Version and Platform Differences

This is a sub-page of Grand Theft Auto III.

To do: Go more in-depth with the differences. Cover Xbox version's graphics (and sound when ripping becomes possible). Cover mobile stuff more. Various bugs were introduced in the ports https://github.com/CookiePLMonster/SilentPatch/blob/dev/CHANGELOG-III.md

Grand Theft Auto III received quite a bit of changes for various reasons, though not as much compared to later games.

Version Differences#

EU 1.40 to EU 1.60/NA 1.40#

When Grand Theft Auto III was first released, two different builds were simultaneously released in Europe. The earlier of the two features some minor changes seemingly made in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, suggesting that the wrong build may have been initially sent in for manufacturing, further proven with European promotional discs already having v1.60.

EU v1.40/v1.60	NA v1.40

Both European versions show the original blue design of the LCPD car in the intro.

Throw over the cash and you can have this overused puta back.

Throw over the cash.

A line of dialogue from Catalina during the cutscene for The Exchange was edited, removing the second half. The echo was also removed.

~g~SPANKED-up suicide bombers!

~g~Destroy the bomber's vans!!

~g~SPANKED-up madmen!!

~g~Destroy the madmens' vans!!

• The mission Kingdom Come originally referred to the madmen as suicide bombers.
• On EU 1.40 during the explosion sequence in the Blow Fish mission, a loading screen appears briefly; in later versions, this is replaced with a white flash.
• Big 'n' Veiny, if Sayonara Salvatore is completed beforehand, will give the Leone mafia members shotguns on EU 1.40. Later versions change this to Uzis.
• Failing Waka-Gashira Wipeout! will not cause the Yakuza members to disappear in EU 1.40.
• EU 1.40 doesn't disable control of the RC Buggy after completing Toyminator.

To do: Get a map of the flight direction and a video link.

• The Dodo flight path was altered due to it originally flying dangerously close to buildings. The old path seems to have been made with an older version of the map in mind, as at one point the Dodo flies through a building in Chinatown. Pre-release material confirms that the building in question wasn't present in earlier builds.
• Checkpoint collecting sound doesn't play in EU 1.40.
• In Her Lover, the lines of dialogue at the end of the mission won't play in EU 1.40. Subtitles can be seen.
• The scene where 8-Ball tells the player to get $100,000 counts as a mission attempt in v1.40.
• A single byte was changed in SPANISH.GXT between EU 1.40 and 1.60, changing a lowercase L into an uppercase I in the drive-by tutorial text. This fixes a minor error and makes the game render the circle button in the tutorial message as intended.
• It is impossible to achieve 100% completion in EU v1.40 - doing everything only gets you 98%.
• On EU 1.40, the pedestrian with the checkered shirt and cap (MALE01) has a random line where he says, "I designed the PS2", which was replaced with a duplicate on EU 1.60 and subsequent versions.
• In EU 1.40, the player is unable to skip the descriptions they get for being Wasted or Busted for the first time.
• The camera angle for the stunt jump on the Callahan Bridge was altered in later versions to actually show the player landing, as the original has its view blocked by the bridge.
• The save files are not compatible between EU v1.40 and EU v1.60. Attempting to load a save file from the other revision results to the game locking up at the data loading screen.

JP v1.03#

• A new animated logo for Rockstar North, replacing the old DMA Design one. The intro was also slightly edited, with "Rockstar Games Presents" being centered and the DMA/Rockstar North and RenderWare credit being omitted.
• The song "O mio babbino caro" by Giacomo Puccini was removed from Double Clef FM, this change would carry over to further ports.

PC 1.1#

Bug fix release. This version removes SafeDisc DRM, and changes the cheat code for armor to TORTOISE from TURTOISE.

Steam#

Released on January 4, 2008 and built on version 1.1 of the PC release, with only 1 difference and 2 new bugs:

• Added the glowing headlights from the PS2 version
• Broken reflections on black cars if running Windows 7 or later due to the Steam version’s executable having removed a lot of related code (Confirmed by Sergeanur)
• Transparent menu bug on Windows 10 or later

Platform Differences#

To do: Explain this in greater detail; there's details missing from the PC version. (e.g. missing graphical effects). Probably from all later ports too.

PC#

A slightly-updated Windows version was released in 2002, featuring changes that would be commonplace in all newer ports of the game, except of the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 releases, reusing the PlayStation 2 NTSC 1.40/PAL 1.60 versions.

General#

The police scanner audio was changed to sound more muffled, compared to the PlayStation 2 versions.

PS2	PC

• Some of the textures have been modified, giving them a less desaturated look.
• The Windows version removed one song which was present in the PlayStation 2 version, "O mio babbino caro".
• The PlayStation 2 version lacks the ability to shoot off people's limbs, but it can be reactivated with a button code (Square, L1, Circle, Down, L1, R1, Triangle, Right, L1, X - the only such code that doesn't give a confirmation sound when entered). The Windows versions have this feature enabled by default, but there still is a cheat code (NASTYLIMBSCHEAT) that's been stubbed out and does nothing.

PS2	PC

• Although completely unused, the Windows version has extra branding on its loading screens which is absent from the PlayStation 2 releases.
• The mission "Waka-Gashira Wipeoutǃ" plays differently on PS2 versions of the game. Instead of Uzis the Yakuza guards are armed with M16s, making the mission much more difficult to complete.

PS2	PC

• This storefront texture had the name edited out in the PlayStation 2 versions, while the Windows version restored the original texture.
• The boat Ray Machowski's partner drives in the mission Gone Fishing can be mounted if the player waits long enough for him to beach it. In the PS2 version, the boat had no valid name assigned to it, resulting in it being called "GHOST missing" (its internal name, "GHOST", plus the word "missing"). In the PC version, this boat was given a name and is just called Ghost.

Model Changes#

PS2 (cutscene model)	PC (cutscene model)

• Catalina's head got a slight design modification in the Windows version, where her face is more relaxed with a bigger pony tail and bangs hanging to the side. Despite this, her in-game PlayStation 2 model is still used.

Audio Changes#

• Oddly, the briefing for "Under Surveillance" is completely different between the PlayStation 2 and every other version of the game. On the PlayStation 2, it's Leone gangsters that are spying. In every other version it's the FBI, which doesn't match the character models used, or even the subtitles!

• The PlayStation 2 versions have altered cutscene audio for "Bomb Da Baseː Act I", where the introduction with Salvatore speaking about the war with the Triads was cut.

• Despite this, additional subtitles FM3_A and FM3_B are never displayed.

iOS/Android#

The game was re-released for Android and iOS systems on December 15, 2011, where several new additional changes were made. For starters, every weapon icon was redrawn in 128×128, using more of a "brassy" shade of yellow.

HUD Icon Changes

PC/Xbox	Mobile

The sniper scope was changed slightly when it was redrawn, and the pager is completely different.

PC/Xbox/PS2	Mobile

Splash Screen Changes

The mission splash screen was changed to match up the 10th Anniversary branding, using artwork of different characters, and a hue of grey and gold rather than blue.

PC	Mobile

The text is also now centered to the middle of the screen when the player starts a mission.