Trivia / Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

• Acclaimed Flop: Was given widespread critical acclaim (IGN gave the game a 9.3/10, Eurogamer gave it a perfect score, etc.), but greatly underperformed in both its DS and PSP incarnations. It wasn't until the iOS release that the game finally reached its audience and became a success.
• Vindicated by Cable: The original DS release sold well below expectations, and the PSP port sold even worse despite having improved graphics and new content. The iOS port, on the other hand, sold very well and reached the top of the App Store charts.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Given her prominence in marketing material despite her role being relatively small, it's assumed that Ling Shan was originally going to play a larger role in the story before being Demoted to Extra, as those characters who have artworks tend to have pivotal roles in the storyline.
  • The State of Alderney was to be included, but due the limitations of the Nintendo DS this wasn't possible. When the game was made for PlayStation Portable, the developers briefly considered adding Alderney, but the idea was dropped as well, likely due to the borough's irrelevancy to the main story.
  • The Grand Theft Auto IV LCPD database mentions Lester Leroc under the name "Lee Leroc". It was likely changed because the protagonist's surname is Lee.
  • The PlayStation Portable version wasn't going to include Mellanie Mallard's mission. (YMMV on Sony's involvement, if any).
  • Rudy D'Avanzo and his missions didn't exist in the original version of the game. That said, some fans feel that D'Avanzo's role in the game is completely unnecessary, as they have little to no relevance to the plot and he ends up forgotten after Huang kills him.
  • Niko Bellic, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV, was originally intended to make an appearance, but was dropped since his retirement from crime after the events of IV meant that coming up with a role for him in this game would be difficult.
  • The Lost Motorcycle Club was originally intended to appear as common enemies on the streets, but they were cut due to Alderney not being accessible. Nevertheless, they still make appearances in three of Lester Leroc's missions.
  • Like previous games, eating at the Burger Shots, buying clothes, making tattoos and flying helicopters were all planned to be included in this game as well, but it wasn't possible due to graphical or hardware limitations.

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