Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition, a remaster of a compilation of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, has been a source of rumors for quite a while. With their existence having been recently confirmed, the games will technically be Rockstar’s first new release in the franchise since Grand Theft Auto 5 eight years ago.
Previously unseen for a widely popular Rockstar game, let alone three, the remastered set will make its way to Nintendo Switch alongside the other main systems. The Switch will be the first home Nintendo console that has Grand Theft Auto games in its library.
A First in Grand Theft Auto's History
There are several reasons for long-time fans to be hyped for the trilogy, such as revisiting a title like San Andreas, which is the best-selling PS2 game of all time. However, one thing that sets these remasters apart from previous Grand Theft Auto titles is their accessibility. Previously limited to more “mature” systems like the PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as computers, the remasters’ Switch version will be the first game to be released on a Nintendo platform since Chinatown Wars.
Ironically, Rockstar is trying to make sure that Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition will be the ideal—and the only way—to play these games. By removing the original Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy from Steam, Rockstar restricts access to people that might be interested in the older versions to know what the fuss was about. While this decision is iffy, they will get to experience something new alongside everyone else.
It’s no secret as to why Nintendo fans ought to be excited about the trilogy. It’s not just because about expanding the Switch’s third-party library with games that would’ve never been associated with the Nintendo label with their big releases. It’s about being able to re-experience history the way Grand Theft Auto veterans were able to back in the 2000s. Prior to this, the closest thing a person could get to a Grand Theft Auto experience via Nintendo was the Game Boy Color versions of the often forgotten first two Grand Theft Auto games, Advance on the Game Boy Advance, and Chinatown Wars on the DS.
And these games pale in comparison to the cultural phenomenon that the trilogy from the sixth generation of gaming ended up being. The lack of ports on Nintendo consoles and the company’s reputation for being kid-friendly when compared to its contemporaries were unfortunate. They prevented a significant number of dedicated Nintendo fans from experiencing some of the most important games of all time when they were huge and new. Now, not only will Nintendo fans will be able to play these games, but they might be able to join the fun with potential future Grand Theft Auto remasters.
Controversial Content on a Family-Friendly Platform
Grand Theft Auto, one of the most famous M-rated series in gaming, is also one of the most controversial for its depraved, violent content. Since video game storytelling has evolved, these games’ content does not seem as daring, especially with its successors’ own controversial moments. This doesn’t prevent the trilogy of remasters from being groundbreaking from a Nintendo-centric perspective. If they haven’t already taken a look at these games beforehand, Nintendo fans will get to experience certain moments that particularly embody Grand Theft Auto's trademark violence.
That being said, violent, vulgar, or otherwise controversial games are not foreign to Nintendo systems, especially nowadays. The company’s consoles have greeted current and past exclusives such as Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Eternal Darkness, No More Heroes, and the Bayonetta sequels. The GameCube and the Wii were also notable for their well-liked versions of Resident Evil 4. Non-Nintendo-published games on its consoles used to be a novelty, now they're expected.
A Possibly Bright Future For the Series and Nintendo
Releasing the trilogy’s remasters on the Switch is also interesting because of Rockstar’s alleged plans to port Grand Theft Auto 5 to the Wii U, an admittedly ambitious plan that obviously failed to come to fruition. Porting Rockstar’s modern titles like the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is a pipedream, not because of the games’ content, but because of how huge they are. If Rockstar were to port these games to the Switch, it will be forced to rely on having players digitally downloading most of the games’ content even with physical copies. That means that seeing Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas on the Switch will not likely open doors for its contemporaries’ Nintendo debut.
Despite these restrictions, Rockstar is obviously open-minded when it comes to collaborating with Nintendo. If the remastered trilogy is successful, there might be more opportunities for future Rockstar ports, most notably Bully or even Grand Theft Auto 4 if the game isn’t too big for the Switch. Or, if it wants to be particularly ambitious, it could port the Max Payne trilogy. Seeing Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition on the Switch is an achievement in itself for the series and its history, as well as Nintendo themselves. it might allow other older Rockstar games to shine. If Nintendo fans are lucky, they might get spoiled.
Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition is in development for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.