Introduction

So GTA: Vice City wasn't enough for you, huh? Wanted a bigger challenge, did you? Need to play an almost unlimited amount of Grand Theft Auto? Well, Rockstar has answered your prayers. With breadth and scope surpassing anything on the system, San Andreas is not only great... it's enormous! What exactly are you in for? Read on...

This massive game spans the entire state of San Andreas, with visits to three major cities patterned on real-life counterparts. There's Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), a gritty blur of smog and violence; San Fierro (based on San Francisco), and Las Venturas (based on Las Vegas), a midnight wonderland crawling with money, sex and corruption.

Three cities would have been more than enough to keep gamers busy for months, but Rockstar went and did it... adding huge chunks of countryside that link all the areas together. Contained within this massive landscape is a helluva lot of game. There are dozens of missions, hundreds of secrets, tons of vehicles and weapons, and all kinds of new stuff to do.

Stuff like recruiting gang members, swimming, building property, riding bikes, eating, working out, getting a haircut, attracting the ladies and much, much more. And we've got the guide to it all right here. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be expanding on what's already here to make this the ultimate GTA: SA resource on the web.

Here's what you'll find inside:

• Basics on everything from eating right, checking stats, leveling up skills, and much, much more.
• A list of Weapons/Tools, where to get them and which is best.
• A comprehensive list of Vehicles in the game.
• Descriptions of all the key Buildings/Stores in the game, and what you can find inside.
• The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Walkthrough .
• Information to complete your collection of  Snapshots , listing locations.
• A list of the Tag locations in the game. Head here first, then get taggin'!
• Oyster locations.
• Horseshoe locations.
• Info to help you find the Unique Jumps.
• All the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Cheats , hints and secrets you can shake a stick at.

This strategy guide is also available as a downloadable PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file for IGN Insider members. You can view and navigate PDF files with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the Acrobat Reader software if you don't have it already so that you can view the files immediately after downloading. The program is available in both Windows and Macintosh format. Click here to download the GTA: San Andreas PDF Guide. If you aren't yet subscribing to IGN Insider, sign up now for tons of guides, movies, and exclusive daily content.

Want to know how many man-hours go into making an IGN Guide? About as many as it would take to make your physique look like the gentleman to your left. Rest assured that we do not sleep until every last detail is unearthed, every last mission is explained and every last secret is unfurled. Another Quality Guide by: Chris "Hammer Pants" Carle Hidden Stuff by: David "Sweet Child O' Mine" McCutcheon

On to Basics...