GTA: Chinatown Wars has large map, obligatory microphone gimmick

by Chris Greenhough { Nov 17th 2008 at 3:00PM }

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will feature around three-quarters of the Liberty City map seen in Grand Theft Auto IV. That's according to a preview in Spanish magazine MarcaPlayer, which stated that Broker, Bohan, Dukes, and Algonquin (all of which are highlighted in yellow above) will be playable, with only Alderney missing. GTA IV's map might not be the biggest in the series, but this is further evidence that Rockstar is squeezing every last drop of juice from the DS.

Also bound and gagged in the trunk of MarcaPlayer's preview were a few new details. While the action plays out on the top screen, the touchscreen lets you control your PDA (which contains the map and mission goals), GPS (on which you can mark destinations to find the shortest legal route), and radio.

As you explore the city (with the help of a camera that can be swiveled 360 degrees), new landmarks and venues you discover are marked down on your map, and you'll see lots of nice little touches, such as trains that pass over the city. You'll also be able to whistle into the microphone to hail a cab; they just couldn't resist, could they? And now we wait!

Gallery: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Tags: action, chinatown-wars, grand-theft-auto, grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars, gta, microphone, rockstar, sandbox

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

leonus11 @ Nov 17th 2008 3:12PM

well at least ROCKSTAR is making SOME use of the microphone on the DS! the mic has been ignored by many (but not ALL) developers. good to see it being put to use.

Hamster @ Nov 18th 2008 8:33AM

What?! Are you insane?!! The awful mic has ruined countless DS games and there isn't a single developer that hasn't shoehorned the awful gimmick in somewhere. I'm sorry, but you sound like one of those deluded fanboys who doesn't even know what they're saying anymore.

I'm just going to copy and paste my thoughts on the DS mic (sorry for those who've already read it):

"I cannot even begin to express how much I hate the DS mic. It is the single worst gimmick in video games history. Blowing into the mic is tacky, contrived, horrible and embarrassing. And when I say embarrassing I don't just mean the obvious indignity of having to do it in public (rendering a portable console somewhat useless in the process), I mean just embarrassing as a gamer and a DS fan. How on earth can developers think it's fun? It couldn't possibly be less fun. Please don't tell me they think it's innovative or immersive. It couldn't be further from either of those two things. Hell even casual gamers think it's dumb. I'm tired of having to tell them that they don't actually have to suffer the appallingness of blowing into the DS to blow up their balloons in MKDS's Battle Mode and that they can just press Select. Needless to say they are greatly relieved to discover this. But it makes me sad that they ever had to suffer it in the first place. What must these poor new gamers think of Nintendo?

I had thought that it'd stopped being used after the DS's release when the general consensus was that no-one likes it, but there are still games being made that feature it! Nowadays if a game features blowing (or yelling) into the mic, then I refuse to buy it. I just dread to think what awful gimmick is coming next. Farting into the controller? If you think about it, it isn't really that much different. I can imagine the Nintendo press release "Farting into the controller is our next big innovation. Sure, it's so awful that it will make most games totally unplayable, but some non-gamers will find it a silly novelty and that's all that matters."

Worryingly, I don't think I've even experienced the worst the mic has to offer. Someone told me that in the game Lunar: Dragon Song you have to blow into the mic to escape from a battle! I physically cringed and recoiled when I heard this. I mean, that doesn't even make any sense!

I play my DS on the train and if it comes to a part of a game where I have to (shudder) yell into the mic (like in the otherwise good Phantom Hourglass recently). I have no choice but to switch the game off and wait till I get home to start playing it again (and even then it's no fun whatsoever). It makes me feel kind of ashamed as a Nintendo fan that they would think that this is fun gameplay and it makes me worry that in their increasingly embarrassing efforts to appeal to the lowest common denominator Nintendo will start making their games actually unplayable. It's such an appalling gimmick and it really ruins playing the DS for me. A portable console should be a personal thing. That was the feeling I always got with all my Game Boys. Forcing you to yell and blow feels humiliating and degrading and takes away that personal connection and feeling of privacy that a handheld console should provide.

