Controls: On Foot
| Action | Button |
| Move/First Person Strafe | Left Analog |
| Crouch/ Duck | L3 |
| Look Behind | R3 |
| Manual Camera/ Move Scope | Right Analog |
| Sprint/ Sprint Faster (Tap) | X |
| Jump/ Climb | SQUARE |
| Use Item/ Pick Up Item | TRIANGLE |
| Attack/ Fire Weapon | CIRCLE |
| Hold Target On | R1 |
| Cycle Weapon Right/ Zoom Sight In | R2 |
| Fire When Targeting/ Answer Phone | L1 |
| Cycle Weapon Left/ Zoom Scope Out | L2 |
| Gang Passive Mode | D-Pad DOWN |
| Gang Active Mode | D-Pad UP |
| Positive Talk | D-Pad RIGHT |
| Negative Talk | D-Pad LEFT |
| Pause | START |
| Camera Modes | SELECT |
Controls: In Vehicle
| Action | Button |
| Vehicle Control | Left Analog |
| Horn/ Hover (Helicopter) | L3 |
| Sub-mission/ Landing Gear (Plane) | R3 |
| Manual Camera/ Turret Control | Right Analog |
| Accelerate/ Ascend (Helicopter) | X |
| Brake/ Reverse | SQUARE |
| Exit Vehicle | TRIANGLE |
| Weapon | CIRCLE |
| Hand Brake | R1 |
| Look Right/ Rotate Right (Flying) | R2 |
| Weapon | L1 |
| Look Left/ Rotate Left (Flying) | L2 |
| Previous Radio Station | D-Pad DOWN |
| Next Radio Station | D-Pad UP |
| Trip Skip (When Indicated) | D-Pad RIGHT |
| N/A | D-Pad LEFT |
| Pause | START |
| Camera Modes | SELECT |
Welcome to San AndreasIf you thought you had your hands full with previous GTA offerings, whoa nelly! Welcome to San Andreas, possibly the largest console game ever made. Veterans of the series will marvel at the fact that SA feels about five times larger than Vice City, with enough core missons to keep you busy for dozens of hours. Newcomers might feel the enormity of the game collapsing in on them... but that's why we're here.
This section of the guide is dedicated to helping newcomers understand some of the things that aren't made immediately obvious by the game. For the veterans, we explain some of the changes--the new skill system, gang wars, romance, appearance... and some of the other fun stuff you'll be able to do for the very first time.
What's to Do?
As always, there are a series of missions dedicated to forwarding the expanisve story of San Andreas--the story of you, Carl Johnson. After being away from the hood for five years after the death of your family members, you've returned. The problems that plagued you are still there... and have gotten worse. It's up to you to set things right, gain respect, and deliver the hood from evil.
As always, there are a series of missions dedicated to forwarding the expanisve story of San Andreas--the story of you, Carl Johnson. After being away from the hood for five years after the death of your family members, you've returned. The problems that plagued you are still there... and have gotten worse. It's up to you to set things right, gain respect, and deliver the hood from evil.
The story missions can be found in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Walkthrough section of this guide. They are listed under the city (or countryside) they take place in and the person who doles them out. Sometimes, mission-givers disappear for awhile, and reappear when the story moves along. Pay attention where you get the mission, and try to note its name to easily find the section of walkthrough you're looking for.
Not all missions are needed to complete the story, and we've indicated (when possible) which are needed to forward the narrative. However, all missions available in a specific city, whether crucial or not, can be found listed under the person who gives them.
As you progress through the game, you'll drive and steal countless numbers of vehicles. Check out how they stack up and get driving tips in the Vehicles section of this guide. As you become more of a big-shot and start earning money, you'll want to purchase some real estate in various places around the map. This will give you more home bases and save locations. Check out the Buildings/Stores section of this guide for the low-down on property... and other stuff to buy.
You'll notice that when you get in certain vehicles, you will be able to push a button and trigger special missions. Visit the Vehicle Missions section of this guide to get the scoop on these.
In addition to missions, there is tons of stuff to find, scattered throughout the three cities and the countryside. For starters, there are 100 gang signs that you'll need to tag over. We list the locations of those in the Tags section of this guide. There are also 50Snapshots to take, 70 Unique Jumps to make, 50Oysters to find, and 50 Horseshoes to locate. Click on the links to see a list of each.
We've documented all of the other new stuff you can accomplish in the sections below. Read on!
