basis for many of the puns and colloquialisms used to humorous effect in the game.
* Specifically, wikipedia:Viz (comic)|Viz comic's "Profanisaurus" section describes the full meaning of phrases such as The Camel's Toe, and words such as "Jizz" which are referred to in the game.
* Similarly, British slang is used as the inspiration for further puns in the ''GTA'' series. Notably, certain vans in ''Vice City'' which are signed "R S and L Bows" are referring to the crude UK phrase "to know one's arse from one's elbow", or to have a basic level of common sense. "Juank Air" and "Wang Cars" are also a straightforward pun on wikipedia:Wanker|a common UK insult.
* '''Maps''' of Vice City can be found in the trash cans outside the Clucking Bell of Angel Pine.
* The Tiki statues that symbolized the '''hidden packages''' found all over Vice City is now the sign of a store in Los Santos.
* '''Candy Suxxx''', the porn-star, is still making movies. Two of her movies can be found in the Las Venturas sex store. A picture of her can be seen on the box of "Return of the Anaconda", and she is mentioned by name on the box of "That Can't Be Legal!: 80's Pornstar's Finest Yo!". Also, pictures of her are found on the walls of some of CJ's safehouses and she is also placed as a neon sign on the Old Venturas Strip located in Las Venturas. There is also a Wikipedia:billboard (advertising)|billboard in Los Santos promoting her new movie "Vinewood Callgirls".
* ''Vice City'' characters featured as playing cards in the poker machines of Las Venturas include Lance Vance (Jack of Spades), Candy Suxxx (Queen of Hearts), Ricardo Diaz (King of Hearts) and Sonny Forelli (King of Spades).
* The tag line of the movie "Exploder", a popular movie that was advertised on radio stations and billboards across Vice City, is still popular. Lazlow says '''I'll cry when I'm done killing''' during an interview on WCTR.

Gameplay features
Many new features have been included in the game. New vehicles include bicycles (which feature a new control scheme), trucks with detachable wikipedia:trailer (vehicle)|trailers, HPV1000|police motorcycles, operable Tow Truck|tow trucks, combine Harvester|combine harvesters, Quad-Bike|quad bikes, :Category:Aircrafts|aircrafts, military jet fighters and trains.

New to the player's character is the ability to swim and climb up and over short walls and fences. For greater firepower, players can also wield dual firearms or perform a drive-by shooting with several gang members. The camera, fighting, and targeting controls were reworked with concepts from another Rockstar game, ''Manhunt (video game)|Manhunt'', including improved target cross-hairs that change colors from green to red to black, depending on the target's health.

Rockstar has emphasized the wikipedia:Personality|personalization of the main character. Clothing and accessories (which players can buy at some of the game's many clothing stores), haircuts and tattoos are now available for purchase by CJ, and have more effect on wikipedia:Non-player character|NPCs' reactions than the clothing in ''Vice City''. Players must also ensure CJ eats to stay healthy, obtaining food from fast food :Category:Restaurants|restaurants such as Cluckin' Bell, street Stores|vendors, diners, bars, and nightclubs. The balance of food and exercise has an effect on his muscularity and appearance. If CJ eats too much in a short period, he will get sick and throw up; if he overeats periodically, he'll get fat and move more slowly while on foot; if he fails to eat, he will become less muscular and, eventually, will lose health. ''San Andreas'' also features skills, in areas such as driving, firearms handling, stamina, and lung capacity, which improve through use in the game. CJ may also learn three different styles of wikipedia:Martial art|unarmed combat at the :Category:Gyms|gyms in each of the game's three cities.

A new activity that continues the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series' tradition of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City#Controversy|controversy is home invasion [http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/gta4/preview_6104797.html]. Under cover of night, CJ is able to sneak into a residence, and cart off valuables or shake down the occupants.

Numerous minigames are also available for play in ''San Andreas'', including basketball, wikipedia:pool (game)|pool, wikipedia:rhythm video game|rhythm-based challenges involving dancing and hydraulic vehicles, and video game machines that pay homage to classic arcade games such as ''Gyruss'', ''wikipedia:Defender (game)|Defender'' and ''Gradius'', in addition to the aforementioned methods of gambling.

