I just finished San Andreas (again) and it's definitely my favorite of all of them.  I love GTA III as it's the first one I played and it introduced me to a whole new world of video games as I had rented a PS2 at the time for just so I could try out that game.  Vice City is great but IMO San Andreas just takes it to a whole new level.  To be quite honest, GTA IV just did not excite me.  It's the only GTA game that I played that I did not finish b/c IMO the game just is not fun.  Yeah it's huge and the graphics are great, but I just don't find it fun at all.  So for me it's San Andreas all the way.  Hopefully GTA V will change that though.
 
So which is your favorite?

Also, what are some games similar to GTA?  I was doing some searching and Saints Row 2 seems to be the one that keeps popping up the most, so I think I might have to get that.  But I'm open to suggestions as I love the GTA style games so I'd be looking for anything similar to that.  I was thinking about checking out episodes from Liberty City, but figured they probably were around the same lines as GTA IV so I wasn't so sure about them.

I loved GTA:SA, and it is my favourite, with GTA 4 a close second. Vice City was quite fun as well

First still by far the most fun for me. I'd play it today if i could find it. The 3d versions looked great but the gameplay didn't tickle my fancy.

Went with GTA IV.  I never did play Vice City.  I wish they would release a "remastered" HD version of the older GTA games like Sony did with the first 2 God Of War games.  I'd buy that immediately.

San Andreas for me. Like you, DT2003, I revisit the game once a year actually. Vice City is fun too, but San Andreas really took this series and the "sandbox" type games to a new level. The thing about this game is you can actually just mess around and not "play" the game and it is still fun to free roam the city. I saved a game right at the point when the gang wars were unlocked so i can just go starting gang wars and see how many territories I can get without getting killed.

IV had by far the best gameplay,  thanks to the combination of AI and Euphoria physics.  The interaction with civvies was just spectacular.  However the characters were all generally unlikable and the story sucked balls.   The DLC improved things quite a bit,  TBoGT in particular,  but addons can't redeem the base game.  The most enjoyable part I found in it was seeing how horribly I could torment that asshole Brucie (which admittedly is a helluva lot of fun).
 
San Andreas, on the other hand,  was a masterpiece.  Despite being crude by the subsequent standard,  it was still nearly a perfect game.  All of the characters,  including the ones you don't like,  were great.  The stories,  while occasionally outlandish,  were still entertaining.  The scope of San Andreas ensured there was never a lack of something to do.  And most of all,  it was fun. 
 
The biggest difference is that SA was from the period where GTA games were supposed to be funny.  Some of CJ's dealings were fucking hysterical.  Nicco was humorless,  as was Liberty City and most of the characters. 

Chinatown Wars (DS).  It had some fun writing and creative missions, and was perfect for playing for extended periods of time as well as on-the-go playing.  That game was (is) fun as shit.

I picked GTA IV because one of the most challenging GTA chases you can do is when you start driving around on the airport runway and a bazzillion cops converge on you.  But, yeah, the story and characters are kind of weak and the "missions" a little flimsy.  Mostly though I play the game to start the most ridiculous high-speed chases with the cops I can then see how long I can last.   The city and driving are flawlessly done.  The game is a work of art visually.

Hmm I am not sure. I have been playing GTA III on my phone for the last month or two, and I am remembering how much I love this game. I haven't been able to play Vice City since I had it on ps2 when it came out (since my damn ps3 doesn't have backwards compatibility). I would love to play VC again, I just wish they'd release a HD version of it. San Andreas is so massive and there's just SO MUCH to do, that I totally love that one as well. I'd probably vote for SA right now, but would like another shot at playing VC soon. Maybe I can pick it up for cheap on Xbox so I can play it on my 360... hmmm...
 
I absolutely hated GTA IV though. I thought it was too "realistic" for whatever reason. I feel that I had a better time with the more arcade-y versions of III/VC/SA than the realism in IV. I will definitely try out V when it comes out though.

I voted San Andreas. That was the first time i had really been "wowed" by a PC game. The scope of the game was/is insane! So much stuff to do, and a ridiculous amount of ground to cover. I absolutely loved it.
 
Regarding your comment about the Saint's Row series: i've played all 3 and i'd definitely say that the latest is a spiritual successor to the goofier missions of San Andreas. The developers went way over the top w/storylines and even in-game physics. The first 2 entries were trying really hard to emulate GTA IV. Saint's Row the Third just tries to be FUN, and it shows. Drop-in/out co-op campaign also makes it really enjoyable. I love starting shenanigans w/a buddy and seeing how long we can outrun/outgun the cops and rival gangs.

GTA III for me.
 