What's in a Name?It's called Grand Theft Auto for a reason... and that's because your main means of transport is to jack someone else's car and take it on a joyride of your own. In order to jack a car, you simply need to make it stop (most motorists will stop if you stand in front of the car, unless they are going too fast to stop), then press TRIANGLE while near the car in order to assume ownership by force. For more information on the kinds of rides you can steal, visit the Vehicles section of this guide.
Once you jack a car, get out of the area quickly. People don't like getting their cars stolen, and some will come after you and try to take back what's theirs. Some of them will use a shovel to do this. You'll also want to avoid jacking a car when a cop is around. If a police officer sees you steal one, your wanted level will automatically go to one star, and the po-po will be on your tail. Which leads us to...
Wanted LevelWhat's a wanted level? It's a tangible representation of just how much trouble you're in as a criminal at the given moment. Here are things you can do to raise your wanted level:
- Jacking cars: Sure, it's the bread and butter of the game, but if a cop sees you do it, he will come after you.
- Running pedestrians over: As in life, this will draw attention, especially from the boys in blue.
- Shooting people: Pretty obvious. Shoot all you want when the cops aren't around, but when Johnny Law is in sight, lay off the trigger. If you shoot a cop, then you're in a world of hurt.
- Damaging property: This one is tricky. Cops won't nail you if are knocking down light poles, but they might take notice if you're wrecking cars left and right... especially cop cars.
The more things you do, the worse it will get. Your Wanted Level is represented by stars. If you have one star, it's pretty easy to maneuver out of danger. If you have over one star, the police will chase you more fiercely. Cars will chase you, and get more aggressive. Anything above that is big trouble. SWAT members will be called in, roadblocks formed, etc. If you want to have some fun, see how high you can get your warning level and then see how long you can stay alive/evade the police.
If the cops do catch you, they'll bust you... provided they don't run you over or shoot you first. You'll wake up after spending a night in prison. Your wallet will be a lot lighter and you'll be stripped of any weapons you may have accrued, so be extra careful when messing with 5-0. There's nothing more depressing than losing a nice Shotgun just because some bitch-ass cop decided to collar you.
Getting Out of Trouble
If your wanted level is a mere one star, all you have to do is stay out of the policeman's eyesight for a bit, and the wanted level will go away. Pursuit in motor vehicles is weak at best... so just find a quiet neighborhood to drive around in, or run to a secluded spot and just wait it out.
If your wanted level is a mere one star, all you have to do is stay out of the policeman's eyesight for a bit, and the wanted level will go away. Pursuit in motor vehicles is weak at best... so just find a quiet neighborhood to drive around in, or run to a secluded spot and just wait it out.
If the wanted level is higher, you'll be needing to get your ass to a Pay N' Spray (indicated by a green spray can icon on the map). It will cost $100 a pop, which is hardly anything when you consider you'll stay out of jail for a night. After you get your car sprayed, you have to be nice for awhile. While your stars are flashing, you'll have to stay completely out of trouble, or your warning level will immediately vault back up to its orginal glory.
Another way to whittle away at your wanted level is to find Bribe icons and walk (or drive) over them. Doing this will lower your wanted level by one star, which could be the difference between freedom and the slammer. A bribe icon is shown on the picture above. The final way to drop a wanted level is to finish a mission. Even if you're at six stars, the second you finish, the threat will go away.
Driving Tips
It's more important to drive under control than it is to drive fast. You'll avoid getting spun around and banged up, which becomes very crucial in certain missions.- When you're going fast, avoid sudden movements. These will cause your car to spin out, flip, roll, etc.
- If your car is banged up and smoking, get another one. If the mission requires you to stay in the same car... hurry up and get it to a Pay N' Spray! If a car starts flaming, get out fast, then run... it's about to blow. You won't survive if you're anywhere in the explosion halo.
- Use the R1 button on turns. It's there for a reason. You'll be able to keep some of your speed by sliding through a turn, rather than braking sharply and then turning.
- Know the limitations of your vehicle. Don't take a slow or beat-up car to a street race, for instance, and don't take a wimpy compact to a job where you know you're going to get shot at.
- Be alert. This sounds stupid, but it isn't. There is so much going on in the city that it is sometimes difficult to see where everything is coming from. Focus on driving when you're driving and you'll avoid a lot of heartache.
Mixin' It Up
In addition to driving around and causing a ruckus, another major element in GTA is combat. This game improves on everything from Vice City. The targeting is much better, and combat just feels a lot more fluid.