If you saw someone on the train having to blow or yell into their iPod to change tracks you'd think "Eww, what a horrible gimmick" yet we're supposed to do it with our DSs?! I would love to buy my mother a DS because she really likes it (especially Wario Ware Touched, which does feature those awful mic-based games, which like everyone else, she hates), but she would never be playing her DS in a place where she would be able to blow or yell. It would be humilating for her. I don't want to have to hand-pick games for her that I know don't force her to use the mic, so I will never get her a DS. Shame."

Further reading:
http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=449
http://www.destructoid.com/doing-it-right-how-to-use-ds-features-properly-105511.phtml
http://www.pressthebuttons.com/2007/04/ds_huffnpuff.html
http://www.edge-online.com/features/gamings-worst-ideas-ever

Thanatos @ Nov 19th 2008 4:17PM

@Hamster
I fully agree with everything you just said, i hate games that use the mic gimmick, even home and around family members when your yelling into your DS they look at you strange couldn't imagine doing it in public.

aj @ Nov 17th 2008 3:35PM

What happens if you can't whistle?

(I can't.)

Plokosh @ Nov 17th 2008 4:16PM

Blowing might do the trick too...I think :3

im bob @ Nov 17th 2008 4:39PM

I love the DS and I love that GTA is going to be part of its library, but it seems to me that not a single developer (exept Nintendo) has taken adventage of the 3D engines in the DS. We all know that the DS could do so much more.

hijinx @ Nov 17th 2008 8:20PM

I'd say there are quite a few 3D games on the DS, but honestly it can't do much more than what we've seen. The polygon limit is very small, and the shading options are 'off', 'flat', 'gross' and 'toon'. Predictably the texture RAM is minimal too. (Soma Bringer actually looks better than I thought possible, but maybe they're using different LoD models for different zoom levels.)

Don't forget the Final Fantasy remakes and Phantasy Star Zero, those are 3D games.

gavin sumner @ Nov 18th 2008 3:27AM

Am I the only one that quite likes the art style of Chinatown Wars?

aj @ Nov 18th 2008 7:43PM

I never really liked realism in games, it kind of ruins the fun of mindless violence if it looks too real.

Of course, my theory is that the average person has no capacity for imagination, so most people actually prefer realism (note that video games became more and more popular as the level of realism and detail went up). I find that sort of sad.

xcdjy @ Nov 18th 2008 3:40AM

I love the style of this game. I think it doesn'y look half as bad as people say / think it doesm and after seeing more screens, I think I prefer the 'birds eye view' idea to the much desired '3D' style of gameplay on the DS anyway.

I really, really hope you can freeroam and rob cars, though - It just wouldn't be GTA if you couldn't.

leonus11 @ Nov 18th 2008 10:50AM

@ Hamster

umm...Hamster? did you ever stop to think that what i said is purely MY OPINION? it doesn't mean that what i say is absolute. no offense by the way.

Hamster @ Nov 18th 2008 11:19AM

OK then, sorry for offloading my rant on you, I just hate the DS mic with a passion and can't quite believe how anyone could like it, let alone think it's underused. Most DS games that I can think of have tried to use/abuse it in some capacity.

Though I'd be very much interested to know and would like to listen to why you like it. I've tried to convince myself (because I don't enjoy hating anything) that it's not so bad, but I just can't.

leonus11 @ Nov 18th 2008 5:44PM

@ Hamster

well to be VERY honest with you i don't think it's a very good .....well..whatever it is!! lol but the way i see it (and this is PURLY my opinion) is that if it's on the hand-held/console might as well put it to good use. i like the way phantom hourglass put it to use. but to e honest it isn't necessary to the point that they should incorporate it into every DS game! basically it can be fun BUT ONLY if it's done write.