Another improvement to the game is the wikipedia:artificial intelligence|AI. No longer can the player beat a pedestrian to death on a busy street in broad daylight and have bystanders not do anything: while most pedestrians will flee or duck for cover, some armed civilians and enemy gang members will attack CJ, and friendly gang members will shoot at and pursue his opponents. This would make the previously mentioned home invasions more difficult than one would expect because the occupants will resist, and in some cases, draw weapons.

Image:Sapreview2.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The in-game character creates graffiti. Rockstar's interpretation of the wikipedia:Watts Towers|''Nuestro Pueblo'' can be seen in the background.

The player can also voluntarily enable CJ to conduct dialog with a number of pedestrians in the game, including drug dealers, prospective :Category:Girlfriends|girlfriends, and fellow gang members. CJ's level of respect among his fellow Grove Street gang members varies according to his actions, as do his relationships with his girlfriends. Rockstar claims that CJ has a total of about [http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/gta4/preview_6111263.html 4200 lines of spoken dialog].

A two-player cooperative mode has also been added for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Two-player icons are found in several key locations in the ''San Andreas'' world. Setting foot on one of these icons and pressing any button on a second controller starts up a series of special objectives similar to a "Rampage" in previous ''Grand Theft Auto'' games. Two human players will be able to go in a car or on foot. Both the players are required to remain on the same screen and within a reasonable proximity of one another.

Weapons

The weapon selection in ''San Andreas'' is approximately the same as in ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City|Vice City'', with a few additions or replacements. Just like in ''Vice City'', weapons are categorized by type, and the player can carry only one weapon in each "slot" at a time.

*'''Slot 1: Hand''' - bare fist, brass knuckles
*'''Slot 2: Melee Weapons''' - Baseball bat, shovel, cue stick, Katana, wikipedia:Golf club (equipment)|Golf club, Nightstick, knife, chainsaw
*'''Slot 3: Handguns''' - GLOCK 17*, wikipedia:Suppressor|Silenced GLOCK 17, Desert Eagle
*'''Slot 4: Shotguns''' - Pump-action shotgun, Sawn-off shotgun*, Combat shotgun (SPAS-12)
*'''Slot 5: Sub-Machine Guns''' - Tec-9*, Micro-SMG (IMI Micro-Uzi)*, SMG (MP5|H&K MP5)
*'''Slot 6: Assault Rifles''' - AK-47, M4 Carbine
*'''Slot 7: Rifles''' - Hunting rifle, Sniper rifle
*'''Slot 8: Heavy Weapons''' - Rocket launcher, Flamethrower, wikipedia:Infrared homing|Heat-seeking rocket launcher, Minigun
*'''Slot 9: Explosives and Incendiaries''' - Grenade|Hand grenade, Tear gas grenade, Molotov Cocktail, Remote satchel charge
*'''Slot 10: Handheld Items''' - Fire extinguisher, Spray paint, Camera
*'''Slot 11: Gifts''' - flowers, a cane, dildos, and vibrators which can be given to CJ's girlfriends
*'''Slot 12: Special Items''' - Thermal goggles, Night vision goggles, parachute
*'''Slot 13: Etc.'''- Detonator
''*'' denotes weapon can be dual-wielded

NOTE: Due to a model error, the GLOCK looks like a M1911A1 except during the cinematic for the first Ryder mission .

''The Introduction''
''The Introduction'', a machinima video, was provided in a DVD along with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack|''San Andreas'' standalone soundtrack set, as well as the ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Special Edition'' re-release for the PlayStation 2. The movie chronicles the events leading up the events in ''San Andreas'', and provided insight on the development of the characters of the game, to the point when Carl learns of his mother's death in a phone call from Sweet and returns to Los Santos.

Criticisms
PC Port
Much like earlier ''Grand Theft Auto'' games, some PC users have strongly criticized Rockstar for not substantially reworking the console-based controls for the mouse/keyboard computer gaming. Many users have discovered that a mission requires the user to press three or more keys at the same time, something the typical keyboard is simply unable to do. The best way to solve this problem is to use a PlayStation 2-style USB joypad. This way, the console-based controls can easily be mapped to joypad buttons. The resulting gameplay is virtually identical to the PS2 version.

