GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony

[Wrestlevania]

Why the sudden hate, 'blix? I thought you loved games!

He was kidding.

[toblix]

Well, I can tell you I'm not kidding about being extremely disappointed with Rockstar for their fucking up multiplayer three times now. Unfortunately it looks like we'll have to wait four more years of whatever how long it takes for them to whip up another sequel. It seems they're really certain that the fucking ridiculous mobile phone game restarting system is what's right for GTA IV. The Episodes from Liberty City DVD had me grabbing on to a glimmer of hope that they'd make a unified multiplayer extragavanza mode, but it turns out I was only clutching a turd of shit.

Anyway, the single player is bound to be amazing and worth the money by itself. It's just so sad the multiplayer is getting the short end.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Nobody played this yet? Really enjoying it so far. So great to be back in Liberty City. Sad that this is the last time...

[toblix]

I've played it for a bit. I like it. I like that it's not hastily made, and has lots of cut-scenes and new shit. The new frrrrrr gun is awesome too. I don't like the whole post-mission summary thing. It's just jarring and tacked-on. I like that they've continued being more forgiving with checkpoints and stuff.

Althought these chapters have been great, the compressed curve of difficulty, when you get your weapons, etc. really makes it obvious these are "mini games". I really think the large scope of GTA IV, that you become more experienced, get richer and get access to new weapons much more slowly, felt more realistic or believeable or whatever. In both TLAD and BOGT you come right of the gate with SWAT grade automatic shotguns.

I would definitely buy more of these very well-made episodes, but I wouldn't be sad if they were making a whole new sequel instead.

[Patters]

Have either of you checked the multiplayer lobby? Just wondering whether they didn't mention the old stuff.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I've played it for a bit. I like it. I like that it's not hastily made, and has lots of cut-scenes and new shit. The new frrrrrr gun is awesome too. I don't like the whole post-mission summary thing. It's just jarring and tacked-on.

No, I love the post-mission summary bit, I think it's a great idea. Not sure if you realise, but once you've finish the main campaign, you get a menu to pick and replay each of the missions and improve your "score". I wish they'd thought of it for the original game, myself.

@Patters: Haven't checked the multiplayer so far, but really really enjoying the main missions.

[Nachimir]

once you've finish the main campaign, you get a menu to pick and replay each of the missions and improve your "score". I wish they'd thought of it for the original game, myself.

Oh hell yes, I've been wanting this in every single GTA game.

[Irishjohn]

I must confess, I'm not a big fan of the mission completed screen. But then, I really don't care. I will never go back and replay a mission for a better score, ever!

Still, it's no big deal for someone like me, who doesn't care, and it's welcomed by people who do care, so that's quite cool.

[toblix]

Yeah, no, it's great that they're adding a feature that lots of people want. I just think the implementation of it is a bit jarring. I really liked it when you heard the little hip-hop fanfare that marked a completed mission, and think the whole rainbow thing with checkboxes and target percentages is horrible. I would've hidden it and let the players who were interested in the percentage score be able to show it by hitting X or something. It sucks to have completed a hard mission, and then it goes all gay and shows a big 35% sign and lots of empty checkboxes. It sort of takes away from the feeling of accomplishment.

Also, I know people have commented on this all the way back from the original game, but is the dialogue a bit more... I dunno, strange than usual? The gangstas are all "yo, esse, AHAHAH!!! U was all up in this mother fucker, etc.", and then they suddenly use a word that makes one think of a distinguished gentle manne reading aloud from his vellum edition of Johnson's Dictionary or some shit.

Anyway, the sticky bombs are hot shit.

[Nachimir]

I will never go back and replay a mission for a better score, ever!

I don't care about scores for them, but there were so many missions I really enjoyed, and didn't always have saves that would allow me to go back to them.

[James]

Yeah, I have definitely been missing the ability to go back and replay the highlights without having to pre-empt them with strategic saving or simply playing through the whole damn thing again.

Also: I had to delete a couple of things to install this and I still only have a couple of megabytes left. Stupid space limitations.

