GTA 3 Crossed A Line With Dad - My Retro Life

[@MyRetroLife]

In 2001, Grand Theft Auto III for PS2 became the only game my Dad ever BANNED me from playing. This is our story. Hope you enjoyed it!

[@biggoards2772]

Your father was a good man and I agree with that take. I've been a gamer since I was 2....literally. I remember the 1st game I played and the many that followed. To this day, the only game that is popular that I found myself not being drawn to for moral reasons is GTA. The parallels between those games and reality is uncanny and more importantly, kind of depressing. How people enjoy enacting the behaviors in those games and romancing the idea of living out those fantasies is beyond me.

[@legacytv2453]

​​@@biggoards2772Thats the entire mentality behind media censorship in general. Moral preaching and "how can anyone else like that"

[@legacytv2453]

​@@biggoards2772What you said summarizes censorship

[@biggoards2772]

@@legacytv2453 How is an opinion censorship? Just because I don't necessarily like a games features, I'm not telling the company to stop or anyone else. I'm stating that the game is just unsavory imo.....it has nothing to do with censorship.

[@Machete1708]

So what your saying is…vice city was fine then 🤣

[@phil6844]

Parents had no idea how good they had it back then, try sifting through hundreds of Roblox games or chat logs to try to make sure your kid isn’t doing anything he shouldn’t .

[@KP-48-007]

Like what?? What kids do there these days?

[@haris300tt]

My parents were totally against GTA III after seeing a PBS special about violent video games. I remember a CompUSA employee convincing my dad that it was okay for me to play this as long as I was a good kid and got good grades. Respect to that guy.

[@italiandomain1341]

yeah i think that what really demonized the game and made alot of parents not let their kids play the game. fuckin PBS

[@samuelalvarez9045]

Yeah, I didn't play any GTA until I was 17 My parents let me play Halo, though

[@Dynachop420]

The early 2000s had so many church and parent groups again a violent video games it was crazy I remember kids parents would get them a game system at all because they thought violent games would ruin the children

[@loveaintfree1409]

Did you get good grades though? HAHAHAHAHa

[@uterotourettes15]

Lucky, I tried renting it with my Dad at blockbuster and the employee warned him about it and I had to put it back

[@Squiggles95]

My first experiences with GTA were watching the son of one of my dads friends playing III, and then me playing San Andreas. I remember being 13 when GTA IV came out and my dad being annoyed he had to go inside the GameStop to get the game for me. The employee was reading off all the ESRB tags to him and I remember him basically saying “he knows right from wrong, just give him the damn game”. A funny memory of him.

[@garystinten9339]

I did the same for my son.. the guy knew straight up I was buying it for him.. ran the routine. At the car I said, better enjoy yourself son.. now he's a skilled gamer because of gta5

[@rrivera497]

Had the same experience at Walmart when gta san andres came out lol except my dad couldn't speak English only Spanish and when the employee was telling him all that stuff my dad would just say "okay okay" 😂

[@arcanjopixel]

Cool dad..my dad hates games even today. Im 40 and he have 68

[@garystinten9339]

@@arcanjopixel my dad's not really a gamer either.. he's too old-school like that.. but at the same time.. maybe look for a parallel interest into gaming and he might get sparked as I've known older people enjoy gaming just as much as the next person..

[@willyperez2475]

​@@rrivera497benefits of Latin Parents 😉

[@ZapRowsdower47]

My old man passed away in '97, but, my dad liked that I played video games because our neighborhood wasn't the best environment for kids with all the gang banging and everyone that was a teen in the 90s knew how gang culture was like a wildfire back in the day, but, I had a cool comic book and video game collection and some of my friends went down that bad road and they never tried to pressure me into doing bad things, I'm still friends with my bros in our early mid 40s. I don't agree with their lifestyles but they was always cool with me and had my back against bullies, plus they respected my parents.

[@blob5907]

cool story bro

[@peanutbutterdijonnaise]

Holy shit are you the same Zap that uploaded MST3k vids or am I confused?