The most salient example of this issue is in the ''mandatory'' flying-oriented missions. In one of the most infamous missions in the series, the player must circle an airfield. Because the mission was designed for a console game, some PC users believe that ''three'' hands are typically required to complete the mission under a mouse/keyboard setup: one to control the camera, one to control the plane, and one to control commands such as landing gears, weapons, and precise flying controls. However, most people should be able to effectively fly a plane with the default controls after some practice, as they will rarely need to control the camera in mid-flight. Some will require the joypad however and in any case, being able to control the camera effectively, as with a joypad, is likely to make the mission easier for many players.

Another example is in the "Vertical Bird" mission, near the end of the game. The player must fly an extremely fast plane, aim and fire missiles at 4 ships and 3 armed aircraft, launch countermeasures, and then land the plane safely. Some are finding that, without another person to control one or more aspects of the plane, the mission is essentially impossible. While some have completed this mission by remapping the entire control scheme, some players have found that the effects of "key jam" - the inability of a keyboard to understand more than 3 simultaneous keys - preclude this as a viable option. However, the difficulty of this mission is often overstated. It is fairly simple to take on each of these targets individually - the difficulty occurs when one attempts to engage them all at once and in the wrong order. In addition, launching countermeasures is usually an unneeded feature, as missiles are easy to shake off. The aiming of your weapons is also automatic provided you press a certain key, which locks on to the target. For the ships, one can switch to VTOL mode so as to hover while destroying them.

One mission, "Stowaway", is impossible on some PCs unless video quality is dropped to the lowest setting (640x480, 16-bit color), as the plane will otherwise always leave the runway well before you reach it.
The mission can be completed without that: If you start your bike and thrust CJ back, so the bike can accelerate on the back wheel - you should have no problems getting on the plane. Even if the plane "jumps" up the runway.
A similar problem also exists in missions that require dancing or lowrider car bouncing. Unless the resolution is set to minimum, the visual cues for when to move will be out of synch, so rendering success or failure a matter of luck.

Another performance issue with San Andreas is that the game engine is not efficient at producing smoke effects. As a result, the frame rate can drop dramatically when you are in a situation where fire is present. The most noticeable missions in which this is apparent are the mission where you have to rescue a girl from a burning building, and the final story mission of the game which takes place in a torched factory. This mission is made more frustrating as you are being attacked at the time.

A new criticism of San Andreas lies in its camera. Previous editions of GTA games had the camera 'slaved' to the player. In San Andreas, however, the camera is freeform. As such, a number of players have complained that this new 'feature' makes much of the controls more complex than is required. There is an in-game cheat that allows players to drive-by through using the mouse camera, but doing so will harm your record in the in-game statistics. However, you can still fully complete the game. However, others feel the freeform camera is a very powerful tool once the player is used to using it, and some find it difficult to go back to the fixed camera of Vice City and GTA3 afterwards.

Although some gaming websites like GameSpot have praised the graphics in ''San Andreas'', there is some criticism of the graphical aspect of the PC version of the game. The engine used for the game is essentially the same as the engine used for ''Grand Theft Auto III''. When the game came out for PC in early June 2005, titles such as ''Wikia:c:en.half-life|Half-Life 2'' were already available. Compared to what was possible at that time, the game looked slightly dated, but nevertheless better than the console versions.

Character criticism
Another criticized aspect of the game is Carl Johnson (the playable character) himself. In previous ''GTA'' games (except ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City|Vice City''), the playable character was mute with little to no character development, with the development present portraying him as a petty thug and bank robber. As such, a person could kill random people in the game without compromising their own morals, stating that such actions would be done by the character anyway. In ''Vice City'', the main character had dialog and an established personality. Tommy Vercetti (the character) was portrayed as a brutal killer and made man in the Mafia, being released from prison shortly before the game's events. However, Johnson is portrayed as a nice guy who's caught up with the wrong crowd; who only does what's necessary. Certainly, killing innocent people on the street isn't necessary. In essence, when one is playing the game (and not doing missions), anything one does cannot be credited to CJ, but to the player. CJ, however, is a much more fleshed-out character in general than Tommy Vercetti or the various mutes of the other GTA games.

As well, when Rockstar announced that CJ would be a black character, there was some disagreement amongst forums. Some argued that it racially stereotyped black people as criminals, while some just simply discriminated CJ for not being a white character. However, proponents say it was a smart choice to make CJ a black protagonist, since all of the other main characters in the series so far had been white. The city of #Los Santos|Los Santos also goes up in smoke close to the end of the game much like Los Angeles did during the race riots of 1992, though in this game the main police antagonist is also black, and acquitted on drugs charges instead of racial motivation.