[miffy495]

This would be why I will be unable to join in discussion until my new hard drive arrives. Unfortunate, given my "frothing demand for this game." (ign.com)

[SoulChicken]

One of my best friends works on the soundtracks for Rockstar. The way it works is he proposes track lists and one of the game designers has the final say. Holy shit he did a good job!

The Beat 102.7

DJ: Mister Cee, DJ Green Lantern, Funkmaster Flex† and Statik Selektah

Genre: Contemporary hip hop, R&B[6]

Tracklist:

Swizz Beatz – "Top Down"

Nas – "War is Necessary"

Kanye West featuring: Dwele – "Flashing Lights"

Joell Ortiz featuring: Jadakiss & Saigon – "Hip Hop (Remix)"

Fat Joe featuring: Lil Wayne – "The Crackhouse"

Mobb Deep – "Dirty New Yorker"

Ghostface Killah featuring: Kid Capri – "We Celebrate"

Styles P featuring: Sheek Louch & Jadakiss – "Blow Your Mind (Remix)"

Papoose – "Stylin'"

Styles P – "What's the Problem"

Uncle Murda – "Anybody Can Get It"

Qadir - "Nicknames"

Busta Rhymes – "Where's My Money"

Maino – "Getaway Driver"

Busta Rhymes featuring: Ron Browz – "Arab Money"

Red Cafe – "Stick'm"

Tru-Life – "Wet 'em Up"

Johnny Polygon – "Price on Your Head"

T.I. featuring: Swizz Beatz – "Swing Ya Rag"†

Ron Browz – "Jumping (Out the Window)"†

DJ Khaled featuring: Kanye West & T-Pain – "Go Hard"†

Kardinal Offishall featuring Akon & Sean Paul – "Dangerous (Remix)"†

John Legend featuring: André 3000 – "Green Light"†

Kanye West – "Love Lockdown"†

B.o.B – "Auto-Tune"†

Termanology – "Here in Liberty City"†

Freeway – "Carjack"†

Saigon – "Spit"†

Skyzoo – "The Chase Is On"†

Consequence – "I Hear Footsteps"†

Talib Kweli – "My Favorite Song"†

Busta Rhymes featuring: Young Jeezy & Jadakiss – "Respect My Conglomerate"†

The Classics 104.1

DJ: Mixed by DJ Premier

Genre: Golden age hip hop[6]

Tracklist:

Group Home – "Supa Star"

Brand Nubian – "All for One"

Special Ed – "I Got It Made"

Jeru the Damaja – "D. Original"

Marley Marl feat. Craig G – "Droppin' Science"

MC Lyte – "Cha Cha Cha"

Audio Two – "Top Billin'"

Stetsasonic – "Go Stetsa I"

T La Rock & Jazzy Jay – "It's Yours"

Gang Starr – "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"

Main Source feat. Nas & Akinyele – "Live at the Barbeque"

ElectroChoc

DJ: François K and Crookers†

Genre: Electro house, Electronica, Electronic Rock [7]

Tracklist:

Padded Cell – "Signal Failure"

Black Devil – "The Devil In Us (Dub)"

One + One – "No Pressure (Deadmau5 Remix)"

Alex Gopher – "Brain Leech (Bugged Mind Remix)"

K.I.M. – "B.T.T.T.T.R.Y. (Bag Raiders Remix)"

Simian Mobile Disco – "Tits & Acid"

Nitzer Ebb – "Let Your Body Learn"

Kavinsky – "Testarossa (SebastiAn Remix)"

Chris Lake vs. Deadmau5 – "I Thought Inside Out (Original Mix)"

Boys Noize – "& Down"

Justice – "Waters of Nazareth"

Killing Joke – "Turn to Red"

Playgroup – "Make It Happen" (instrumental version)

Liquid Liquid – "Optimo"

Major Lazer feat. Leftside & Supahype - "Jump Up"†

Crookers feat. Nic Sarno - "I Need You"†

Crookers feat. Kelis - "No Security"†

Fusion FM

DJ: Roy Ayers

Genre: Funk/jazz-fusion

Tracklist:

David Axelrod and David McCallum – "The Edge"

Roy Ayers – "Funk in the Hole"

Gong – "Heavy Tune"

David Axelrod – "Holy Thursday"