[@AXL398]

Same here. My parents bought me a lot of video games and consoles to keep my brother and I entertained at home. One of my cousins who had parents who were better off told me I was spoiled because of my collection. All I thought was, "At least you get to go out" but I knew it would've been a lost cause to try to explain myself.

[@tf2whackyengineer]

@ZapRowsdower47 not to detract from your story about your friends, but you should play something like Kerbal Space Program or No Man's Sky and finally find out if there's beer on the sun.

[@dancinglight8411]

But did you ever play gta

[@Mr-Clark]

I play it with my son and we sit side by side. He knows it’s all make believe and a good way to relieve stress. Then we turn on the news and see stories of the same nature or worse.

[@Dirtynapkin]

Your dad's intentions shows he had a good heart.

[@jilalcocaine]

Seems like he couldn’t differentiate real life from video games and real life.

[@TomRivas-t2n]

@@jilalcocaineur comment says neither can you

[@CamaroSS2236]

@@jilalcocainesounds like a dumb comment.

[@MisterPatel]

Are you on drugs?

[@i_am_gohan9232]

Then why buy your minor something violent, and M rated for mature, then get mad at them playing it? I don’t wanna hear any excuses about “oh well he didn’t know” , that’s BS. His dad doesn’t or didn’t sound like the brightest bulb on the tree 🎄.

[@ZenShroud1]

I lost my dad in 2005 and my mom in 2010. You did a really great job of making me feel that imposing, almost villainous(as we'd see it in youth) parental presence with this vid. Haven't felt that in forever.

[@Axel-m5l]

Dont credit gta for your upbringing

[@ZenShroud1]

@@Axel-m5l lol what?

[@mariokart8715]

He lost his Dad in 2007.

[@ZenShroud1]

@@mariokart8715 I know, I've been subbed for a while.

[@scythekarnival96]

Sorry you lost your parents, my man. Me too. :)

[@heathkiser7782]

My dad had a similar reaction while watching me play this game. He used to sit with me in my bedroom and watch me play while he used our family computer. Your video reminded me of what he said to me. I was doing the same thing you did in the game and he told me “if you’re just gonna run around and kill people then I think you need to turn that off and go outside and do something else”. I was like you blown away as I had played video games all my life. Looking back it makes total sense. Thank you for sharing this.

[@rocky1d]

My dad was awesome. He saw me playing GTA 3 when I was 9 years old and said no we are bringing this back to the video store. I was pretty bummed out but when San Andreas came out a few years later I got it for my birthday from my aunt and hid it from him. Then when I was in grade 8 I begged my dad to pick up GTA 4 for me from Game Stop and I gave him the money. He said that if I got an A on my math exam he would do it so I studied my ass off and got that A. He grabbed the game for me when he was done work and he handed it to me with my money. A core memory of mine from him. Turns out years later I found out he was the one who gave my aunt the okay to get me San Andreas haha.

[@rocky1d]

@Mr.Freethinker2024 You really don’t like GTA

[@cgriffith84]

I think I was 17 and had just saved enough money to buy a PS2 and GTA 3. My stepdad saw me down in the dumps (highschool heartbreak). He took me to get this and we sat there and played together for a couple of hours. He never got into games much at all, but he was all for making me feel better that day. Your dad was a great loving person, and I really appreciate all that he has done for you and your community of followers. Thanks again for sharing another story.

[@shaggysweetness]

Did the same as a kid even before finishing the story. Just ran around and caused chaos listening to the music and having fun 😂 Sandbox like games were new to us then, so it was so captivating. Parents should always be concerned at what their children are being influenced by, especially today, so can't blame your dad for having some concerns.

[@drearmouse9510]

Insane how new it was at the time. Or rather, that was my exact experience with Vice City. Absurd how fun it was to just rack up the wanted level and run around like a madman.

