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Rockstar Game Tips: Smooth Sailing (and Steering and Shooting..) in Vice City

Posted: January 21, 2013 1:13PM | Author: R* K

Since the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition last month, we've enjoyed hearing your choice moments, soundtrack favorites and anecdotes of miscellaneous mischief as you revisit (or perhaps discover for the first time) the sights and sounds of 1980s VC on your iOS and Android devices. We've also heard a handful of pleas asking for tips on particular missions and tasks, so here are just a few pro tip strategies from Rockstar for what seem to be the most challenging assignments.
 

"The mission that do you after purchasing the Malibu club and you have to go to the second island to see Phil Cassidy at the shooting rage. Man, that mission is freaking hard" - XXBro0klynJAYXX

Phil Cassidy is the best stick-up man in town and while he's not quite asking you to shoot a fly off his head from 80 feet, you'll still need a solid aim if you're going to impress him in the "The Shootist". For those who need a reminder, the mission requires you to beat Phil's score across three different rounds in the shooting range, and each is played from a first-person perspective. Note that there are two ways to control the reticle: the analog method, where you touch and hold the left-hand third of the screen to bring up a virtual analog stick, just like when moving around the world on foot; and the swipe method, where you drag along the center third of the screen to adjust your aim. You may also want to enable 'tap to shoot' in the Controls menu, so you can fire by tapping anywhere on the right-hand third of the screen and not just on the button icon.


Targets up close are tempting, but go for ones in the background. You'll get more points and can easily shoot at other targets that pass in front.

For the first round, firing at moving targets against the clock, focus on the target furthest away. Not only does this target give the most points, you'll also be able to pick off the chest sections of other two targets as they pass in front of it with minimal reticle movement. As the easiest and most lucrative of the three rounds, you should be looking to pick up 30-35 of the 60 points required in total.

In round two, focus on making each bullet count. Targets will appear in the six windows and it can be tempting to try and pop them all, only to end up chasing shadows. Keep the reticle moving around the windows at a slow, steady pace and wait for the targets to come into line. On a good day you may even take your total up to 60 in this round, or at least leave yourself with only a few to grab in the third, most difficult round.

If you try and go for every target, then you're going to find round three difficult, given the speed at which they move and the various spots in which they appear. Instead, alternate the reticle position between these two "sweet spots": the doorway furthest away from you on the left and the waist-high wall opposite that on your left. These two positions alone should provide enough targets to take you to your total, providing you put in the good work in the previous rounds.

 

"I'm almost on the last mission but I still need to do 'Checkpoint Charlie' for the Boatyard" - VinewoodTits

We know this one's proven difficult to our friend VinewoodTits and others, so we're here to impart some helpful seamanship. The key to driving speedboats is in following straight lines (and that doesn't mean taking Rosenberg with you). Keep looking ahead and try to collect each package keeping side-to-side movement to a bare minimum. Try to memorize the positions of tight turns and start them early - the last thing you want to be doing on the ocean is making twitchy movements as they're difficult to correct. As you approach a turn, ease off the gas while you line it up and then accelerate through. Finally, prepare yourself for the jumps and make sure you carefully line up your approach. If you're messy through that section then you're going to have trouble completing the mission within the time limit.

 

"Demolition Man on #vicecity is still as hard a mission as ever been on GTA!" - @Matty1989 (via Twitter)

Certainly regarded as being one of the toughest missions in the whole game, "Demolition Man" is a test of how adept you are at controlling a RC helicopter in a confined space, and it's worth making sure your in-flight controls are set to your preference before you attempt it. You can read our full guide to customizing controls, but in this case we suggest making sure the Accelerate and Brake icons (used to increase and decrease elevation while piloting helicopters) and the Clockwise / Counter-clockwise rotation icons are comfortably positioned as those are what you'll be using most.


In "Demolition Man", enter the staircase from the south and, if time permits, feel free to give the construction workers an up close look at your blades.

