New Delhi: Three classic Grand Theft Auto games are coming to the New Nintendo 3DS family through an ambitious fan-made project that brings GTA 3, GTA: Vice City and GTA: Liberty City Stories to Nintendo’s handheld hardware.
Called reGTA Collection, the project is being developed by homebrew creator EpicReds0817, also known as Epic0522. Unlike an emulation-based release, the collection consists of native ports built around reverse-engineered open-source projects. The completed project is planned for release in early October.
The development is particularly notable because Rockstar Games never released a native mainline 3D-era Grand Theft Auto game for the Nintendo 3DS. While the franchise previously appeared on Nintendo handhelds through Grand Theft Auto Advance on Game Boy Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on Nintendo DS, the 3DS generation missed out on the series’ major 3D titles.
Three GTA games are being ported
The reGTA Collection brings three games to compatible New Nintendo 3DS hardware:
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
The ports are based on reverse-engineering projects including re3, reVC and reStories/reLCS. Developers have adapted the games specifically for the New 3DS hardware rather than simply attempting to run them through conventional emulation.
That distinction is important because native ports can be optimised around the target hardware and its specific controls and display configuration.
New 3DS gets dual-screen features
The collection has been designed around Nintendo’s dual-screen hardware.
The lower screen can display additional interface elements, while touch controls have also been incorporated into the ports. Nintendo-style button prompts are used throughout menus and tutorials, and a touchscreen keyboard can be used to enter cheat codes.
The developers have also made game-specific interface changes rather than using exactly the same presentation for every title.
For players familiar with the original versions, these additions could make the games feel more naturally integrated into the handheld rather than simply being older PC or console games squeezed onto a smaller screen.
Only newer 3DS models are supported
The project is designed for the more powerful New Nintendo 3DS family.
Compatible systems include:
- New Nintendo 3DS
- New Nintendo 3DS XL
- New Nintendo 2DS XL
The original Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS are not supported. The newer systems have a faster processor, additional memory and other hardware improvements that make them more suitable for these demanding ports.
This hardware limitation means owners of the original 3DS family will not be able to use the collection simply by installing the software.
Liberty City Stories is a major part of the project
Among the three games, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories represents one of the more ambitious aspects of the collection.
The PSP-era title required additional work, and the project has reportedly reached the point where its main story can run on actual New Nintendo 3DS hardware. However, not every side mission and optional activity has necessarily been fully verified.
The inclusion is notable because Liberty City Stories was originally designed for PSP and later received versions for other platforms, but it never received an official 3DS release.
The fan project therefore gives the game a new life on Nintendo’s discontinued handheld hardware.
GTA 3 and Vice City also receive improvements
The collection is not limited to getting the games running.
The ports reportedly include improvements and fixes specific to each title. GTA 3, for example, receives changes involving its interface, loading and streaming, along with various fixes. The Vice City port also includes adjustments to visual effects and other technical areas.
The developers have also worked on controls, camera behaviour, Circle Pad and C-stick settings and other elements of the handheld experience.
Performance is not expected to match more powerful modern hardware, and demanding scenes can still result in some slowdown. Nevertheless, getting these large open-world games running natively on the New 3DS represents a significant technical achievement for the homebrew community.
This is not an official Rockstar release
One of the most important details for players is that reGTA Collection is not an official Nintendo or Rockstar Games release.
The project is a fan-made homebrew effort and does not distribute Rockstar’s commercial game assets. Users are expected to provide their own game data, with the ports relying on legally obtained copies and appropriately prepared files.
The project also requires a compatible New 3DS-family system capable of running homebrew software.
This means the collection is fundamentally different from an officially licensed Grand Theft Auto release that could simply be purchased and installed through a conventional Nintendo storefront.
Why the project matters for 3DS owners
The New Nintendo 3DS has been discontinued for years, but its homebrew community continues to find new ways to extend the capabilities of the hardware.
The reGTA Collection is particularly interesting because the three games are considerably more technically demanding than many titles originally designed for Nintendo’s handheld. Their open-world environments, vehicles, pedestrians, missions and large maps create a different set of challenges from typical 3DS software.
The project also demonstrates how reverse-engineered codebases can allow older games to be adapted to hardware that was never officially supported.
For players who still use a New 3DS or New 2DS XL, the possibility of carrying three classic 3D-era GTA experiences on the handheld adds another unusual chapter to the system’s long afterlife.
Early October release planned
The completed reGTA Collection is currently planned for release in early October. Until then, the project remains a work in progress, and performance, compatibility and installation requirements could change before the final version becomes available.
The project does not mean that Rockstar has brought GTA 3, Vice City or Liberty City Stories to Nintendo’s handheld officially. Instead, it represents the work of independent developers and the wider 3DS homebrew community.
If the project reaches its planned release, New 3DS owners will have an unusual opportunity to experience three major Grand Theft Auto titles on hardware that never officially received them.