5 times when GTA 5 made references to the older GTA games

Rockstar's GTA 5 players have so far found a whale of references to old games and Easter eggs for specific characters throughout the story mode. They have always looked out for references hidden throughout the game, some being obvious while most are quite well hidden.

While some of the references date back to the first Grand Theft Auto game, most of them have been linked to locations and fan-favorite characters from more recent games.

Players have replayed many old games for nostalgia. Here's a list of official throwbacks listed below.

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GTA 5 has a lot of throwbacks and references to older games

5) Grove Street for life!

Grove street as seen in GTA 5. (Image via Rockstar Games)

San Andreas is one of the fan-favorite games from the franchise, with gamers loving the game, characters, and the entire setting of the game.

Mission Hood Safari brings back a memorable location for players with Franklin, Lamar, and Trevor traveling to Grove street. The recreation also has three NPCs looking like the notable characters from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - CJ, Sweet, and Big Smoke. They can be seen cycling by as players enter Grove Street, so there is a high chance that players might not see them.

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4) Niko Bellic

Grand Theft Auto 4 has its share of characters that players have loved playing with. The game's side characters also left a big impact among players, with one such character returning to GTA 5 as well.

GTA 5's Getaway Driver event had the player meeting Packie, who was last seen as Niko Bellic's ally. Patrick can be seen robbing the stores. The player is then given a choice to either assist the character or the store owner to take him down. If assisted, the character becomes available to be called up for heists later.

Packie brings along all of his high skills as an expert gunman but takes a big cut of 12%. A major throwback is when Packie speaks of Niko during squad calls, explaining that he's lost contact with him and that he's afraid that he might be dead.

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3) Hotdogs and Liberty City

Chihuahua Hotdog is a direct callback to GTA Liberty City. (Image via GTA.Fandom.com)

Snacks are the easiest way of rejuvenating health in GTA 5 since they increase HP as players consume each snack. It can be a burger, candy, or a hotdog. One of the easiest places to get an HP fix is through the various hotdog stands in the game that can also be acquired in the game.

One such call-out comes from hotdog stands featuring the famous Chihuahua Hotdogs on their menu. Players can remember seeing the Chihuahua Hotdogs in hotdog vendor shops in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City.

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2) Walk of Fame

Los Santos has always been looked at as a parody of Los Angeles, with many references and places recreated from the original city. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas had many references to Hollywood and the famous Walk of Fame was recreated in the game.

However, the stars were not quite clear in the game, so players couldn't give it much importance. However, the GTA 5 Vinewood Walk of Fame had the stars more clearly remade. It gave the players a chance to see the stars honoring a lot of characters from previous games in the series.

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1) 10 Points!

Being one of the most obscure throwback references to old games in the franchise, this one can only be remembered or noted by players of the first GTA game. The reference keeps coming up when Trevor yells "Ten points!" every time the player hits someone or something with their vehicle.

This is a major reference to the original Grand Theft Auto game, which had a points system for players to collect and progress further in the game. Every criminal activity in the game had a points system adding up to the required points to unlock cities.