Our next tip is to memorize these key locations: the Top Fun van where your bombs are, the central staircase inside the construction site and the four sites where you'll need to drop bombs. Work from top to bottom and bear in mind that you don't need to 'climb' each staircase like you would on foot - you can simply fly straight up.

Our third and final piece of advice is to keep moving. Don't worry too much about killing the pursuers with your chopper blades as this takes up precious time; concentrate on moving smoothly and quickly between objectives and you should be able to evade their attacks.

Follow this advice and you'll be the toast of Avery Carrington's regeneration project in no time.

 

"Help! I'm trying to get 100% and I can't find [x] unique stunt" - Various

We won't provide a full rundown of the unique stunt locations here because there are plenty of fans out there who have already done an awesome job of that in the form of guides and FAQs, which we're happy to direct you to. GTAVice.com has provided this helpful series of screens showing each ramp and the areas you need to pass through in order to unlock the bonuses, while longtime fan-run YouTube channel GTASeriesVideos has them all covered in video form. As you're working through each unique stunt be sure to note which ones you have completed as there will be no way of telling which ones you have left later on.


For an extra challenge, take on the unique stunt jumps using a Trashmaster or even a Bus.

One general unique stunts tip is to use the stunters' vehicle of choice, the PCJ 600. Although there's added kudos from us if you can hit them on a Faggio, in a Bus or using a Trashmaster like you see above.
 

Hopefully this will help some of you prevail in these challenging missions. As always, feel free to shout out any others you may need tips for in the comments so that we or other Social Club community members can help - or by shooting us a mail to mouthoff@rockstargames.com and we'll be glad to have a look.


Previously:
Customizable Controls in Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition
Download High Res Maps for GTA Trilogy Titles
Speedy Cabs, Fast Cash and More for Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition

132 Comments

Enter the Vice City Anniversary Collection Giveaway at the Rockstar Facebook Page

Posted: January 14, 2013 12:18PM | Author: R* Q

In honor of the recent release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for select iOS and Android devices we're giving away 10 Prize Packs of Vice City Anniversary Collection gear and collectibles over at the Rockstar Facebook page.

Each Prize Pack's got 4 tees (both the Blue and Grey Body Fader Tees plus the Pink and Black Vice City Logo Tees) as well as the Head Band, Rubik's Cube, Beach Ball, Money Clip, and Pin Set. You've only got until Monday, January 28th, 2013 to enter. Winners will be chosen at random and announced in early February. Of course for those that don't want to rely on the luck of the draw, you can purchase any and all of the Vice City collection gear at the Rockstar Warehouse now.
 
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void in certain countries and where prohibited. Must be 18 years or older. See Official Rules and Privacy Policy for eligibility details. Ends Monday, January 28th, 2013.

168 Comments

Download High Res Maps for GTA Trilogy Titles

Posted: December 21, 2012 6:29PM | Author: R* Q

It's pretty mind-blowing that games you formerly played via loading up a disc on your cutting-edge gaming console or PC rig just ten years ago can now be downloaded intangibly and played on your cell phone in a matter of minutes. Insane. Although one particular drawback of today's at-your-fingertips-digital-entertainment-on-demand world is that you no longer get the experience of unwrapping the cellophane and packaging and diving in to explore those printed manuals, liner notes - and in the particular case of our games, those quite helpful printed map posters.

As a friendly service for everyone downloading the Vice City Anniversary Edition release for mobile devices and navigating their way around the beaches, mansions, nightclubs, glitz and ghettos of Vice City on iPads or iPhones or Droids - as well as those who've been re-familiarizing themselves with the vast and diverse terrain of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas thanks to last week's PSN release - we're pleased to offer high resolution JPGs you can download and print if you'd like of the exact game map posters that were included in the original releases (high-resolution multifunction printer sold separately of course).
 
Also, for those who may be looking for maps from Grand Theft Auto III (currently available digitally on iOS, Android and PSN), we've included a link to that below as well. Safe travels, all.
 
