5 unique features of GTA Chinatown Wars that were way ahead of its time

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Chinatown Wars was released on March 17, 2009. One of its distinguishing factors was that it was only available on handheld gaming consoles like the PSP and Nintendo DS. The game was also ported to iOS and Android. Despite the limitations of these systems, Rockstar Games did not hold back on many frontiers.

While its esthetics and gameplay paid homage to the original Grand Theft Auto titles, many of its features were so innovative that they returned in future games. With that said, let's take a closer look at five unique features of GTA Chinatown Wars that made the game ahead of its time.

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Trip Skip and four unique features of GTA Chinatown Wars that made it ahead of its time

1) Instant Mission Replay

Mission restarting option (Image via Youtube/Gaming Investigators - Hubson)

One of the most frustrating elements of older Grand Theft Auto titles involves players having to retrace their steps upon failing a mission. Upon doing this, they were required to travel all the way back to the mission's starting point. The ability to restart missions instantly with the click of a button in GTA Chinatown Wars cured this problem.

Having such a feature present even in a relatively smaller game was a great initiative by Rockstar. Similar mechanics can also be witnessed in big games like GTA 4 and 5, which goes to show just how innovative this feature was in 2009.

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2) Drug Dealers

Manufacturing and selling drugs have always been an essential part of this franchise in one way or the other. In February 2023, Rockstar Games added Street Dealers to GTA Online. Players can sell four kinds of drugs to them for varied prices.

While this mechanic is fairly recent in Grand Theft Auto Online, Chinatown Wars was the first to introduce it. Players can sell psychedelics to different drug dealers belonging to different gangs in the game. Depending on a gang's territory, their payment for specific narcotics products may vary to a greater or lesser extent.

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3) Trip Skip

Trip Skip option (Image via YouTube/Gaming Investigators - Hubson)

GTA IV's mission, "Catch the Wave," is a well-documented case of players being extremely frustrated due to traveling long distances. On top of that, this mission is one of the toughest in the game. Upon failing the mission, players must repeat three to four minutes of travel on each reattempt.

This made Trip Skip in Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars a breath of fresh air. This mechanic skipped the traveling part of the mission on a reattempt. While it was also available in previous titles for a select few tasks, it still made the game ahead of its time.

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4) The Internet

Ammu-Nation website (Image via YouTube/Gaming Investigators - Hubson)

There are various websites present in GTA Online that let players buy weapons, vehicles, properties, and more. Rockstar Games integrated the internet into the game with significant effect. Although this feature is now a common practice, it certainly did not make its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto Online.

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars marked the humble beginning of an in-game interactable internet. While players can surf the web even in Grand Theft Auto 4, Chinatown Wars has enhanced it to another level by letting players purchase commodities online. For example, players can buy weapons from the Ammu-Nation website.

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5) Multiplayer

Having a multiplayer feature is now crucial for most games. Even the Grand Theft Auto series has lasted nearly a decade without a new entry solely due to the popularity of GTA Online. While this is standard for most recent games, multiplayer being present in a small-scale game like Chinatown Wars is a massive feat.

Chinatown Wars' multiplayer offers several game modes that players can participate in and compete against others in real time:

• Single Race
• Stash Dash
• Season
• Defend The Base
• LC Survivor
• Gang Bang
• Wi-Fi