It renewed my interest in gaming. The copy I got from a friend did not have the ability to save so I let my PC on for 3 weeks and tried to find as many hours to play. Great storyline and I can still remember all the streets, jumps, etc.
I later bought the game for the xBox (dual pack, together with Vice City). I liked the addition of motor cycles and the chopper, I enjoyed the storyline, but still I enjoyed III more. Although V-Rock was way better in Vice City \m/
 
San Andreas was great as well, a really good map with lots of variation. Unfortunately I got stuck during the flying school, so my missions were stopped then and there :( Have recently bought the PC-version, so I'll definitely give it another try (and otherwise I must find a cheat).
 
I got IV for the xBox360 and although the graphics were great, the storyline was not more than adequate. Missions were cool, but I never experienced the same joy as with III. After I reached the last mission my house was broken into and my xBox stolen, so I never finished IV (still pisses me off, but not so much to buy a new console and IV again).

GTA III rocked my balls off when I was a kid. But Vice City was even better, so that got my vote. San Andreas was good but not the masterpiece that Vice City was for me. GTA IV was just more of the same with better graphics and controls, it didn't hit me nearly as well as the previous installments. 

Been playing the GTA series since the first release, and as each new incarnation comes out, it takes its place as my personal favourite. So at the moment it's IV, but as soon as Five comes out and i get my hands on it, we'll have a new winner. 1, London 1969 and 2 are undoubtedly great games, but were completely blown away when the franchise went 3D. 3 - San Andreas saw a steady evolution in the game mechanics, storytelling aspect, and sidemissions/distractions, and by SA everything seemed to have reached the logical conclusion (jetpacks and rappers).
 
I share the sentiments of Hwangman about the Saint's Row franchise. I've only played 2 and 3, so my knowledge isn't full, but two is more of a GTA clone than anything innovative. The Third, on the other hand, is the ultimate exercise in outrageousness. An absolutely fantastic collection of weapons running the gamut from sensible and realistic to downright insane (mind-control jellyfish gun, remote vehicle control fun). Many genuinely fun missions, although I haven't found as much replay value in it as I do with the GTA series.
 
Another series of this genre worth a play is Mafia. It's more of a 'serious' sort of game, less emphasis on insane rampages and more on weaving a good tale.

GTA 1 and 2 for me. The 3D ones are fun, but there is something so awesome and charming about the top down ones, and I remember playing them for hours and hours when they first came out.

Naigewron

GTA 1 and 2 for me. The 3D ones are fun, but there is something so awesome and charming about the top down ones, and I remember playing them for hours and hours when they first came out.

GTA 1 was probably my first game as a kid (thanks for buying it mom!). Me and my friends spent numerous hours just blasting away in the city and listening to the radio shows. Classic and not really comparable to the 3D games since it's so different. Tried to play it again a few years back after it became freeware but it was almost unplayable.

I never had the opprotunity to play the original games. I started with GTA 3.
 
That said I love them in this order:
San Andreas
Vice City
GTA 4
GTA 3

GTA I  :D

Jason Gillespie


First still by far the most fun for me. I'd play it today if i could find it. The 3d versions looked great but the gameplay didn't tickle my fancy.

Doesn´t Rockstar offer the first two GTA games for free?
 
...did a quick search: http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/  I assume posting this link is OK, since it´s from the development company themselves. I think you just drop a valid email adress and you´re good to go.

Oh yeah, and I went with GTA San Andreas. GTA IV didn´t do much for me. I can´t quite figure out why, but it was boring. At first I thought I shouldn´t play it with a keyboard. And when I played it with my X-Box-Controller the car stuff did feel better, but it´s still a boring game for some reason.
 
GTA 1 + 2 are also awesome. I remember playing them as a kid. It was all we talked about back then (well, that and Diablo 2 in certain circles).
 
But yeah, GTA:SA is huge, it´s fun, especially flying around in various airplanes/gadgets. It might be the fact that it´s not taking itself so seriously that makes it so much better than GTA IV in my opinion. I do admit though that fighting can at times be more fun in GTA IV.

Vice City because it captured everything about the '80s in a perfect manner.  Awesome game.

It's hard for me to pick a favorite, but if I could only play one of them for the rest of my life it's going to have to be San Andreas. The game is just so huge and there's so much to do and see.
 
I am also with Hwangman. Saints Row is a great series to play if you're wanting something in the vein of GTA. The first is lackluster (but the story is really good), the second is a straight GTA clone and the third is just absolutely ridiculous fun. They wanted to go way over the top with it, and I'd say it was mission accomplished! I just beat it the other day, and I dare say that I enjoyed it more than GTAIV.

I'm another San Andreas fan.  It took me a couple years to come anywhere near close to beating it because it was so much fun to just turn it on and go wild, or just do whatever.  IV I had a really hard time getting into.  The only other ones I've played are III and Vice City, which are good, but don't match SA for sheer variety and fun.

Voted San Andreas, but i'm 51/49 between San Andreas and Vice City... IV lost a lot of the series charm... sad... 
 
