Hot Mods: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

06 Mar 2009 at 14:47:31 by Spanner Spencer

Here’s a controversial way to kick off an article. I reckon Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is better than its over hyped sequel, GTA IV.

That’s not to say there’s actually anything wrong with GTA IV, but you have to wonder why so many people pounced on the recent XBLA download. Despite its popularity upon release, the core game hasn’t kept us playing as long as such a high scoring title should have.

San Andreas represented a pinnacle in the game’s evolution. It had made the transition to 3D, and after the practice Rockstar gleamed from GTA III and Vice City, the sandbox gameplay had reached just the right refinement to realise the potential this controversial franchise always had under the hood (for want of a better Americanism). GTA IV was simply an extension of this high point.

And the celebration of San Andreas has lasted well into the life of GTA IV through the imagination of the modding community. GTAIII: San Andreas casually threw in a few customisable options, little knowing this was an open door invitation for the eager modder.

So while the insular console jockeys claw desperately at the new GTA IV bone Rockstar’s thrown their way, we thought we’d take a look at the wealth of San Andreas hot mods out there on the interwebs. Grab yourself hot coffee, and let’s dig in.

Hot Coffee

http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=28

It seems as though we uncover a mod that’s not a mod almost every week. But few are as salacious or illicit as the Grand Theft Auto III: San Andreas Hot Coffee mod.

So, why is this a mod that’s not a mod? Well, really because it was written and implemented by the actual Rockstar game designers during San Andreas’ development. The mini-games in which CJ has sex with his girlfriend were right there in the code – complete and working – but had been disabled in the final product.

Naturally it didn’t take long for the modders to uncover it and reactivate it. The controversy that followed in Hot Coffee’s wake was utterly delicious, and undoubtedly did Rockstar more favours (in the long run, admittedly) than it ever could have as an active part of the game.

The hamsters spinning the wheels in our gallant politician’s heads went into overdrive as the game-selling outcry kicked off, with video game promoter extraordinaire and all round silly bugger Jack Thompson leading the fray. The game was briefly given an adult rating until a second batch – with the Hot Coffee code completely removed – returned it to the shelves.

It’s worth giving the mod a lash just for posterity’s sake, so get in there – it’s a moment of conception for video game history.

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