Original Map Downloads (.jpg)

220 Comments

Rockstar Game Tips: Customizable Controls in Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition

Posted: December 17, 2012 10:56AM | Author: R* K

On top of the thrill of experiencing the sights and sounds of Vice City on your mobile or tablet, the 10th Anniversary Edition of the game - now available for iOS and Android devices - has a wide array of control customization options to ensure your play experience is as smooth as Vercetti's wardrobe. Some of these options were introduced last year in the GTAIII 10th Anniversary mobile release and some are new or enhanced for Vice City. Here's a quick rundown of these options and beneath that you can find a full guide to the control settings that can be accessed and tailored from the Main Menu by tapping on Options > Controls:

  • Enhanced Free Look Camera Control: You can now touch the center of the screen (anywhere that isn't occupied by a button icon) and drag in any direction to rotate the camera a full 360° around Tommy.
  • Positionable Chase Camera: You can finely adjust the distance between the Camera and Tommy by pinching in and out from the center of the screen.
  • Tap to Shoot: With this activated, you can tap anywhere on the right-hand third of the screen (not just on the designated button icon) to fire off a round of your selected weapon.
  • 1st Person Auto Aim: When activated, this option gives you a subtle nudge in the right direction when using scoped weapons such as the sniper rifle or the rocket launcher.
  • Running Jump: To make Tommy jump, double tap on the 'Run' button icon.

 

View Controls: During gameplay, various buttons are displayed on-screen, with each triggering an action depending on the situation. Each action has its own icon, and this screen is your legend for those icons (also pictured below). They're all in one place for easy reference.

Adjust On Foot Controls: This lets you fully customize exactly where each of the button icons, and HUD elements such as the mini-map, appear on the screen when you're on foot. Simply touch and drag each item to wherever you want it to be and double tap each item to resize it. They'll appear exactly where you placed them the next time you play and don't worry: nothing is final, so feel free to experiment until you're comfortable.

Adjust Driving Controls:  Just like the above, touch and drag to position the button icons that appear while driving, and double tap icons to resize. These don't need to be consistent with your on foot controls, so feel free to mix it up completely if that's what you're comfortable with.

Adjust Flight Controls: This should be self-explanatory by now – all you need to do is touch and drag the button icons that appear while flying and double tap to resize.

Use Analog Steering: When on foot, you control movement by holding anywhere on the left-hand third of the screen that isn't occupied by a button icon. Wherever you thumb will become the center-point of a virtual digital analog stick and you can drag in all directions to move around accordingly. If you'd also like to use this method to control steering while driving (as opposed to the default method that has two button icons for left and right) then set this option to 'On'.

Accelerometer: With this option selected, you can control steering while driving by tilting the actual device left and right (provided of course your device supports this feature).

Left Handed Analog: This instantly flips your current control scheme setup (think of it as creating a mirror image) and is a great quick option for left-handed players.

Invert Look: While aiming down the scope of certain weapons like the sniper rifle and the rocket launcher, this option allows you to invert the y-axis.

Tap to Shoot: Particularly useful in gunplay-focused missions, this option allows you to tap anywhere on the right-hand third of the screen (or the left-hand third of the screen if you have 'Left Handed Analog' set to 'On')  to fire, and not just on the appropriate button icon.

1st Person Auto Aim: If you need some extra help with the sniper rifle, rocket launcher or other weapons that offer a 1st person perspective, try this feature. Note that not all weapons support this type of view.

Hopefully this guide will help you get off to the best possible start in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition; feel free to shout in comments or drop us an email directly at mouthoff@rockstargames.com if you need additional guidance or have any tips of your own you'd like to share.
 

83 Comments

New Vice City Anniversary Artwork Added to Rockstar Downloads

Posted: December 14, 2012 1:36PM | Author: R* Q

As part of the celebration for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition for select iOS and Android devices, check out these 4 new pieces of artwork above remixed from some of the classic illustrations that were part of the original game's release. Grab 'em from the Rockstar Downloads page in all the popular desktop, social media background and avatar sizes.
 