In addition to driving around and causing a ruckus, another major element in GTA is combat. This game improves on everything from Vice City. The targeting is much better, and combat just feels a lot more fluid.
Whether hand-to-hand or with weapons, the concept is pretty much the same. Lock on to your target with R1, then punch or shoot using either the CIRCLE or L1 button. If you're shooting a weapon, you can cycle through targets with the L2 and R2 buttons as you continue to hold down R1. In this way, you can quickly move through targets and mow down a series of enemies in a hurry.
You can also target manually. Hold down the R1 button and use the Right Analog Stick to move the manual aiming cursor around. By doing this, you can pinpoint body parts, or shoot at specific parts of a vehicle (like the gas tank). When holding down R1, you can also strafe by moving the left analog stick left and right. Use this to stay on the move and dodge bullets as you dish some of your own.
Combat Tips:
Always crouch when firing weapons. This improves your accuracy and decreases the enemy's chances of hitting you.- Speaking to a similar point, always fire from a position of cover. Crouch down next to a low wall or car and use it to protect yourself as you shoot at the opposition.
- Use the right weapon for the job. Don't bring a shotgun to the party when you need to blast across the room. A Tec-9 is a pretty good all-around bet.
- Roll to avoid fire. Whenever crouched, pressing right or left on the left analog will make you roll, and this can be used to dodge bullets.
- Use the manual camera to look around corners and down hallways before going willy-nilly into the fray. Doing this kind of cheaty recon will allow you to stay alive longer.
- Use your mini-map to discover where potential targets may be coming from. Enemies can approach from any direction, so keep your head on a swivel, and don't be surprised!
- Don't reload in the open. Always seek cover to put in a new clip.
- When you can, roll with numbers. Bringing buddies along to a fight will make it much easier.
- If you can, kill people with your car before you get out and use a gun.
- Always wear a vest. This will essentially give you two health bars to work with, and make you a much bigger asset in any firefight.
Hurting and Healing 
Throughout your little journey through the mean streets of San Andreas, you'll draw your fair share of violence, justified or not. Keep track of your health by checking out the red bar on the right side of the screen. If this completely empties, you will be "wasted" and will be deposited at the nearest hospital. If you have money, $100 of it will be taken each time you go there, so try not to go there. If you have less than $100, or are flat broke, the hospital will still heal you up, but you'll be penniless.
Throughout your little journey through the mean streets of San Andreas, you'll draw your fair share of violence, justified or not. Keep track of your health by checking out the red bar on the right side of the screen. If this completely empties, you will be "wasted" and will be deposited at the nearest hospital. If you have money, $100 of it will be taken each time you go there, so try not to go there. If you have less than $100, or are flat broke, the hospital will still heal you up, but you'll be penniless.
The hospital is one way to heal, but you'll want to do something about your condition before things get that bad. In San Andreas there are several options to heal:
- Stop by a save house and save. You will come out refreshed!
- Eat a meal at one of the restaurants on the map. Eating a meal will not recover full health, so you may need to eat a couple if you are really banged up.
- Use a vending machine. For a mere $1, you will gain a health boost.
- Pick up a "heart" icon. These are normally found within missions, but they boost your health considerably, so use them if you find them.
You'll also want to be on the lookout for body armor (it looks like a blue, spinning vest) to use before going into battle. This will essentially give you an extra full health bar to work with. The vest strength will be represented by a white bar near your health. When the body armor drops to zero, your health will be chipped away, unless you find another vest.
| Note: There is a vest right near your house. Go out behind the house and into the aqueduct to the left. Go down the sloped wall of the aqueduct and head left. On an incline underneath the bridge, you'll find a handy vest. |
Skeelz to Make the DealzIn San Andreas, your character possesses some RPG-esque attributes which can be grown throughout the course of the game to make certain things easier. While playing, you can quickly pull up a status display by pressing L1 to see how you're progressing in those categories. Most of the skills are improved by simple repetition. It stands to reason that the more you shoot weapons, the higher your Weapons Skill rises. Here are the attributes you can affect and how to do so:
Respect: Isn't respect what we're all after? Your character is no different. Respect will be earned by killing rival gang members and completing missions. You can also gain some measure of respect by dressing appropriately and taking care of yourself.