[@gggumball]

GTA is a game that is really difficult to complete the story, at least for me. But I think that the experience that everyone has is eventually you are going to play to cause chaos, sooner or later

[@sshep86]

I'm sure I completed it. But I don't remember the end of GTA3. I 100% remember the difficulty getting it though. I purchased it at 15 before even had a PC and ended up getting it on the PS2 years later because I couldn't afford the PC hardware. I'm sure I completed it though. I don't remember the end of the OG GTA or GTA London or GTA2 (not even sure they had an end, didn't really have a story to be honest). I do remember Vice city, San Andreas and of course GTA 5 though. Either my memory is failing, or the previous stories weren't worth remembering. Possibly both, but definitely fun in my youth. GTA is a franchise that grew perfectly with me. I'm 37, so not outrageously old.

[@jamessweeting6788]

@@gggumballI didn’t have a memory card it took me 3 days one summer not turning my ps2 off playing alllllll day 😂

[@60wwediva]

Your childern are only as influenced as you allow them to be and raise them to be. I played this as a kid and I turned out fine.

[@Leon-lg7zm]

A lot of people won't understand how revolutionary GTA 3 was when it came out. There was nothing else like this game and the ability to just roam the map and do what you wanted alongside the story was absolutely incredible and left a big imprint in me when I played it back in the day as a kid.

[@Mario_N64]

The closest thing had been Shenmue in 1999. But it only had martial arts fighting.

[@lavenderllamamusic]

It's literally the reason why I always stuck to free roam/open world games (for the most part). So many non-open world games make me feel wildly restricted and I never liked that once it's over, it's over. Nothing else to do but start again

[@drwatson32bit]

Aye, I quantum lept into this from logging countless hours into Driver 1 & 2

[@LSSJTHOR]

I got Manhunt when I was 13. One day my older sister got in trouble he threw me under the bus and told my mom how "Violent Manhunt was". My mom wanted to see, I played the bonus mission where you get into a bunch of fist fights. My older sister said "NO play the level where you kill the guy with a plastic bag" I replied. " Sister idk what your rambling on about. This is it. Fist fights and gun fights." So a couple weeks later it turned out my mom wouldn't have cared. She knew I knew the difference between fantasy and reality. (My psychiatrist backed me up.) At the end of the day it's the parent's job to monitor their children a d decide if they are ready for certain media. Just take em to a psychiatrist.

[@BasRikken]

I banned my sister out of my life ❤

[@BayAreaMike99]

they had you speak to a psychiatrist?!?!?!

[@alphagerudo]

My dad let me play this & watch him play when I was like 11 Lol im a chick, he said, "Make sure your sister isnt in the room with this game she was like 6yrs old. The key was let your teen play, but monitor thier behavior after. I didn't get in trouble in school, or failing grades, nor did I want to fist fight other girls. But If your child behavior suddenly changes after a game that's when you need to remove the console. Over a decade later my sister ended up being a huge FarCry fan instead 😊 Me I adore my Tekken, DOA, Sims. My brother strictly sports games lol.

[@Sporkonafork1]

@@BayAreaMike99seriously 😂

[@C6ZR1]

My dad loved all the OG GTAs! We played them a ton

[@voxtek]

Your dad was your moral compass, I wish I would have had a dad like that. I did however have my brother who was that role for me, it just sucks we both lost them way too soon.

[@MontyFlowz]

❤️🙏🏿

[@NeoAF10]

Agree, not everyone has the luxury of having a moral, caring, and firm father.

[@L0L247]

This game was mind blowing to me when it released.

[@MyRetroLife]

Game changer for sure

[@ghouls101]

I went to my friends house in early 2000's just to play GTA3. Begged for a ps2 soon after

[@L0L247]

@@ghouls101 I brought my PS2 over to a buddy of mine and picked up the game on the way there. Little did we know what we were in for lol

[@miguelguerrero323]

This was the best still love it

[@someonejust5062]

This game,Mario 64,Mortal Kombat Original, Goldeneye took games into a whole new level

[@pixelmentia]

Your dad did what many responsible and compassionate parents did at the time. It doesn't look like much now, but the sheer unscripted chaos you could cause in GTA3 was unprecedented for 2001. I was also in high school and it was THE game everyone was talking about. Fortunately my parents rarely watched me play video games or they might have banned it as well lol.

