Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Alright, let's dive into Part 2 of your Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars adventure. This section is packed with a ton of missions and activities, so buckle up!

We'll be breaking down missions from various characters, including Chan Jaoming, Melanie Mallard (some of these are PSP exclusives, so keep that in mind!), Zhao Ming, Wade Heston, Hsin Jaoming, Lester LeRoc, and Rudy D'Avanzo. On top of those story-driven missions, there are also plenty of side activities and collectibles to keep you busy.

Get ready to tackle things like 'Pimp His Ride,' 'Whack the Racers,' 'Stealing the Show,' and 'The Tow Job.' We'll also cover various side hustles like the 'Odd Jobs,' 'Excess Delivery,' 'Fire Fighter,' 'Vigilante Mission,' 'Ambulance Mission,' 'Noodle Run,' and 'Taxi Mission.' Don't forget about the 'Rampages' and 'Unique Stunt Jumps' scattered across Liberty City, plus 'Checkpoint Races' and 'Time Trials' if you're looking to test your driving skills.

This part of the game really opens up the world and gives you a lot of freedom to choose what you want to do next. We'll guide you through all the key missions and point you towards the important collectibles and activities to help you progress and achieve that 100% completion.

Welcome to our guide for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars! This section focuses on helping you get through the game, especially if you're new to it. We've organized everything to make beating missions and tasks as smooth and fun as possible. While this guide is tailored for the Nintendo DS and PSP versions, the core information applies broadly.

A key aspect of this guide is the recommended order for missions and tasks. Following this sequence can make the game feel more manageable and enjoyable, though it's not strictly required. You'll notice how this order benefits gameplay as you progress.

To help you navigate Liberty City, we use specific designations for important elements:

• Dealers are marked with a 'D' and their name, like Ben [XXX-D29].
• Security Cameras are identified by 'SC', for example, Camera [XXX-SC27].
• Lions of Fo statues are labeled 'LF', such as Lion [XXX-LF18].

Additionally, a three-letter Neighborhood Prefix helps pinpoint locations. Here are the prefixes for Algonquin:

• AGQ - Algonquin
• NLD - North Holland
• EHD - East Holland
• VTH - Varsity Heights
• MPW - Middle Park West
• MID - Middle Park
• LCT - Lancaster
• PGY - Purgatory
• WMR - Westminster
• STJ - Star Junction
• HGD - Hatton Gardens
• TMQ - The Meat Quarter
• TRI - The Triangle
• ETN - Easton
• LNT - Lancet
• PRS - Presidents City
• SFK - Suffolk
• LTY - Little Italy
• LWE - Lower Easton
• FKN - Fishmarket North
• CWN - Chinatown
• CIT - City Hall
• FMS - Fishmarket South
• CGC - Castle Garden City
• TXH - The Exchange
• CSD - Castle Gardens

And for Colony Island:

• COL - Colony Island
• HPI - Happiness Island

Here are the prefixes for the East Side areas:

• BHN - Bohan
• NTG - Northern Gardens
• LTB - Little Bay
• FTS - Fortside
• IDT - Industrial
• SBH - South Bohan
• CHP - Chase Point

And for Charge Island:

• CRN - Charge Island

For Dukes:

• DKS - Dukes
• STY - Steinway
• ETC - East Island City
• MDP - Meadows Park
• MWH - Meadow Hills
• WLS - Willis

For Francis International Airport:

• FIA - Francis International Airport

For Broker:

• BKR - Broker
• BOA - BOABO
• CZH - Cerveza Heights
• DTN - Downtown
• SHL - Schottler
• BCY - Beechwood City
• ETK - East Hook
• OTL - Outlook
• STP - South Slopes
• HVB - Hove Beach
• FFP - Firefly Projects
• FYD - Firefly Island
• BGT - Beach Gate

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a unique entry in the series, originally designed for handhelds. It's set in Liberty City in 2009, a year after the events of GTA IV and its expansions. Interestingly, this game is a standalone story with no direct connections to the characters or events from those titles.

The gameplay shifts to a top-down perspective, reminiscent of the earliest GTA games, but with a slight angled view that you'll quickly get used to. The controls are streamlined for handheld play, and the cel-shaded art style is distinctive and grows on you.

You'll notice the map differs from other GTA titles; Alderney is absent, with gameplay focused on Algonquin and the eastern parts of the city. The Cemetery on Colony Island is also a separate area north of the Algonquin Bridge.

While the El-Train is present, it's not rideable, and there's no way to pilot aircraft in this installment.

The PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars utilizes the hardware capabilities of the console, offering a superior graphical and auditory experience compared to the NDS version. The PSP's more powerful hardware and larger screen result in significantly better graphics. The sound quality is also improved, featuring better versions of music tracks and several additional radio stations, including techno, metal, and traditional Chinese tunes.

PSP Models:

• PSP-1000: The largest and heaviest model, with a less durable analog stick design prone to detachment if the case is damaged.
• PSP-2000 and PSP-3000: Lighter and better designed than the PSP-1000. While some found the PSP-3000's display inferior to the PSP-2000's, the PSP-3000 is considered superior due to more memory, better processing, and the ability to connect to Component Video televisions for Progressive Scan mode, which is also good for HDMI conversion.

Analog Stick Issue: The PSP's analog stick is not rubberized, which can cause thumb slippage if the thumb is moist, making precise control difficult, especially during chases or races. A solution involves applying Plasti-Dip to the analog stick's disc to create a rubberized grip.

Controls:

• The PSP version lacks a touch screen, so NDS-specific touch tasks are replaced by Quick Time Events (QTEs). This can make some tasks, like assembling the Sniper Rifle, easier on the PSP.
• The PSP's analog stick provides an advantage over the NDS version. While slightly stiff, it is less problematic in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars than in other GTA titles on PSP like Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories.

Custom Firmware (Softmodding):

• Softmodding a PSP is significantly easier than on PlayStation 2.
• You will need a Memory Stick Duo to Micro SD Card adapter and a sizable Micro SD Card (32-64GB or higher).
• Install PRO 6.60 custom firmware.
• Copy the Fast Recovery and PROUPDATE folders into the PSP > GAME folder. Run the Pro Update program to start the firmware.
• Benefits of custom firmware include faster loading times, longer battery life (by not using the UMD drive), and not needing to carry discs.

Game Crashes:

• Warning: You *NEED* to use a Sony Memory Stick Duo (minimum 2GB) for saving games or softmodding.
• Using a Micro SD card adapter, even for playing off the disc without softmods, can cause constant game crashes (averaging once per hour). This is due to an incompatibility between the game code and non-Sony, specifically non-MagicGate, devices. Prolonged gameplay can lead to freezes and the PSP turning itself off.