5 fun activities in GTA San Andreas that are sadly absent in newer games

GTA San Andreas is a timeless classic with many fun features that are, unfortunately, absent from newer titles within the series. Do note that this list was made long before GTA 6 was formally revealed, meaning there's no telling if any of the activities mentioned below will be present in that title. Everything shown here isn't present in Grand Theft Auto V or Online, either.

Do keep in mind that this list solely focuses on base game features. While there are mods that replicate similar activities, they're not being considered for the sake of this article. Likewise, similar yet non-identical features won't count.

Note: Some of the content in this article is subjective.

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Five cool GTA San Andreas features that aren't present in newer games

1) Recruiting gang members

Many Grand Theft Auto games have a huge focus on gangs, yet they sadly lack the feature of being able to recruit members to tag along with you. GTA San Andreas was different in that CJ could go to any Grove Street Families NPC on the street and let them accompany him on whatever the player wished to do.

The number of gang members that could be recruited was based on the player's Respect. Their AI wasn't the best, but it was still nice to have some bodies for the enemies to shoot at, not to mention that they could occasionally eliminate a hostile foe.

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2) Burglar side mission

CJ stealing something in GTA San Andreas (Image via GTA Wiki)

Heists are a huge part of modern Grand Theft Auto games. However, breaking into a person's home and stealing objects to pawn them off for money later has been absent since GTA San Andreas.

Burglar was a side mission where CJ could enter most homes at night, steal some items, and then sell them before morning came. Ideally, gamers would avoid getting caught, as they would receive an undesirable Wanted Level in that case. The player had to use a Boxville in this mission. Newer titles still have that truck, so it's not as if this vehicle was cut.

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3) Spawn Jetpack cheat code

CJ with a Jetpack (Image via KilLSquadGamer)

The Thruster in Grand Theft Auto Online is the only Jetpack in modern games. Unfortunately, there are no cheat codes for vehicles in that title. By comparison, GTA San Andreas players can spawn a Jetpack anywhere they want by inputting a specific button combination.

There are also some differences between this item and the Thruster. The former can never be destroyed and also controls a little bit differently. Not to mention, CJ never has to spend a dime to get the Jetpack in his game.

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4) Learning alternate fighting styles

In GTA San Andreas, CJ could fight in different styles, such as:

• Default
• Boxing
• Karate
• MMA

There are some minor differences between each of them, and they are not limited to just animations. For example, mastering some MMA from the Below the Belt Gym would allow CJ to grapple and knee opponents, which KOs most NPCs instantly.

Later games don't have this sort of diversity when it comes to melee combat. To their credit, some titles like Grand Theft Auto IV have a robust fighting system, but that's a separate feature altogether from practicing new moves in a gym.

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5) Basketball

CJ playing some Basketball (Image via GTA Wiki)

Basketball was a minor yet fun feature where CJ could just shoot the ball into a hoop at his own leisure. It wasn't a complicated inclusion, yet seeing a basketball court somewhere in GTA San Andreas was nice to unwind for a quick minute or two. CJ could even do the trick or dunk the ball if the player let him.

Basketball courts do exist in other Grand Theft Auto titles, yet sadly lack a minigame. Considering how fun and popular the sport is in real life, seeing it expanded upon in a future game would be nice.