underrated things in gta san andreas

[Max.pain]

idk if there is a similiar thread for this but there is one for gta 4 and i think it’d be a great idea to have one for san andreas as well .

-boat and bike schools, if i think straight, to me these are some of the most fun side missions in the game.

-cj’s airport, idk how many hours i spent near that place, it’s simply awesome and has a good use almost for every vehicle in the game.

-hydra, the most fun plane ever

-vehicle physics, one of the best in the series if not the best

-flying controls, i don’t understand how some people say it’s a mess, they are very smooth even though this is the first game to have that much use of planes in the series.

-offroad vehicles such as the monster truck

[Official General]

The buying flight tickets and catching flights system between the 3 cities, and you get to see the beautiful scenery while it flies too. It is really such a cool feature and was so ahead of it's time. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Official General

[Guest]

The Inside Track horse betting game was a great way to get good money early on in the game. In general I've gained a new appreciation for San Andreas' minigames like Go go space monkey , They crawled from Uranus etc.

 

Oh and I really liked playing pool as well, was good fun and if you lost beating up your opponent with the pool cue to get back your money never got old.

[Official General]

25 minutes ago, Utopianthumbs said:

The Inside Track horse betting game was a great way to get good money early on in the game. In general I've gained a new appreciation for San Andreas' minigames like Go go space monkey , They crawled from Uranus etc.

 

Oh and I really liked playing pool as well, was good fun and if you lost beating up your opponent with the pool cue to get back your money never got old.

Inside Track was good stuff man, that's another favourite SA feature of mine. 

 

And can you believe that I did not realise you could play pool for money in San Andreas only until 4 years ago !? It's a simple, fun way to make extra money too. 

[Ballas King]

50 minutes ago, Official General said:

Inside Track was good stuff man, that's another favourite SA feature of mine. 

 

And can you believe that I did not realise you could play pool for money in San Andreas only until 4 years ago !? It's a simple, fun way to make extra money too. 

a 1000 max tho, just a 1000 and controlling it is so hard. But luckily the a.i. opponent usually makes a key mistake and hits the black when its still solid/strip turn and you auto win XD.

[Lioshenka]

- schools are a pain, but I like them. The idea of being able to master your driving skills in a set of challenging mini-missions is great. Not a huge fan of how they were implemented, but the idea itself is nice.

- more global side missions i.e. a lot of missions involve you travelling around the map's different areas to complete them

- jetpack

 

 

Probably loads more, but I can't be bother trying to remember right now :)

[Evil empire]

The ability to learn different fighting styles avoids the monotony. The Las Venturas' wrestling one is largely better than the way Tommy fights in Vice City.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Evil empire

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Official General said:

And can you believe that I did not realise you could play pool for money in San Andreas only until 4 years ago !? It's a simple, fun way to make extra money too. 

Yeah the game is so vast that these details tend to slip out of our minds sometimes , even I only found out recently that you can do the burglary missions in SF and LV as well.

 

49 minutes ago, Lioshenka said:

more global side missions i.e. a lot of missions involve you travelling around the map's different areas to complete them

I enjoy the courier side missions for this reason(even though i generally hate timed missions), cycling around the various locations in the city feels really relaxing and its nice to use the opportunity to explore the city as well

 

 

Another thing I enjoy and think is a bit underrated is Catalina's countryside robbery strand of missions. I generally like robbery type of missions and these were a lot of fun too, a couple felt like mini heists. I also like that you can do them in any order.

[Evil empire]

The train-driving job is another underrated feature. Even if it's very simple I love this sub-mission, the sound of the train, the landscapes, I find it very relaxing.

[Official General]

22 minutes ago, Utopianthumbs said:

Yeah the game is so vast that these details tend to slip out of our minds sometimes , even I only found out recently that you can do the burglary missions in SF and LV as well.

 

LOL I only found that out 4 years ago too ! 

 

23 minutes ago, Utopianthumbs said:

 

Another thing I enjoy and think is a bit underrated is Catalina's countryside robbery strand of missions. I generally like robbery type of missions and these were a lot of fun too, a couple felt like mini heists. I also like that you can do them in any order.

That was mad fun, playing it again after so many years just made me realise how many gemstone moments this game has. 

[Lioshenka]

20 minutes ago, Evil empire said:

The train-driving job is another underrated feature. Even if it's very simple I love this sub-mission, the sound of the train, the landscapes, I find it very relaxing.

God, yes.

 

Also very good to play with one hand while you're having a snack.

 

Another thing to add: certain countryside items were very well done. Coming back from robberies to the hidden shack with Catalina had a special feeling for me. Beaten up cars spawning here and there, isolated houses - GTA 5 countryside just lacks those elements really, despite it's enormous size it lacks the feeling of being lost in the wilderness - maybe because it's almost bare. It just feels like a spacefiller most of the time.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Lioshenka

[Palacios007]

I always liked the fact that there are a lot of guns to pick up in every city. Most of the players I know simply go to Ammu-Nation or use cheats. Every day I play I go to every spot to pick some ammo! I'd use a vehicle so I increase my skill with it.