Weapon Skill: This skill measures how proficient you are with weapons. As you use specific weapons more, your skill will grow accordingly. You can check out the progress you've made with a specific weapon by looking at the Stats: Weapons scroll. You'll begin at Poor with each gun, and progress from Gangster to Hitman. As your skills improve, you'll gain the ability to hold multiple weapons and more. The Weapon Skill you see on the L1 display is your cumulative attribute.
Stamina: The more Stamina you have, the longer you will be able to sprint and hold your breath while swimming. To improve this skill, get on the treadmill or stationary bike in a Gym, run around the environment and scale a lot of hills. In addition to increasing Stamina, you will increase your Max Health, which is very helpful. Every chance you get early on, get some reps in on the bike.
Muscle: The more muscle you put on, the stronger you'll be in hand-to-hand combat, and the more attractive you'll be. You can get seriously yolked by spending some time in the Gym. Go to the Dumbells and Bench to put on lots of muscle mass quickly.
Fat: Having more Fat will slow you down, and hurt your Stamina. To get Fat, go to a restaurant and pig out on fatty foods. To burn it, do activities that promote Stamina--like running, swimming and riding the stationary bike. Or just don't eat.
Sex Appeal: This stat is a witches' brew of many factors. How does your body look? If you're ripped, your appeal will go up. If you wear the right kind of clothes and haircut and have the right tattoos, it can also improve. The number of missions you complete (ie, the more power you amass) is another factor. The higher your Sex Appeal, the more the ladies will dig you, and that's a good thing.
Eating Right 
In order to keep your body fueled up right, you'll need to eat once in awhile. It never gets to an annoying level, but you will have to nourish yourself to keep going.
In order to keep your body fueled up right, you'll need to eat once in awhile. It never gets to an annoying level, but you will have to nourish yourself to keep going.
Head to a restaurant and order up some vittles. To do so, stand on the red marker near the counter. The employee will show you a platter of goodness. Cycle through choices by pressing LEFT and RIGHT on the D-Pad. Certain meals have more fat content than others. For instance, the salad meal in a fast food place won't add to your waistline, but a double pizza meal will... in a hurry.
If you eat too often, your character will get fat. For a quick demonstration of this, save your game and head over to a fast food joint with a wad of money. Eat a bunch of $10 meals in a row and watch the pounds pile up! You can always revert to your previous save if you don't like your portly self.
Conversely, if you don't eat enough, your body will go gaunt. You will slow down because of fatigue, so watch out for that. Either way you go--skinny or fat--you will draw comments if your weight is off-kilter. Just listen up to hear passersby comment on your appearance. It's just as fun as it is in real life!
Getting Buff 
Another new thing you can do in San Andreas is to build up your character's muscles. This will be represented by a red dumbbell on the map. Cruise over there and go inside. Use the weight machines here to build up muscle and work toward your "gangsta physique."
Another new thing you can do in San Andreas is to build up your character's muscles. This will be represented by a red dumbbell on the map. Cruise over there and go inside. Use the weight machines here to build up muscle and work toward your "gangsta physique."
Select a machine and follow the onscreen directions to build your mass. Most of the equipment requires you to tap a single button or between alternating buttons. It's a good idea to put your controller flat and use index fingers to do this quickly. After several exercises, you will be unable to improve your physique for the day.
There are various pieces of equipment in the gym, and here is what they do for you:
- Treadmill: Improves Stamina, burns Fat
- Bench: Increases Muscle
- Dumbells: Increases Muscle
- Stationary Bike: Improves Stamina, burns Fat
Once you get strong enough in the gym, you will be prompted to learn some new fighting moves. Go talk to the trainer near the boxing ring and you'll get a crack at the fighter inside. Lock on to him and use melee moves to beat him silly. Don't relent... just keep on punching until he drops for good. When he does, you'll be granted new moves for your arsenal. Here is what you get:- Running Attack: Whilst running, lock on to a target with R1 then press TRIANGLE.
- Ground Attack: Lock on to a downed opponent using R1 then press TRIANGLE.
- Combo Attack: Lock on to a target by pressing R1 then press TRIANGLE repeatedly.
As you move into new cities, you'll have even more opportunities to grow your skills by visiting those Gyms.
Looking Sharp (You've Got the Look) 
There are several ways to change up your appearance that don't involve how much you work out or how much you eat. The beginning of the game does a good job of walking you through these things. Just play Sweet's early missions and he will make you go to the Barber and Clothing Store (Binco's) to get a feel for those activities.
