Fact check: Is GTA Vice City Stories playable on mobile?

While GTA 5 may not be available on Android or iOS devices, several other games from the series are still playable. This includes all three games from the 3D Universe trilogy and two of the four handheld games from the series.

Unfortunately, GTA Vice City Stories, a 3D Universe game set in Vice City, was never launched on mobile. However, the game is still playable on mobile devices using an emulator like PPSSPP. Hence, despite it not being officially released for mobile, it is completely functional.

---

GTA Vice City Stories on mobile: Using a PSP emulator to play the game

Rockstar Games has released plenty of games on mobile devices, including handheld GTA games like Chinatown Wars and Liberty City Stories. These can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and run like any other Android application. However, playing Vice City Stories requires an emulator since the game was only released for the PSP and PS2.

Doing this is fairly easy, as players simply need to download an emulator from the Play Store for the desired platform. Mobile gamers are better suited to running the PSP version as PS2 emulators on mobile aren't as well-optimized. The vast majority of PSP games can be played on Android thanks to the free PPSSPP app by Henrik Rydgård.

There's also a paid version of the app with more features called PPSSPP Gold. Players need to own the original ISO file of GTA Vice City Stories to play it on PPSSPP.

---

How to run the game using PPSSPP

Here are the steps to play Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories on Android:

• Players must download and install PPSSPP from the Play Store
• Next, they must acquire the original ISO file of the game, and load it onto the targeted mobile device.
• Finally, players must run PPSSPP and set the location of the game's ISO file in the app.

The application can then automatically detect the game, and players can run it from there. This also works for any other PSP game on Android, including Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars and Liberty City Stories.

---

How unique is GTA Vice City Stories?

GTA Vice City Stories came out in 2006 for the PSP and was rereleased on the PS2 the following year. The game was set in Vice City, but had features reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Unlike Tommy Vercetti in Vice City, the protagonist in this game can swim.

In Vice City Stories, the combat system underwent a significant revamp. The targeting system prioritizes armed or hostile enemies above pedestrians. The enhanced hand-to-hand fighting system enables players to stand atop foes who are on the ground, performing throws, grappling maneuvers and more.

When killed or arrested, players can pay bribes to decrease their wanted level and keep weapons that would have otherwise been seized. The most distinctive feature of the game is empire-building, where one can buy and run a variety of businesses on properties acquired from other gangs. These may include smuggling networks, brothels, or protective rackets.