Grover Washington Jr. – "Knucklehead"

Aleksander Maliszewski – "Pokusa"

Ryo Kawasaki – "Raisins"

Marc Moulin – "Stomp"

Billy Cobham – "Stratus"

Tom Scott & The L.A. Express – "Sneakin' in the Back"

IF99 – International Funk

DJ: Femi Kuti

Genre: Funk and Afrobeat[8]

Tracklist:

Lonnie Liston Smith – "A Chance for Peace"

War – "Galaxy"

The O'Jays – "Give the People What They Want"

Gil Scott-Heron – "Home Is Where the Hatred Is"

The Meters – "Just Kissed My Baby"

Mandrill – "Livin' It Up"

Manu Dibango – "New Bell"

Fela Kuti – "Sorrow, Tears & Blood"

Femi Kuti – "Truth Don Die"

Creative Source – "Who Is He and What Is He to You"

Hummingbird – "You Can't Hide Love"

Fela Kuti – "Zombie"

JNR – Jazz Nation Radio 108.5

DJ: Roy Haynes

Genre: Jazz

Tracklist:

Count Basie – "April in Paris"

John Coltrane – "Giant Steps"

Chet Baker – "Let's Get Lost"

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers – "Moanin'"

Miles Davis – "Move"

Charlie Parker – "Night and Day"

Roy Haynes – "Snap Crackle"

Sonny Rollins – "St. Thomas"

Duke Ellington – "Take the "A" Train"

Dizzy Gillespie – "Whisper Not (Big Band)"

[edit]The Journey

K109 The Studio

DJ: Karl Lagerfeld

Genre: Disco[9]

Tracklist:

Peter Brown – "Burning Love Breakdown"

Tamiko Jones – "Can't Live Without Your Love"

Gino Soccio – "Dancer"

Suzy Q – "Get On Up and Do It Again"

Electrik Funk – "On a Journey"

Raymond Donnez – "Standing in the Rain"

Cerrone – "Supernature"

Rainbow Brown – "Till You Surrender"

Harry Thumann – "Underwater"

Skatt Brothers – "Walk the Night"

Créme D'Cocoa - "Doin the Dog"†

Sylvester - "I Need You"†

Machine - "There but for the Grace of God Go I"†

Liberty Rock Radio 97.8

DJ: Iggy Pop

Genre: Classic Rock

Tracklist:

The Smashing Pumpkins – "1979"

Godley & Creme – "Cry"

The Sisters of Mercy – "Dominion/Mother Russia"

Stevie Nicks – "Edge of Seventeen"

Electric Light Orchestra – "Evil Woman"

David Bowie – "Fascination"

Hello – "New York Groove"

Black Sabbath – "Heaven and Hell"

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – "Her Strut"

The Stooges – "I Wanna Be Your Dog"

Genesis – "Mama"

Q Lazzarus – "Goodbye Horses"

Queen – "One Vision"

The Black Crowes – "Remedy"

Joe Walsh – "Rocky Mountain Way"

Heart – "Straight On"

Steve Marriott's All Stars – "Cocaine"

Thin Lizzy – "Jailbreak"

The Who – "The Seeker"

Elton John – "Street Kids"

ZZ Top – "Thug"

R.E.M. – "Turn You Inside-Out"

Nazareth – "Hair of the Dog"†

Styx – "Renegade"†

Rod Stewart – "Every Picture Tells a Story"†

Lynyrd Skynyrd – "Saturday Night Special"†

The James Gang – "Funk#49"†

Edgar Winter Group – "Free Ride"†

Aerosmith – "Lord of the Thighs"†

Deep Purple – "Highway Star"†

AC/DC – "Touch Too Much"†

Foghat – "Drivin' Wheel"†

The Doors – "Five to One"†

Alice Cooper – "Go to Hell"†

Jefferson Starship – "Jane"†

Iron Maiden – "Run to the Hills"†

Mötley Crüe – "Wild Side"†

Saxon – "Wheels of Steel"†

The Doobie Brothers – "China Grove"†

Bon Jovi – "Wanted Dead or Alive"†

Radio Broker

DJ: Juliette Lewis

Genre: Dance-Punk, Alternative rock[6], Indie rock[11]

Tracklist:

Airport 81 – Dequencer

The Boggs – "Arm in Arm (Shy Child Mix)"

Cheeseburger – "Cocaine"

Get Shakes – "Disneyland, Pt 1"

LCD Soundsystem – "Get Innocuous!"