Let's see how good comes GTA:V...

SebaiGiz Frill

Jason Gillespie


First still by far the most fun for me. I'd play it today if i could find it. The 3d versions looked great but the gameplay didn't tickle my fancy.

Doesn´t Rockstar offer the first two GTA games for free?

...did a quick search: http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/  I assume posting this link is OK, since it´s from the development company themselves. I think you just drop a valid email adress and you´re good to go.

I tried that before; only written for PC. I've got an apple. Thanks though.

I never played IV, San Andreas was all right, but I liked Vice City most.  Mainly because I had it on PC and could download skins for my character and all sorts of mods.  Had a NOS boost mod for cars/motorcycles and I'd go crazy doing stunts on bikes at the airport dressed as Ronald McDonald.
 
Good times... good times.

Definitely Vice City. IV would probably be my favourite if I played it more, but I've only played it at a friend's house and loved it. Completely hated SA. After a week of monotony, I just gave up and have never played it again. 3 is decent, but really not worth playing after playing the later ones.

I'm an oldschool gamer, so it's got to be the first one.

i dearly love them all (haven't played the first two), and i do love vice city, but i hate tommy vercetti as a character (though ray liotta played him so well).  just think he's such a douche!  and i hated all the flying missions in san andreas! could never get the hang of it! especially the one with dodo lol i couldn't even get off the ground for a long time

Shaunny


and i hated all the flying missions in san andreas! could never get the hang of it! especially the one with dodo lol i couldn't even get off the ground for a long time

That was my feeling about it, too, at first. But I remember that it was just something about the controls that made it way too hard, and after changing that something (don´t remember what it is, I haven´t played SA in a long time) it was great and easy and fun.

There was one of the flying races (the one with the stunt plane) which to me was probably the most frustrating part of the game.  For the most part the plane races weren't that bad for me but that one drove me crazy. 

DT2003


There was one of the flying races (the one with the stunt plane) which to me was probably the most frustrating part of the game.  For the most part the plane races weren't that bad for me but that one drove me crazy. 

I found the mission with the toy plane and toy helicopter more frustrating. But yeah, the stunt plane was pretty hard.

SebaiGiz Frill

DT2003


There was one of the flying races (the one with the stunt plane) which to me was probably the most frustrating part of the game.  For the most part the plane races weren't that bad for me but that one drove me crazy. 

I found the mission with the toy plane and toy helicopter more frustrating. But yeah, the stunt plane was pretty hard.

Oh yeah Zero's missions.  They were all a pain in the ass.  The worse was the one with the toy plane where you have to fly around the city and take out the 4 guys but the problem is you normally don't have enough gas to make it back unless you do it perfectly.  That one drove me crazy.

This was actually pretty hard, but I had to go with Vice City...the plot alone was really what got me into that game so much. But I really wanted to vote for GTA III because it started it all (because the other GTA games werent that good)...I remember getting the dodo (with no wings) and actually learning how to fly it...that was so hard to do!  I was also going to vote for San Andreas because I think that it had the best gameplay...but I didnt like the story as much.  Sure, skydiving, flying planes, bikes...that was all fun...but the Vice City Story was the best to me and that really kept me playing.

I was thinking of getting one of the Saints Row games, but now I'm thinking I might want to go back and play GTA III first.  I played Vice City about a year ago and just finished San Andreas.  It's been a while since I played GTA III though. 

I like GTA 4 the best, I love the cover system and the driving is really satisfying. Not to mention I love the environment of being in an entire city that mesmerizes me. 

Just found this
 

We have just received some great news for fans of the GTA series, specifically those of GTA III and Vice City. Joining the likes of the recently released PS2 classics, Shadow of the Colossus and ICO, GTA III and Vice City will apparently be appearing on the PS3 via the PlayStation Store in the near future. This fact is reveal through the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, ESRB, as they have rated both titles for release on the PS3.
This should give die-hard fans something to keep themselves busy until the release of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V. Currently there has not been any talk of a possible price point, but I would infer that we should see a price similar to those of the other PS2 classic releases that have been released of the PlayStation Store.
Stay tuned for more information as it comes in.

 
Does anyone know if these are redone in HD or if they are just the same exact quality but able to be played on the PS3?

Recently GTA III was on sale for the iPad, only $0.99 - great game and having lots of fun playing the game again. Trying to get all the packages and rampages this time.
Controls are worked out pretty good. The left hand corner is one big joystick. When you place your thumb that spot becomes the center. Only drawback is the shooting icons are too close to left and right while driving. So sometimes I accidentally draw attention from the cops.

I actually started GTA III earlier this month after I finished San Andreas and it amazed me how much the game had evolved between those releases.  I have since purchased Uncharted 2 so I have been playing that lately as I think the change going from San Andreas to GTA III was just too much to take at that time.