[god speed]

San Andreas not only widened the scope of the game but also improved various core gameplay mechanics from Vice City: climbing, swimming, moving while being crouched, bullet spread with firearms, making headshots kill with all weapons, more in-depth melee combat, more realistic driving physics, rotating the camera around vehicles among many others. I think that is underrated.

I also believe that the fact Rockstar made a game of such large scale work on the weak hardware of PS2 is underappreciated.

[Big_Smiley]

2 hours ago, perennial said:

I also believe that the fact Rockstar made a game of such large scale work on the weak hardware of PS2 is underappreciated.

Same. I always still look upon this. How they managed to do such thing on a PS2 is still questionable. Lots of things were cut from the final game due to the PS2's limited hardware but what we got in the end was astounding. The same could be said when V released on last-gen hardware. I also agree with SA's mechanics. I don't understand when peeps say SA had clunky shooting mechanics when the game itself vastly improved over III's and VC. Fact is SA has the most improved out the three in the 3D era and LCS and VCS kept the same scheme.The gameplay may feel outdated by today but the mechanic regarding shooting still feels smooth with me on my own controller. And the driving still feels top notch. Has to go in my undertated category.

 

When I used to play SA on PC back in day around 2005-06 I could never get used to the keyboard controls, but when it came to playing CS 1.6 you would've told me I could have gone into the pro leagues back in the early 2000's, lol. Console has always been my go two except SA awlays did looks so damn glorious on PC with all mods installed.

[Ballas King]

SA introduced the best clothing. 3 only had two sets of cloth casual and the prison, vc had all the clownish outfits (who wants to dress publically in golf clothing) and the ridiculous pick up method.. SA was the first to introduce realistic method of clothing with varieties in six different amazing cloth shop, you dress CJ the way, the style you want. As a kid I never bothered about clothing styles but after starting to play SA back in 2006 I was immensely impressed with all the styles torso, legs, chains, etc and it has influenced my clothing style in real life. Same with hair style, SA made me a big fan of afros.

 

GYM is another cool stuff removed (i expected it to return in 4 , but Niko has military training so didnt need it and it never came back)  Its fun doing the muscle buiolding and stamina building miningames on the dumbbells, treadmill and all. Then we challenge and beat three different gym masters and learn boxing (ls), kujng fu (sf) and mma like style (lv). Just loved the variety of moves introduced, sa was the first to introduce a grappling attack with the mma hold and knee kick combo. Just loved the gyms. This is why CJ is always special to me, its like training your own son. With Claude, Tommy and Niko you never get that feel.

 

So yeah Clothing,  barber shops and Gyms are three of the most awesome features introduced in SA that I feel are never appreciated enough.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Ballas King

[Algonquin Assassin]

The lack of animals. It might seem like a strange sort of thing to say since you would think animals would technically make it seem more alive (Like the Red Dead games), but I really think the complete lack of wildlife especially in the countryside and desert is what gives it its unique charm. When I used to play San Andreas I would purposely go out into the countryside and desert literally just for the creepy atmosphere and feeling of being alone.

 

In this day where developers are striving for the most realistic gaming worlds possible and some probably go for too much realism San Andreas feels unique in this regard where on paper you would think this would be a detriment, but in practice it totally works in the game's favour. While I'm by no means a San Andreas fan however this one aspect is something I've always appreciated about it.

[iiCriminnaaL]

Cesar Vialpando as a character.

 

Every time GTA San Andreas is mentioned, it's mostly CJ (obviously), Tenpenny or Big Smoke that come into most people's minds. Cesar's potential would've easily allowed him to be the protagonist if R* planned to center him instead of Carl. We could've seen more of his leadership of the Aztecas, as well as discovering his relationships with his fellow Azteca gangsters and Kendl, and also see how life turned out after leaving Los Santos, from his perspective. What's even more interesting is that he also loves racing and stealing cars, which perfectly fits GTA.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, iiCriminnaaL 49 said:

Cesar Vialpando as a character.

 

Every time GTA San Andreas is mentioned, it's mostly CJ (obviously), Tenpenny or Big Smoke that come into most people's minds. Cesar's potential would've easily allowed him to be the protagonist if R* planned to center him instead of Carl. We could've seen more of his leadership of the Aztecas, as well as discovering his relationships with his fellow Azteca gangsters and Kendl, and also see how life turned out after leaving Los Santos, from his perspective. What's even more interesting is that he also loves racing and stealing cars, which perfectly fits GTA.