Leaks
Six days before its release, a leaked edition of the game, along with its manual and its cover, were published illegally, DVD images of which are still available via a number of P2P networks. Similarly, around the time of release of the game in the UK, a leaked PAL version of the game was published.

Myths and easter eggs
''San Andreas'' is distinct from the first two PlayStation 2 ''GTA'' games in its easter egg (virtual)|easter eggs and player-propagated myths. Shortly after the release of the game, several message boards sprouted claims of alleged Bigfoot sightings, and several alleged photographs were released, all of which have been proven to be faked.

Mysterious map
Image:GTASA MysteriousSanAndreasMap.jpg|thumbnail|200 px|right|The mysterious map
There is a "restricted area" in the desert at the Area 69 military base, which is a parody of the real world Area 51. This led to more speculation in the fan community about wikipedia:unidentified flying object|UFOs and aliens. A large map of San Andreas, found in Mike Toreno's home and in a diner called the "Lil Probe Inn" (a cameo to "The Little A'le'Inn" located in the tiny town wikipedia:Rachel, Nevada|Rachel, Nevada which is the nearest settlement to the real world wikipedia:Area 51|Area 51 made famous for displaying a wikipedia:time capsule|time capsule received from the production crew of ''wikipedia:Independence Day (movie)|Independence Day''), has markers scattered randomly across the state. Fans initially thought the map was a key to the UFO appearances; however, Rockstar claims the map means nothing. Area 69 is a reference to the wikipedia:69 sex position|69 sex position. The number 69 is also found on all airport wikipedia:runway|runways in the game (despite the fact that it is not a valid runway number), on various price tags, and is part of the name of the San Fierro 69ers, a football team in San Fierro, San Andreas, clearly based on the wikipedia:San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco 49ers.

The single obvious and confirmable presence of living extraterrestrials in the game comes during the mission "Stowaway", in the form of a group of "wikipedia:Men in Black|Men in Black". Encountered onboard of a cargo plane, these black-suited characters (clearly based on a popular urban legend/UFO conspiracy "theory") proceed to attack the player and shout out numerous utterances signifying their contempt for the inferior human race ("Carbon-based buffoon", "You evolved from shrews!" and more).

Even though there seem to be no UFOs near the Area 69 besides the fake one in the "Lil Probe Inn", you can find an easter egg to the northwest near the El Castillo del Diablo. There is a hole between some rocks that has 6 bodybags inside it with a Bobcat parked near it. However, even this is something that can be easily explained. It has nothing to do with aliens or conspiracies. In ''The Introduction'' film (which can be seen when you purchase the soundtrack), there are two Mafia members who have just dumped the bodies in the hole, and even mention that they got rid of those "problems". A typical thing to do for Rockstar Games, since they like referring to the movies that inspired the games. This easter egg is a simple reference to ''wikipedia:Casino (film)|Casino'', in which both Sam Rothstein (Robert DeNiro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) mention the fact that the mobsters get rid of their "problems" by burying them in the desert. Since Las Venturas is based on Las Vegas, and there are missions where you work for the Mafia, it is not strange that Rockstar included this. One spot on the map also is pointed in the forest areas of San Fierro, some fans thought the infamous Bigfoot was hiding here.

Ghost cars
The ghost cars were infamous, but brought hope to the fanbase. They are cars without visible drivers moving with damage that isn't repairable. Only one exists in the remote forest region of Back O Beyond in Flint County, it is a beat up Glendale. It is near the horseshoe shaped hills seen on the map. They are on a nearby hill and roll down it without any visible driver, then spawn to the side of the horseshoe hill and it stays there. You can get inside one and drive it, it is always set back to the radio station Playback FM. If you destroy it or take it somewhere else, another one will reappear and repeat the proccess. They do not take damage like other cars, they stay intact until they are blown up, even then the front and back windscreens aren't destroyed. Also they cannot be taken to a mod garage. There are several "Ghostly" Glendales scattered across the badlands, one is not too far from the actual ghost car, but parked in one location and reppears if taken away or destroyed. They are also some in the trailer park opposite the Lil' Probe Inn, and one at the Angel Pine Junkyard in Whetstone.