Also, we're pleased to now offer the full range of sizes for all the original desktop artworks that were created for the Vice City website back in the day - these are also available from the Rockstar Downloads page as wallpapers, buddy icons and avatars.
 
 
 
Previously:

189 Comments

Interviews with Rockstar: Looking Back for Vice City's 10th Anniversary

Posted: December 13, 2012 10:40AM | Author: R* S

As part of the celebration for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's 10th anniversary, the team at Rockstar North took a look back at the creation of the game with a series of interviews across the web.  Head over to Digital Trends, Crave Online and T3.com to read all about Rockstar North's personal experiences in developing the Grand Theft Auto game that - only one year removed from the launch of Grand Theft Auto III - tipped the series from a groundbreaking new game experience to a full-on cultural phenomenon. Here's an excerpt from Crave Online's interview with Rockstar North Art Director, Aaron Garbut:
 
“For Vice City, there were a lot of moments that just clicked. When we first blocked in the map and drove about it for the first time; when we put in the helicopters and flew over the city; seeing the dancers in the club; driving down Ocean Drive at night; putting in the hardware store for all the less conventional weapon; the first time we had the player change clothes; driving over ramps in boats; smashing up a car with a hammer for the first time; being chased by golfers as I ran off in their golf cart; seeing the models of Love Fist for the first time; driving around on a moped the day they went in… It’s 10 years ago but these and so many other moments are still clear. It’s fantastic seeing a game evolve, especially when it happens quickly. Seeing everything click into place, having the opportunity to poke and prod it, try things out and learn from it all. Tiny things can be seminal moments.”
 
You can check out the full Q&As at each of the links below. Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition is now available from the App Store and Google Play for select Android and iOS devices.
 
 

96 Comments

Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition Now Available for Android Devices

Posted: December 12, 2012 12:44PM | Author: R* L

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition is now available for select Android devices from Google Play. This 10th Anniversary Edition is an enhanced version of the award-winning original game, optimized for mobile and tablet devices with several new mobile-specific features including an intuitive, fully scalable and customizable user interface, new camera controls, upgraded textures, greater resolutions and increased draw distance. See below for a list of compatible devices. Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition is also available from the App Store for iOS.

Android Phones: Motorola Atrix, Motorola Atrix HD, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Photon, HTC Rezound, HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy R, Samsung Epic 4G, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S3, Google Nexus 4, Sony Xperia Play, Sony Xperia Sola, Sony Xperia S / P / T & TL, Sony Walkman Z Series Media Player
 
Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Asus Transformer Pad TF300T, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 / 7.7 / 8.9 & 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet P, Sony Xperia Tablet S, Toshiba Thrive, Toshiba Regza, Google Nexus 7, Google Nexus 10, Fujitsu Stylistic 10.1
 
Apple iOS Devices: iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 4, 4S & 5, iPod touch 4th & 5th Generation
 
Apologies to all of our Android-using fans for the slight delay. If you already purchased Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition while it was briefly available on Google Play last week, you won't need to re-purchase it - just download the latest update from Google Play (if your phone is set to automatically download updates then you're already all set to go). For any additional support issues, contact our support team here, via email or on Twitter.
 
 
Previously:

363 Comments

Complex's Favorite Vice City Soundtrack Songs and Dialogue Soundboard

Posted: December 10, 2012 5:35AM | Author: R* Q

Our friends at Complex appear to be pretty stoked about the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition. A week ago they compiled this list of their top 25 favorite soundtrack songs from the game, and they've also unveiled a fun soundboard (embedded below) that features dialogue from some of the game's most memorable characters as well as the soothing sounds of firearms being discharged.

As with all pop culture or entertainment-based lists, there's some subjectivity involved so let us know in the comments what you think they got right, what they missed or both...

153 Comments

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