The Prairie Cartel – "Homicide" (999 cover)

Juliette and the Licks – "Inside the Cage (David Gilmour Girls remix)"*

Unkle featuring: The Duke Spirit – "Mayday"

The Rapture – "No Sex for Ben"

Tom Vek – "One Horse Race"

Teenager – "Pony"

Les Savy Fav – "Raging in the Plague Age"

White Light Parade – "Riot in the City"

Deluka – "Sleep Is Impossible"

The Black Keys – "Strange Times"

The Pistolas – "Take It with a Kiss"

Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band – "The Teacher"

Greenskeepers – "Vagabond"

Whitey – "Wrap It Up"

!!! – "Yadnus (Still Going to the Roadhouse mix)"

Blonde Acid Cult – "Shake It Loose"†

Kill Memory Crash – "Hell on Wheels"†

Magic Dirt – "Get Ready to Die"†

Brazilian Girls – "Nouveau Americain"†

Spinnerette – "Borderline"†

Kreeps – "The Hunger (Blood in My Mouth)"†

Japanther – "Radical Businessman"†

Foxylane – "Command"†

Monotonix – "Body Language"†

Game Rebellion – "Dance Girl (GTA Mix)"†

The Yelling – "Blood on the Steps"†

The Jane Shermans – "I Walk Alone"†

The Vibe 98.8

DJ: Vaughn Harper

Genre: Soul/R&B[6]

Tracklist:

R. Kelly – "Bump n' Grind"

Mtume – "C.O.D. (I'll Deliver)"

Alexander O'Neal – "Criticize"

RAMP – "Daylight"

The Isley Brothers – "Footsteps in the Dark"

Jodeci – "Freek'n You"

Lloyd – "Get It Shawty"

Jill Scott – "Golden"

Loose Ends – "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"

Freddie Jackson – "Have You Ever Loved Somebody"

Dru Hill – "In My Bed (So So Def remix)"

Marvin Gaye – "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"

Minnie Riperton – "Inside My Love"

Barry White – "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing"

C.J. – "I Want You"

The SOS Band – "Just Be Good to Me"

Ginuwine – "Pony"

Raheem DeVaughn – "You"

Ne-Yo – "Because of You"

Self-Actualization FM†

DJ: Audrey - Ashley Albert

Genre: Ambient/Chillout/Minimalism/New Age

Tracklist:

The Orb - A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre of the Ultraworld (Live Mix MK10)

Alpha Wave Movement - Artifacts & Prophecies

Autechre - Bike

Larry Heard - Cosmology Myth

Chilled by Nature - Go Forward (Love Bubble Mix)

Tom Middleton - Moonbathing

Alucidnation - Skygazer (3002) (Remix)

Pete Namlook and Klaus Schulze (feat. Bill Laswell) - V/8 Psychedelic Brunch

Vice City FM†

DJ: Fernando Martinez

Genre: 1980s pop music

Tracklist:

Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance"

Swing Out Sister - "Breakout"

Robbie Nevil - "C'est La Vie"

Roachford - "Cuddly Toy (Feel for Me)"

Narada Michael Walden - "Divine Emotions"

Five Star - "Find the Time"

T'Pau - "Heart and Soul"

Mai Tai - "History"

Nu Shooz - "I Can't Wait"

Texas - "I Don't Want a Lover"

Marillion - "Kayleigh"

Hue and Cry - "Labour of Love"

Climie Fisher - "Love Changes (Everything)"

Hall & Oates - "Maneater"

Curiosity Killed the Cat - "Misfit"

Coldcut & Lisa Stansfield - "People Hold On"

Level 42 - "Something About You"

Jeffrey Osborne - "Stay With Me Tonight"

Womack & Womack - "Teardrops"

Roxette - "The Look"

Re-Flex - "The Politics of Dancing"

'Til Tuesday - "Voices Carry"

Boy Meets Girl - "Waiting for a Star to Fall"

Prefab Sprout - "When Love Breaks Down"

Terence Trent D'Arby - "Wishing Well"

Wet Wet Wet - "Wishing I Was Lucky"

Scritti Politti - "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)"

John Farnham - "You're the Voice"

There's a few more stations also.