[@karmicchameleon5816]

Not to mention in light of 9/11 just a couple months later. The ability to kill cops and authorities was reprehensible in light of that, and probably should've been removed so as to show respect to all the first liners who lost their lives in NYC, the city on which this game was based.

[@pixelmentia]

@@karmicchameleon5816 Yeah…but the game wouldn’t have had the success it did without its unrestricted sandbox violence. Its biggest selling point was that you could do whatever you wanted, and the police system made the gameplay so much more interesting.

[@bleppyboo]

​@@karmicchameleon5816hey man, they already removed the missions where you committed domestic terrorism for a homeless dude, they can have cop killing, as a treat. Lmaoo

[@cult_horror_junkie8144]

Idk man music was pretty heavy way before that

[@EchoMaaaan]

Man, this made me miss my dad and tear up. So touching. I'm happy you had such a tight relationship with your dad.

[@nickredbear4094]

My grandma bought gta vice city but the store clerk almost didn't sell it to us because i was like 8 but even at that age i knew right from wrong i knew what's in movies and video games are just entertainment i was a shy kid i was not a angry violent out of control kid great memories my grandma's still going strong at 72 years old

[@Huncho085]

Blessings grandma

[@blicky308]

Your Grandmas a savage ❤

[@TheGreatJMAC]

I remember when I purchased Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or San Andreas back in 2004-2005, I basically hid the game from my grandparents every time I played it after school, great memories

[@Lcatcher24]

I remember being in elementary school bragging to my "friend" that I had vice city, took it to school to prove it to him. Went home and couldn't find the game in my backpack. That sob stole it and transferred schools.

[@Killersnake432]

Weirdly enough my grandfather got curious about VC and SA from me and other relatives. He would just fly around the maps in both games... SA especially since my save was pretty much complete I would have it set to the airport just for him to fly around the map all he wanted... Even perfected the flight school while I just struggled on those as a kid. Seeing GTA VI is gonna be his last GTA game he'll see... Since he did play V just to cruse around and explore while doing the jet cheat at times to fly around the map.

[@AndreFromThe617]

​@@Killersnake432that's awesome man. I was really close with my grandparents growing up myself. My great grandpa used to love watching me.play san Andreas

[@williamhardee8863]

My grandpa bought me GTA 4 for Christmas.

[@MR12AMAZING]

​@@Lcatcher24At least you learnt a lesson that day. Be careful who you trust.

[@MikeT-vs5cl]

My dad did something similar with San Andres when it launched. Threw down a newspaper that had a multi page article on the violence and crime in the game and said no way was I getting it for my bday. I then promptly went downstairs and grabbed my copies of GTA 3 and Vice city. Needless to say I got a copy of San Andreas for my bday and we had a blast getting Grove Street kings of the city lol.

[@daremaster5254]

When he hears the n word: “Back to the store”

[@markasscop]

then that kicker in the story when you're exiled from los santos and all those gang territories you claimed were reset

[@joehjackman]

Vice City was my first GTA experience.

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

One of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time. I doubt GTA 6 will even match it, but if it does I would be pleasantly surprised!

[@Rorschach97]

Same

[@DanielThureskog]

Mine was the original GTA and GTA 2. I have never played San Andreas, Chinatown Wars and GTA V. Not counting the expansions/episodes and GTA Advance, who are also on the non-played list.