There are several ways to change up your appearance that don't involve how much you work out or how much you eat. The beginning of the game does a good job of walking you through these things. Just play Sweet's early missions and he will make you go to the Barber and Clothing Store (Binco's) to get a feel for those activities.
Going to the barber will immediately change your haircut. Plunk down the money, get your do, and walk out of the shop a new man. The kind of haircut you get will affect how other characters treat you. You'll get respect from the homies if you get corn rows, for instance. However, if you roll into the hood with a Jheri Curl, your buddies will rip on you. Show that same cut to the ladies, and they'll... erm.. let their soul glow. You can get fancy and change your haircut before a date, and that's just what we recommend, as long as you can afford it.
You can also buy new threads at a number of clothing stores in various locations. Stores will be represented by a shirt icon on the map. To buy clothes, head inside the store and go back to the fitting room. Here, you'll be given a list of different elements to your wardrobe. Select one to view the wares, try them on, and grab the gear you want. The last thing you buy is what you wear out of the store. In order to change, you'll need to go back to the wardrobe in your house (the upper floor in CJ's home). Early in the game, you'll want to wear something green... as these are the colors of your Grove Street Family gang.
The final piece of the vanity puzzle is the tattoo parlor. Go inside to ink yourself up. Tattoos range in price and size, and you can choose to put them almost anywhere. Note, though, that some tats will be obscured by clothing, should you choose to wear it. If you have a nice big back tat, consider going shirtless. Passersby will also comment on your tattoos, so choose well. It's a good idea to get a Grove Street tat to impress your homies.
Romance... San Andreas StyleSo you're hot... now what? Once you meet Denise in the Tenpenny "Burning Desire" mission, you'll have a special lady to take care of. Her house will now appear on the map as a heart, and you can go over there at any time and walk to the red marker to take her out. When you get to her place, a number of icons will appear, showing fast food, diner, restaurants and bars. You will get tips onscreen as to the area she might like to eat in, so take her to someplace nice in that region. On the way, she's likely to want to do some drive-bys, so just roll with it.
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When you arrive at the place you want to take her to, get out of the car. Before you go in, you may be prompted to kiss her. Go ahead and take the opportunity. It may help your progress with your lady. If you take your girl to a spot she likes (in her neighborhood, usually), she'll view you favorably. If she doesn't like the place you go, your progress will take a hit, and she'll ask to be driven home. No nookie for you!
Pay attention to your girl, or she will stop liking you. If she calls you on the phone and tells you that you've been ignoring her, that's your cue to get over there and take her on a date. If you don't bother to follow up on a phone call, consider that date a disaster. Missing dates is a sure way to fall out of favor with your honey.
As you move deeper into the game, you'll gain other girlfriends. Progress with each can be monitored at the Stats: Achievements screen.
Two-Person HijinksYou'll notice that the first time you go to Denise's house, there is an unfamiliar icon on her front porch. This is the two-player mission icon. Plug in a separate Dual Shock, get a buddy, and raise twice the amount of hell in San Andreas .
BurglariesOnce you complete Ryder's Home Invasion mission, you will be able to burglarize several houses scattered around the map. You must be driving the same kind of black truck used in this particular mission, but the burglaries will work roughly the same. Look for places that are lit up at night. If a yellow marker appears near the door, sneak inside, remain steathly (using crouch is the best for this), and watch the noise meter. Take goods out to the truck until the house is cleaned out, and put them inside. When the truck is full, drive it to the lockup.
Gang WarfareOnce you do the Sweet: Doberman mission, you will have the ability to start your own gang wars. To do it, go into any area on the map marked something other than green (the Grove Street colors) and start shooting the gangsters there. This will provoke a gang war, and rival gang members will start coming out of the woodwork. Every gang war has three waves of attackers, and you will be told you survived the wave once it is complete. After each wave, be sure to pick up any weapons and money the rival gangs drop.
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Once you survive three waves, you will control the territory. It is now yours on the map, and appears green. Your own gang member will now be seen in the area... but it won't remain yours forever. Rival gangs will constantly try to take your turf over, and when they do, it will flash red and an icon will appear. Controlling turf also leads to money and respect. The cash will appear in Grove Street, so head back there to collect.
| Note: It's always best to roll with a bunch of your own guys when trying to take over territory, so begin in an area that you control, target your own guys, and rally them to your cause by pressing UP on the D-Pad. Once you have a crew, get into a vehicle and roll off to the hood you want to conquer. The more respect you earn, the more homies you will be able to recruit to your cause. |