[toblix]

Yeah, the GTA soundtracks have been awesome. If they released a complete soundtrack collection on iTunes or CDs, I'd buy it in a second, but unlike the earlier games, they haven't, and only released a "best of" CD.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Yeah, I really noticed how awesome the music was in the Ballad of Gay Tony... The was one moment in the game where The Doors's song totally synced with what was going on... perfectly. It was incredible and I thought it was done on purpose (wouldn't blame them) but then it turned out to just have randomly been precisely the right track for that particular mission. Very cool.

[Wrestlevania]

I must confess, I'm not a big fan of the mission completed screen.

I just started playing a little last night, and the post-mission screen was so jarring and garish, for a moment I actually thought the game had crashed while saving!

It's a nice idea, but ugly and overbearing in its implementation in my opinion. Not a good piece of interface or information design.

It would be nice if you could just switch it off in the options. Alternatively, why doesn't it arrive like a text message on your phone, like the replay mission messages do? That would be much more integrated and slick I think.

Anyway, that gripe aside, I already really like the characterisations of Luis and - in particular - Tony. Yussuf I'm not overly sure of yet; like a lot of what Omid Djalili does, his character is leaning just a little too hard on the "Look at me, I'm a crazy Iranian!" like many of his performances do.

He's still fun though and I do like him strutting around in his pants, thrusting to Rap music in an awkward but likeable, couldn't-give-a-shit way. He's definitely got charm, as do the other two new characters.

I must also confess to snorting loudly at hitting a guy in the nuts with a golf ball from 200 yards during the opening mission.

[toblix]

It's great that they can still get tons of value out of the city they built for GTA IV. For example, the mission where you

follow the car in the helicopter

would be extremely expensive to make if you had to create assets specifically for it, but now they're just getting all this free stuff.

[Wrestlevania]

Yeah, I really noticed how awesome the music was in the Ballad of Gay Tony... The was one moment in the game where The Doors's song totally synced with what was going on... perfectly. It was incredible and I thought it was done on purpose (wouldn't blame them) but then it turned out to just have randomly been precisely the right track for that particular mission. Very cool.

I had something very similar to that happen in the original game, when you execute that faux-gangsta idiot, Manny, and then cart his dead body off to that black market organ dealer.

As the instruction to take him there from another main character ended, the music fading up on the radio was from a particularly disturbing scene from Silence of the Lambs:

22ltlLZkFlE

It was really chilling and added a lot more gravitas to what I was doing at that particular moment. Made the hairs on my arms stand up.

[Irishjohn]

Yeah, the GTA soundtracks have been awesome. If they released a complete soundtrack collection on iTunes or CDs, I'd buy it in a second, but unlike the earlier games, they haven't, and only released a "best of" CD.

I suppose in theory you could go hog-wild on iTunes with the list above, but that's precious video game money!

[toblix]

Oh, Lord, anyone else get to the last mission, the

shootout in the club

? Jesus Christ.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Oh, Lord, anyone else get to the last mission, the

shootout in the club

? Jesus Christ.

Aye. I really like how they toughened up the missions. By the time you got the end of GTAIV it was just too easy (you only tended to fail when you didn't get to a the right trigger point in time).

Hint:

Explosive rounds is the way I did it.

[toblix]

Oh man, for some reason I thougth I was supposed to use the heavy machine gun I had just gotten. Turns out the explosive shotgun made everything easy again. Also, that wasn't the final mission, which was awesome. The final playable segment, coming down from the big finale, was just awesome.

[James]

Omid Djalili

I thought it sounded like him!

[miffy495]

Whoo! Hard Drive is here! Doing the disk transfer thing right now, then to the intertubes to download Gay Tony!

[Patters]

Whoo! Hard Drive is here! Doing the disk transfer thing right now, then to the intertubes to download Gay Tony!

Rad, on for the multiplayer this week maybe?