Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

A top-down view, a handheld console for kids, and a brutal drug gang warring for dominance over Liberty City. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is one of the boldest and most unexpected pieces in the history of the series. Rockstar took its controversial brand, returned it to the isometric view of the original entries and crammed a full-fledged crime epic into a Nintendo DS cartridge. And the result surprised absolutely everyone.

The game combines the classic GTA formula, that is free-roaming an open city, completing missions and causing chaos, with mechanics tailored to the DS touch screen. With the stylus you smash car windows while stealing them, assemble improvised explosives in the form of a minigame, and even run a full-fledged drug-trade system where you track prices and hunt for the most lucrative markets. The story follows Huang Lee, who arrives in Liberty City to avenge his father's death.

Chinatown Wars was developed by Rockstar Leeds in collaboration with Rockstar North and released in 2009. Visually it bets on a fresh cel-shading-inspired style that gives the isometric world a comic-book sharpness. The game was later ported to the PSP and the iOS and Android mobile platforms, finding an even wider audience.

Culturally it was an unexpected critical triumph. Chinatown Wars reaped excellent scores and ranks among the highest-rated games on the entire Nintendo DS. Many reviewers called it one of the best portable games of its generation and proof that a sprawling, mature game could be brought to handheld hardware without compromising the fun. Commercially it was not a bestseller, but its critical reputation remains unshakeable.

What makes Chinatown Wars exceptional is the incredible density of its content and the cleverness with which the creators adapted a big game to a small screen. It is a full-fledged GTA with everything included, just in pocket format, while retaining its own distinct identity. For any fan of the series and of handheld games alike, it is a small miracle.

Why play: A full-fledged, critically celebrated GTA in a pocket isometric rendition, one of the best games on the entire DS.