15 hidden tips about GTA San Andreas that you might not know about

GTA San Andreas has a lot of useful additions hiding in plain sight. We've come up with a long list of such facts and secrets that will benefit your playthrough. It can be especially beneficial to beginners, although it might also appeal to returning players looking to make their run as efficient as possible. These tips and tricks can even make the game seem easier than it is if followed correctly.

These include the fastest ways to heal your player character, the best ways to level up your weapon skills early on, the most efficient ways to finish some side missions, the benefits of getting some collectibles, dating, and much more. On that note, here's a list of hidden tips in GTA San Andreas.

List of lesser-known facts and tips for GTA San Andreas

1) Shoot cars to increase weapon skill

Be careful not to destroy the vehicle you're shooting (Image via Rockstar Games)

Shooting a vehicle can help you increase your weapon skill levels early on in GTA San Andreas. The best way to do this is to bring any vehicle to Grove Street, keep shooting at it with a weapon you want to level up in, and then stop when it starts smoking. Just store the car in the Johnson House's garage to repair it, and you can start over this process again.

2) Ammu-Nation shooting ranges

Some of the bigger Ammu-Nation stores, like the one in Downtown Los Santos, have shooting ranges where you can start weapon challenges. The first two challenges involve the Pistol and Micro SMG, and these can be unlocked quite early on, after finishing the Doberman mission.

3) Kill Drug Dealers whenever you spot them

Drug Dealers are a specific type of NPC in GTA San Andreas who drop a large amount of cash when killed. This is taught early on in a mission, so keep a lookout for these NPCs to make easy money. However, they will be armed, so stealth is advisable.

4) Start increasing Stamina at the gym

There are several gyms in GTA San Andreas (Image via Rockstar Games)

The gyms in GTA San Andreas allow CJ to get buff in no time. However, although it's tempting, try to upgrade your Stamina first. You can do so by working out on the treadmill and the cycle. This may save you a lot of trouble later on, as some missions even have a Stamina requirement.

5) Find as many Tags as possible

The Gang Tags in Los Santos aren't simply there for roleplaying and can be quite lucrative. Finding all 100 tags around the city may seem like tedious work, but once completed, the Molotov Cocktail, AK-47, Sawn-off Shotgun, and TEC 9 will spawn at the Johnson House kitchen, so you'll have an endless supply of free weapons and ammo. Grove Street gangsters will also start carrying better weapons.

6) Leave Gang Wars for late game

GTA San Andreas seemingly encourages you to do as many Gang Wars as possible after completing Doberman, the tutorial mission for gang warfare. However, keep this side activity for later, as your progress will be reset through the course of the story. You can resume gang warfare once you return to Los Santos in the later half of the campaign.

7) Get in cop cars for shotguns

If you ever want a shotgun for free, which can be helpful in the early stages of the game, get in a police car. This will get you a Pump Action Shotgun with five rounds in it. You'll have to bear in mind that hijacking a cop car can be risky, and will instantly give you a Wanted level.

8) Hotdog vans will heal you

Hotdog vans are easy to spot (Image via GTA Wiki || Rockstar Games)

Hotdog vans are mobile food trucks in GTA San Andreas that you can use to heal yourself. You'll have to find a parked Hotdog van and walk into the red circle next to it to eat a hotdog and heal CJ. There are only specific spots on the map where you'll find these, and the ones in traffic won't work.

9) Ambulances also heal you

Ambulances have great defense in the game (Image via Rockstar Games)

Whenever you jump in an ambulance van in GTA San Andreas, CJ will get a small increase in Health (20 points). Ambulances are also quite tough, being the second-most durable vehicle in the game, along with the Enforcer. They will also let you start Paramedic missions, which boost your maximum Health when the level 12 mission is cleared.

10) Firetruck missions in Los Santos

Fire Trucks have a usable water cannon in the game (Image via GTA Wiki || Rockstar Games)

The Firetruck missions are a series of vehicle-based side-missions where you put out fires for money. The best location to play these is Los Santos, which means you can finish these quite early on. Once all missions are completed, CJ will be completely fireproof and own a lot of money.

11) Paramedic missions in Angel Pine

Angel Pine, a small rural town in Whetstone, is the best location to play the Paramedic side missions, where you pick up injured NPCs in an ambulance and take them to the hospital. This small town makes it easier as all injured NPCs will spawn in easily reachable locations.

12) $10,000 in Burglar missions

If you manage to earn $10,000 from completing Burglar missions, you'll be able to unlock infinite Sprint. This nullifies the need for maximum Stamina, so you can cycle, sprint, and swim without getting tired. The best places to do these quickly would be tightly-packed suburbs. Grove Street and Mulholland are both good choices.

13) Girlfriend perks

The Girlfriends you date come with specific perks, so some are better than others. Although this might seem quite selfish, it's just another roleplaying aspect of GTA San Andreas. Katie or Barbara are the best choices, as they allow you to get away scot-free, without losing weapons or money, after getting Wasted or Busted, respectively. You'll also unlock the Medic and Cop uniforms accordingly.

14) Dual-wielding

You can dual-wield certain weapons (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although you can eventually dual-wield in GTA San Andreas, the game doesn't explicitly tell you how to do so. The maximum skill level, called Hitman, lets you wield two Pistols, Sawn-Off Shotguns, Tec-9s, or Micro SMGs at the same time. The fastest way to do so is through the Ammu-Nation challenges.

15) Nitrous in Taxi

Taxis have excellent handling in San Andreas (Image via Rockstar Games)

The Taxi and Cabbie in GTA San Andreas can be modified at any TransFender garage, and you can install a Nitro. Once you complete 50 fares, you'll unlock unlimited nitrous and a boost jump ability. This can be achieved quite early on in the game and can make the taxis quite useful for missions or even races.

Also Check:

Edited by Niladri Roy