Cesar is really the silent hero of San Andreas

 - Exposes Tenpenny, Ryder and Smoke and saves Carl and Sweet from being ambushed

 - Helps CJ after he's exiled from LS by setting him up with Catalina and introducing him to the street race scene where he meets Woozie, who'd become a powerful ally in future

 - Helps CJ set up the Wang Cars business in San Fierro thereby giving him a proper source of income in a foreign city

 - Helps CJ take down the Loco Syndicate

 - Is there by CJ's side till the end and even risks his life for him even when CJ is not completely honest with him( in the mission Highjack)

 

As for Cesar being the protagonist, it would be interesting,like you said he'd be focused on street racing and stealing cars which along with the rivalry with the Vagos makes for an interesting GTA protagonist , but after the exile Cesar's story would be too similar to CJ's I think. Even so, its funny to think that in an alternate universe we'd be making memes about Cesar and Jose instead of Big Smoke and Ryder lol

[Cox]

Quote

CJ is not completely honest with him( in the mission Highjack)

If he had told him about what he was into, probably Cesar would have been killed, and Carl knows it.

I don't call it not being honest with someone.

 

(Just saying, I don't want to bother)

[Evil empire]

The way the shooting mechanic is handled is excellent and brings a totally new dimension to the gunshots.

 

The shoulder-aiming like the ability to move while aiming in subjective view contribute to the immersion contrary to that subjective view that forces you to stand still in the previous games, the ability to kill targets from a long distance with a single headshot instead of having to toggle to the sniper-rifle is very convenient, the health bar above the peds helps to prioritize the targets during the gang wars and the fact you can kill a bunch of enemies via a single bullet in a fuel tank helps a lot during the hard fights.

 

What's more the minigun is much more enjoyable to use than in Vice City, its range is far better, it instantly destroys any helicopter and you can use it to behead your enemies.

[Official General]

 

On 9/23/2019 at 11:00 AM, iiCriminnaaL 49 said:

Cesar Vialpando as a character.

 

Every time GTA San Andreas is mentioned, it's mostly CJ (obviously), Tenpenny or Big Smoke that come into most people's minds. Cesar's potential would've easily allowed him to be the protagonist if R* planned to center him instead of Carl. We could've seen more of his leadership of the Aztecas, as well as discovering his relationships with his fellow Azteca gangsters and Kendl, and also see how life turned out after leaving Los Santos, from his perspective. What's even more interesting is that he also loves racing and stealing cars, which perfectly fits GTA.

Cesar as protagonist would be great in an SA spin-off, I’d love to see some Hispanic gang and Mexican drug cartel stuff. But in the main SA game, his story would be too similar to CJ’s. You’re forgetting that CJ’s main criminal activity was stealing cars while he was in Liberty City, so Cesar being into stealing cars don’t exactly stand out. Finally, African-American gang culture (largely because of gangsta rap) in early 1990s Los Angeles was more well-known and popularised than the Hispanic gang culture, so Cesar obviously could not successfully portray that theme, which is what Rockstar wanted to focus on too. 

 

But an SA stories spin-off with Cesar I’d love to see and still do.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Official General

[Lioshenka]

2 hours ago, Utopianthumbs said:

Cesar and Jose instead of Big Smoke and Ryder lol

El Grande Smokio, remember that name!

[Guest Billy Russo]

The Burgular side mission.

 

You can break in to random houses and steal sh*t. It's cool as heck.

 

Why don't the newer GTA games have random activities like this? Just makes me sad dude.

[Ballas King]

22 hours ago, Billy Russo said:

The Burgular side mission.

 

You can break in to random houses and steal sh*t. It's cool as heck.

 

Why don't the newer GTA games have random activities like this? Just makes me sad dude.

Its my most fav side mission ever. So enjoyable breaking into houses, especially the gang houses (even the gsfs attack you when you break in theirs). For me nothing is more rewarding than infinite sprint ability. I wish they made it mandatory for 100 % instead of stuffs like trucking which are rather boring and are a pain (seriously controlling that huge truck that keeps getting detached with bumps and cops behind you is a pain). Burglary is just seriously underrated and one of the most fun thing ever ! 

[TheSantader25]

-The Gang Territory Wars. 

 

-Burglary

 

-Casino Minigames. 

 

- Definitely the Story and characters especially CJ as well. 

Edited October 8, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Ballas King]

The simplicity of how to install a game with such huge features. PC version Just one dvd, while gta 5 requires 7, yet SA has a better story and far better features than 5 . 5 has ripped off some of SA characters poorly like Omega always feels like a poorer version of The Truth who on the other hand is a gta legend. I feel these stuffs are underrated too.

[Liberty-TG]

Burglary minigames(my favourite ever) which should come back. They make more sense that Ambulance,Firefighter and collectionable missions.

 

[Max.pain]

dancing minigame, i think it’s very fun, i never disliked it but it is one of the most hated missions in the game.

[Palacios007]

8 minutes ago, Max.pain said:

dancing minigame, i think it’s very fun, i never disliked it but it is one of the most hated missions in the game.

It's actually quite good. I remember having a good time dancing with Denise a few years back.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Max.pain said:

dancing minigame, i think it’s very fun, i never disliked it but it is one of the most hated missions in the game.

For me the only problem with it was that I was so focused on what arrow to press that I could never see the characters dancing lol. Otherwise even I think the dancing and lowrider bouncing(or whatever its called) are fun.