Plane crashes
Several WWII planes crash occasionally throughout San Andreas, and disappear seconds after doing so. Those that occur most often are crashes into Mt. Chilliad. Crashes also take place in other areas, including the lowland. This was programmed intentionally by Rockstar to add a feel of realism.In Fort Carson theres a two-motor plane crashing into the garden of the house with the american flags.

Debunking the myths
Weeks after the myths had begun, and search teams formed, an [http://gta-sa.abeeda.com/viewtopic.php?t185&highlightmouthoff e-mail message] (message currently suspended) was received from "Mouthoff@rockstargames.com" and posted on several fan forums. Many questioned the authenticity of the letter, but upon further inspection, it did indeed seem to be from Rockstar Games.

After the initial letter, it is assumed that the address received many letters from fans, as it soon switched to an automated response system. The first automated return letters had a minor typo in it which led many fans to believe it was not an official Rockstar employee. Shortly after these claims were made the address owner soon issued a new return letter that validated new claims, but denied some of the ones in previous letters. This pattern continued, and some speculate that it is just a plot of Rockstar to create more publicity among the fan community.

The most important claim of the letter was that Bigfoot was false, and is not present in the game. Having been the shining light of the many search teams, many fans were dismayed. However, the letter mentioned that there ''was'' something in the woods.

Many rumors of a "piggsy" (from Rockstar's ''Manhunt'') or Leatherface-type character (from ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'') soon sprung up. Many of these claims were unsupported by video or picture evidence, and soon lost credibility with the community. The most popular picture of a masked man holding a chainsaw in one hand turned out to be nothing more than a picture of CJ wearing a gimp suit and an ice hockey mask.

The letters also detailed the idea of UFO landings in the game's desert. Though this is often thought to be plausible by fans, no reports or claims have been made. There are also flying orbs that frequent the San Andreas skies. Many fans claim these to be Rockstar's implementation of UFOs, while others point out a much more terrestrial explanation: Rockstar used the same style to animate commercial air traffic in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City|Vice City (bright lights, contrails, etc) but forgot to modify the names of the aircraft. This leads to mass-less 'airplanes', with active running lights, flying in the sky. Rockstar has not said anything about the orbs, and its intentions with them are still unclear.

Some fans soon found objects within the game's textures, such as deer and what they claim to be dinosaur skin. This would support one of the early claims that fans made in the very beginning of the game, of animals in the woods and an appearance of a dinosaur. Oddly enough, with the disproof of Bigfoot, many of these people took back their claims, saying that they may have been mistaken.

Easter eggs
There are also the commonplace Rockstar Easter eggs, such as hits at competitor games, or the classic signs. Billboards in Los Santos are made to look like the cover for the ''True Crime: Streets of LA'' game and refer to the game as trash ("Get rid of old rubbish, fast! True Grime: Street Cleaners"). Most easter eggs appear in San Fierro, mostly dealing with the Golden Gate-inspired bridge and the video game and movie series ''Wikia:c:residentevil|Resident Evil'' (ZomboTech). These and other myths in the game have brought a new level of depth to the GTA games. Currently, many Easter egg-seeking search parties have websites with further information.

Like all 3D ''GTA'' games, San Andreas contains an "underworld", an in-game limbo popularly dubbed "Oblivion", or "Blue Hell", though it is not always blue. The name Hell part is derived from the fact that if you go in unprepared, you will most likely find yourself falling for some time before you reappear above the city. Aside from Blue Hell, there is the interior hell. Many unused and cutscene only interiors can be found here, such an incomplete model of Liberty City (III)|Liberty City from ''Grand Theft Auto III'', and secret interior spaces. The partial Liberty City model is used in the mission "St. Mark's Bistro," where CJ flies back to Liberty City to do a hit for Salvatore Leone. Only a small portion is solid though. The interiors for the girlfriend's houses can be found there also. Much like Liberty City, many cutscene and unused interiors have unsolid areas also.

Many in-game pedestrians die in what seem to be bizarre suicides, although these may be due to oversights in the scripting of the pedestrians' movement rather than intentional Easter eggs. For example, photographer NPCs may take pictures and then drown themselves. In what some call a hint at DMA's ''wikipedia:Lemmings (computer game)|Lemmings'', pedestrians will sometimes appear on a ledge and walk off to their deaths.