[@elgatosamurai9517]

I’m sorry

[@TheCityWokGuy]

my mom made my brother and I return Max Payne the same day of purchase after watching us play through the opening lol. Took some extra convincing to get Vice City later on

[@futurecoreproductions]

GTA San Andreas was my first taste of the series back then In the early 2010’s. first played it on my dads ps2 on a box tv in his garage. I was roaming around causing chaos and my parents allowed it, they actually liked the games and all these years later, my dad plays gta online with me. 😂

[@p1xai]

GTA is brutal, but you should never forget that it's a game

[@RaysGamingChannel2003]

Yeah

[@60wwediva]

Yeah. Parents who do this over a game are projecting an incredible volume about themselves and their faith in themselves with being competent parents. Kids are easily influenced but you should know your child inside & out and be observant of their personality to know if they are susceptible to mirroring toxic behavior. Kids only go as far with bad behavior as you allow them to.

[@60wwediva]

Also, if I'm being brutally honest, being abused by your parents or witnessing abuse or verbal abuse will do more damage than playing this game or any GTA game as a kid.

[@furryballsploppedmenacingl8534]

​@@60wwedivayou must not have kids

[@domonickgant1074]

​​​@@60wwedivayes totally agree that shit does way more damage

[@MarkyV83]

I have so much nostalgia for this game, it's one of my favourite games of all time. It was 18 rated in the UK and I managed to pick up a copy at 17. For me this is the best GTA game because of the impact it made at the time. I recently platinumed the PS2 rerelease on PS4 and still had a blast.

[@Nathan93Baker]

Do you have to be of age to pick up certain games in the UK?

[@jackcrawford3921]

​@@Nathan93Bakeryes, and it's the same for DVDs, Blu ray releases etc. We have two ratings systems over here - PEGI and BBFC

[@kojarart3184]

You had a great dad, Tyler. What your dad did was so healthy..

[@MLife1000]

💯

[@JustinSaysRadio]

Yeah right! You're a human, Tyler! I hate these ESRB ratings, except for extremely mature games, and GTA III is not one of them. Maybe SA with that deleted mission, but definitely not III. Hopefully, you and your father could make amends.

[@gone.golfing]

It was only for a night. My Dad was hilariously laughing when he saw me driving on the sidewalk mowing people down.

[@Rose_19911]

great video man, I had a similar situation but with my mom years back… when she took it from me I was literally heartbroken, i’ll always remember I had “spy hunter” as a replacement & it just wasn’t the same at all

[@piercingpencils_art]

Wow Man. This video touched my heart. My dad was similar, though in my teen years I didn’t live with him. He kind of had the same reactions when he saw Mortal Kombat when it hit consoles in the 90s. Being a dad myself now, I can say that here and there I may have had very brief situations when it came to content or games I didn’t want my children to encounter. I bet your dad was an amazing guy too.

[@DarkPhoenix89]

Man, this takes me back. The golden years of gaming in the early 2000s. Rocking that PS2 on the CRT TV. Good times.

[@DannyP-dm1pw]

I can't argue with you. I wanna go with Super Nintendo and Genesis because that era was my early teenage years and it is my personal but I do think 1998-2004 as a whole gave us the greatest games ever on the PC, PS2, PS1, N64, GBA, Wonderswan, Dreamcast, Gamecube, X-Box. It was a wonderful time. Of course the late 70s and early 80's will forever be the golden age of arcades and then Street Fighter 2 helped ignite a landscape shift in all gaming and the 16 bit wars are legendary but yeah 1998-2004 to me will always be the peak of overall gaming. Nothing since comes close. Nothing will. It's just taking what made that great and adding higher resolution today

[@TheMasterofDisaster48]

@@DannyP-dm1pwWhy did you exclude the rest of the 6th gen(2005-2007)?? God of War series GTA Stories series X-Men Legends 2 Marvel Ultimate Alliance Mortal Kombat Armageddon Tekken 5 DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi series The Godfather Scarface The Warriors Resident Evil 4 Prince of Persia 3 Smackdown vs Raw series

[@TheMasterofDisaster48]

@@DannyP-dm1pwEven the early 7th gen had some HEAVY banggers: Batman Arkham series(2009 and 2011) God of War 3(2010) GTA 4(2008) Uncharted series(2007, 2009 and 2011) Mortal Kombat(2011) Marvel vs Capcom 3(2011)

[@SwampFox178]

I was about 7 years old in 2004 and my dad finally bought a ps2 slim. He let me rent Vice City and I ended up loving it not knowing how to do too much. A year later he bought me San Andreas and I brought my girlfriend home in the game and of course its censored but you can still hear moaning and sex talk and I had never heard anything like this from him but he said "if I see that again im taking it away from you". A lesson was learned that day because I feel like my dad had a reason for saying that and cared about me. Its good to hear that you and your dad had a similar story and lesson with GTA.

