Lazlow Jones co-wrote the radio scripts for all the Grand Theft Auto games (save Chinatown Wars, of course) going back to III, and appears as a radio personality in all of the games. He also, evidently, has all of the master copies of the recordings. In his home. Which is on Long Island. Or, well, a barrier island off Long Island.

Ordinarily this isn't much of a problem. but it was as Hurricane Sandy came barreling in late October, and Long Island was whomped particularly bad by the stormacane, or whatever it was at that stage. In a visit to the Opie & Anthony Show last week, where Lazlow's a regular guest, he related what his priorities were as the storm came barreling in.

1. Get the GTA III master recording.
2. Get the GTA: Vice City master recording.
3. Get the GTA: San Andreas master recording.
4. You get the idea.

"My studio is on the ground floor," he said on the show. "That's where GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, all those masters like the full recordings with Axl Rose and everything. I mean, all this stuff," he said. "I started freaking out and grabbing, just boxes of masters and putting it up on the second floor. Cause I was like 'I'm not going to let this stuff get ruined.'"

Asked if he was storing the recordings elsewhere, Lazlow said he'd learned he shouldn't "keep a lot of amazing masters from some epic video games on the ground floor near a sand bar."

If you're curious if he said anything about Grand Theft Auto V, he did, but only to say the game was due in the coming spring.

GTA master audio tapes almost lost during Superstorm Sandy [Original Gamer]

Eight years and one month ago, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas released on the PlayStation 2. It begins rather abruptly—C.J. in an airport, saying that after five years on the east coast, it was time to return to San Andreas.

The game's official soundtrack included a DVD of "The Introduction," a 20-minute in-game cinematic explaining all the reasons why Carl Johnson returned. Rockstar this week finally made it public via its Social Club and YouTube (where others had uploaded it before. This one went up on Aug. 27, 2005, four months after the first YouTube video was uploaded.) Here you may see it in full quality, and if you haven't already, take the 20 minutes to do so. For those who have, hey, Sunday afternoons are always good for reruns.

I shouldn't have to tell any self—respecting gamer to go drop $4.99 on the tenth anniversary edition of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on iOS or Android (once it's live). For those that lack self-respect, go drop $4.99 on the tenth anniversary edition of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It's better than ever.

Along with the HD graphics and portability, the mobile version of the best game in Rockstar's beloved crime simulator series adds a number of enhancements to make the game worthy of another play-through. It's got enhanced targeting, complete with a tap-to-shoot option that makes shooting people fun. It's got a fully-customizable HUD, allowing players to move and resize interface elements and controls as they please. It's got a chase camera you can adjust by pinching and zooming, and a free-look camera that lets players experience the sights of Vice City from a fresh angle.

The Android version has full controller support. The iOS version supports cloud saves and custom soundtracks, in case you have absolutely no taste at all and don't like the game's 80s soundtrack.

It's everything Vice City on the PlayStation 2 was, only better. I am drowning in happy right now.

There's some debate as to whether the 1980s-set, neon-flecked entry in Rockstar's crime series is the best one. But it's hard to debate that the visuals for the upcoming mobile release look very impressive.

The neon-soaked streets of Vice City have never looked as good as they do in next week's 10th Anniversary Edition for iOS and Android. The fingers are still fused together, but the bodies attached to them are better than ever.

When I first watched this trailer I was a little shocked. This is not how I remembered Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The Vice City I played on the PlayStation 2 was perfect. The characters were shockingly life-like; the animations smooth and silky.

Then I checked out the original trailer.

Wow. It's amazing how fond memories color one's recollections, isn't it? I take this as proof that graphics don't matter as long as you're having a good time.

And we'll be having a damn good time when the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition hits iTunes and Google Play on December 6.

When Grand Theft Auto: Vice City disappeared from Steam's marketplace a few days ago, some suspected it was because of the game's upcoming release for iOS devices. Instead, what appears to be a lapsed license for one of the songs appearing in the game has forced the takedown, until the matter is resolved.

Gaming Blend reports that the song in question is appropriately enough, "Wanna Be Startin' Something" by Michael Jackson, to which Sony Music Entertainment owns the rights. Rockstar Games, in a post on Steam's North American forums, didn't specify the song but did say music licensing was involved and "we'll make it available again as soon as possible."

Those who bought Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for PC via Steam may still redownload and install the game.

GTA: Vice City No Longer On Steam Due To RIAA Copyright Claim [Gaming Blend]

The news that GTA V will be bigger than Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas, and GTA IV combined is impressive. It makes on think back to the vast expanses of GTA III, the game that pioneered huge open-world experiences. People spent weeks on that game, trying to complete every last side quest and find every package. In the vaults of the Speed Demos Archive, John "Silmaranza" Breedon shows off how he managed to do that feat in 6.5 hours. The whole thing took about a year to do but is impressive nonetheless. Who knows how long GTA V will be? It'll be a challenge for the speedrunners of the world, that's for sure.

To celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (on October 29!), Rockstar will re-release the popular game on mobile platforms this fall.

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City gave players the freedom of a massive open-world in one of the most iconic and vibrant settings ever realized in a game," Rockstar founder Sam Houser said in a press release. "It was a defining moment in the series and we're delighted to be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with a stunning, updated version for phones and tablets."

Here's Rockstar:

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was originally released in October 2002 for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, just one year after its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto III, changed the gaming landscape forever with its combination of open-world freedom, humor and action in a living, breathing city. Vice City expanded upon the open world gameplay of Grand Theft Auto III, combined with nostalgia for the 1980s to create one of the true high points in the marriage of video games and mainstream pop culture, loved by hardcore gamers and casual players alike. The upcoming mobile version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City brings the full experience to mobile devices, featuring native high-resolution graphics and several enhancements unique to the iOS and Android platforms.

(Image via Videogamesblogger.com)

Wouldn't it be awesome to be Batman? I mean, without all of the angst, perhaps. And without the years of training. And the constant threat of bodily harm. And the... hmm. Okay, you know what? Forget being Batman. I just want the cool parts of being Batman. The Batmobile and the suit and the jumping and, most especially, the not getting caught.

One Redditor felt the same way. And after an excursion to see The Dark Knight Rises, he came home feeling that Arkham City wasn't quite doing it for him. He needed something a little more... San Andreas. And lo, the newest Batman-themed mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was born. As the poster explains:

I kinda got obsessed with it over the last week and collected heaps of different Batman mods from all over the internet. It was hard, because most of the projects are dead and the links were all down, but I ended up putting together a pretty fully featured pack, using a mod called "The Dark Knight Begins" as a base.

There are way worse ways to be Batman. And should you happen to have grabbed San Andreas at any point, you can be Batman too. Or you can browse through the full gallery of Batman's annotated adventures in Gotham San Andreas.

The only Batman simulator I'll ever need [Reddit]

Later this week, Grand Theft Auto III is being released on the PlayStation Network. It's going to be hard to get very excited about it when you look how well this little project is coming along.

GTA III Rage is an attempt to recreate Grand Theft Auto III using Grand Theft Auto IV's newer, fancier engine. We first took a look at the fan project back in March, but the team have since released this trailer, which does a pretty good job of showing you it's the same old city, only now it's got helicopters.