It came as no surprise that players were anxious to return to Liberty City, the series stand-in for New York City, after Vice City and San Andreas had taken them to areas that mimicked Miami and Southern California.
While Rockstar Games had already put themselves on the map with their first several games, the third installment made them a household name all over the world. Long-time fans often remember its first fully 3D entry, Grand Theft Auto 3, with great fondness, and that lent the first two handheld releases more weight as legitimate titles than they might otherwise have had, with both Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories acting as prequels to GTA 3. Grand Theft Auto has had a storied history, from main series titles to side entries like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