[@Neonneonneonmax]

Little did your dad know he would be such an influence on a generation of gaming dads. Thanks for sharing his legacy and inspiring us all. (And I totally get his reaction to GTA 3 back then!)

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

I remember my mom seeing a spot on the local news about gta 3 and she said you aren’t allowed to play that game. At the time I didn’t even know about it or cared so I said that’s fine, i couldn’t care less. Fast forward to Xmas and my cousin got it and he showed it to me and my brother and I was blown away and loved it right away. Needless to say I begged my mom to let me get it but she never did. Ended up secretly borrowing it from a friend at school.

[@jayesun3420]

Tyler, your father's awesomeness never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for the story, always looking🎉 to more.

[@johnnyboii666]

your dad was something really special that not many ppl got to experience in there own life your father is looking down right now smiling knowing he raised such a amazing kid and he happy knowing you grew up into a amazing adult my mother was also didnt want me playing gta 3 and vice city because she thought i was going to copy it in real life but lucky i didnt lmao love listening to your stories about the early days of gaming it relaxing and awesome

[@charliehustle2591]

Good stuff Tyler. My parents were strict with stuff like this as well, but just like you, I totally get it in retrospect. I’m the same way with my kids. Speaks to your Dad’s character.

[@pla6ue]

I’ve seen your channel pop up quite a few times but had never actually clicked on any of them. With that said, just wanted to say as someone who’s slightly older(41), and didn’t EXACTLY go through the same things because of that, I DID tear up a little watching this. I’ve had a love of video games for the past 37-38 years, and it just made me think of MY Dad. It’s all about how you raise a kid. They can have access to some semi-bad stuff, but if you raise them right, 99.9% of the time they’ll always know right from wrong.

[@teachermatt]

Your dad was a good man. Also, I think we are the same age. I was born in July 1986 and so many of the games you talk about and where you were at in your life when you experienced them really resonate with me.

[@RectWizard]

Dude this hits home for me 😂 I remember I went to visit my grandma and brought my ps2 with me and was playing gta 3 and she was instantly like “Nope” and took the disk from me and wouldn’t give it back 😂

[@carlintaylor3229]

My grandfather had a ps2 with red faction need for speed underground soul calibur 2 and 3 was our favorite game to play with him still is back when we had a ps2 and we slept over we would bring our own games remember losing a copy of smackdown vs raw 2006 I had over there never found out what happened to it 😂😂

[@CatchTheseHands916]

Your grandpa straight stole yo shit. Right after the day you left it he was like “ aha, this is my smack down now” 😂😂 jk but that was a good game smack down vs raw was dope to play as a kid.😈

[@carlintaylor3229]

@@CatchTheseHands916 my grandmother is a computer gamer not a console gamer but I wouldn't be surprised if it's long gone by now my grandfather probably got rid of it my accident who knows it was years ago

[@Broseftoast]

Wow man, i'm lliterally only 10 seconds in, and have another reason to respect your dad. From the title, I just assumed he banned you from it because it honestly was pretty radical for the time, but he actually would let you play, you just needed to play the story and not going on joyrides killing/robbing/destroying xD. Best dad man.

[@RebelDashOne]

This is my favourite GTA even now, one of my fav games of all time. It was mind blowing back then, and I have so much nostalgia for it. My mother was chill, until she saw me sniping baddies from a high rise. I told her I'd turn the blood off as compromise. Love my mother to bits, always appreciated she trusted me. Good memories!