A corporate building called "ZomboTech" (Sinister Zombie Virus Research Corporation) in San Fierro is a joking reference to the Umbrella Corporation from the ''Wikia:c:residentevil|Resident Evil'' franchise. This has started unconfirmed rumors of zombies late at night in San Fierro. If you want to find the building, it is in downtown, just up the road from the construction lot. It is the building with the giant DNA strand model in the center (this is one of San Fierro's "Photo Ops"). Another popular but unconfirmed myth is that CJ's mother and other ghosts may appear in photos taken in graveyards. Though no ghosts have been proven to exist in the game, there are "ghostly" occurrences. For example, the cemetery in Los Santos mysteriously becomes covered in graffiti at night. The graffiti ("Grove Street 4 Life") disappears once the sun comes up, this is mainly for those with sharp memories though, as at the start of the game, Sweet mentions that a lot of Grove Street gang members are buried there. There are also other gangs' graffiti around the cemetery. Also in the cemetery, is a crypt containing a television, recliner & pizza boxes - in ''Wikia:c:buffy|Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' Spike had a similar set-up.

The January 2005 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly included a story on the San Andreas rumors. The CEO of Rockstar, Terry Donovan, denied the existence of Bigfoot: "There is no Bigfoot, just like in real life." Rockstar also denied the existence of CJ's mother's ghost, as well as miscellaneous rumors. In the next issue of EGM, a subscriber sent in a photograph of such a mythical creature appearing on his game in the countryside. The magazine called the creature a Yeti instead of Bigfoot.

Following the [http://www.epsilonprogram.com/ Epsilon Program website] and related "clues", players have been looking over San Andreas for the Epsilon cult and its meeting locations. Epsilon appears to be closely modeled on the Church of Scientology. Players have found pedestrians who talk about Kifflom (the Epsilon Program's "deity") in San Andreas, such as a barber and backpackers. It has yet to be proven that these comments are intended for any purpose other than adding flavor to pedestrian dialog but even one of your girlfriends from San Fierro, Katie, a nurse obsessed with death who practices martial arts, refers to the group on one the many random comments when you take her out for a ride/walk by saying: "Those Epsilon nut-jobs freak me out". Epsilon has scientifically ridiculous beliefs, such as "The World is 157 years old", and hidden information that one can only read if one pays money to the Epsilon Group (despite the fact that the "Epsilon Tract" has not even been written yet), popular celebrity endorsements (Jezz Torrent claiming the Group aided him in giving up drugs), an openly shameless leader. The player can also hear about the Epsilon Group in the WCTR radio show ''Entertaining America with Lazlow'' in which the host interviews Epsilon's founder, Chris Fromage, who refers Kifflom as well.

One of the biggest easter eggs in the game is located on top of the Gant Bridge in San Fierro which is based on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. On the top beam located on the south side of the bridge is a sign that says "There are no Easter Eggs up here. Go away."

See Also
* Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PS2 Cheats|PS2 Cheat codes
* Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Xbox Cheats|Xbox Cheat codes
* Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PC Cheats|PC Cheat codes

External links
Official pages
* [http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas Official ''San Andreas'' site]

Teaser sites
* [http://www.epsilonprogram.com/ Epsilon Program] - Teaser site 1 - Scientology or Epsilon Team parody
* [http://www.maccer.net/ Maccer.net] - Teaser site 2
* [http://www.cluckinbellhappychicken.com/ Cluckin Bell Happy Chicken] - Teaser site 3 - Taco Bell/KFC parody
* [http://www.fearitdoit.com/ FearItDoIt.com] - Teaser site 4 - self-help/inversion therapy parody
* [http://www.exsorbeo.com/ eXsorbeo.com] - Teaser site 5 - Game Boy parody
* [http://www.westcoastraplegends.com/ Forgotten Legends of West Coast Rap] - Teaser site 6 - covers Madd Dogg's fictitious record label, Blastin Fools Records; also covers OG Loc and Forth Right MC

Reviews
* [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/924362.asp?qsan%20adreas ''San Andreas'' PC reviews] on GameRankings
* [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/914983.asp?qsan%20adreas ''San Andreas'' PS2 reviews] on GameRankings
* [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/925634.asp?qsan%20adreas ''San Andreas'' Xbox reviews] on GameRankings