[@ClaudeGnome]

I remember my mom was very reluctant about me playing M rated games when I was younger, especially the GTA games (though I did secretly buy them when I was a teen). GTA 5 came out when I was 20, so I could buy it by myself and she knew I had gotten it. I let her play with me and she surprisingly had a blast. She was terrible at driving and kept running over people and she was laughing the whole time.

[@elijahcantu811]

I remember when my dad got me the PS2 and this, twisted metal black & desert storm were the three games he got me! What a timr

[@Karl_ACME]

The story reminds me of myself and my father back then. I saw GTA 3 on the PS2 for the first time at a friend's house in 2001. I was only 11 years old then. I've never seen a game like this - with such realistic graphics, an open game world and seemingly limitless freedom of action, what game has allowed you to go on a killing spree like this before?! 😂 He had borrowed it from his neighbor and so I was only able to play for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I didn't have any consoles at home, just a PC that was also used for work. My parents didn't believe in gaming. When GTA 3 was released for Windows about a year later, I, as a 12-year-old, begged my father to rent it for me. He was even in a video rental store. They had the game for PC, but just the back of it, a man with a baseball bat and guns, and especially the red mark that said "for ages 18 and up" stopped my father from taking it with him. About a year later, when I was 13, they became less strict and bought it for me. Since our PC wasn't the newest and the game had high graphics requirements, it looked very bad and lagged very badly - it was practically unplayable. GTA Vice City had been new on the market for a few months and of course I was excited. I begged my dad so hard to buy me a PS2, which he did in 2003. PS2 along with GTA Vice City. This was my first console ever and I will never forget it.

[@Dynachop420]

Man games were so different back then every year had a handful of groundbreaking games doing thing in the video game industry that had never been done now it’s just soulless rehashed crap

[@OscarTheSage]

I always find it fascinating that my parents never had an issue with me playing GTA: San Andreas as a 6-7 year old kid. My uncle even gifted me GTA IV on my 9th birthday which is so wild to me looking back on it.

[@CarlC9898]

lucky

[@JomarGreenley-fh3gt]

That's wassup

[@Palendrome]

Same lol mine never gave af My kids aint playing that shit lol

[@Faceplay2]

Yeah my parents had an issue with it. I remember playing vice city when I was a little kid at a friends house and I wanted to get the game and my mom was like absolutely note. I remember somehow getting San Andreas but it was like two years after the game came out so I think I was like 11. And then when GTA 4 came out. She didn’t let me play until I was a freshman in high school. But it was strictly just to like the Grandtheft auto series. She didn’t really have a problem with video games like silent hill and I think it’s because those games you know are known for their story so it would be like telling a teenager not to watch a horror movie.

[@spvcs3615]

GTA IV was the goat bro most realistic as well till this day

[@anthonyharder1469]

That’s good parenting. Your dad seemed like a good dude. May he rest in peace sir

[@TheBorkka]

Love that face expression of your dad when he's sceptical of something.

[@CultDani]

This is the exact same experience that I had. My parents sitting me down and having an intervention with me about it- very theatrical. Needless to say I still played it- one of my all time favourite games. Great video

[@knj3879]

I remember picking up a copy of gta 3 and being blown away, think I was 15, playing it in the living room and my dad taking the controls off me to show me how to play it properly, he’d abide by the speed limits, stop at the lights haha good times

[@DonnyKirkMusic]

These games are actually pretty uncanny if you play them that way. Many things work out, a lot of the streets, intersections, etc are "functional" in the way that they would be in reality, but then there is one huge thing: GTAIII has no road signs, as far as I recall. No stop signs, nothing like that. When you try to play these games in a realistic way you will run into little funny things like that.

[@wesyoung9150]

“First game that raised caution” Rockstar would be proud to hear that line. I played games starting around 93 and will say GTA3 was the first game I was truly in awe over. We played it all weekend just to beat it and replay it again top tier game of all time.

[@0E1M1]

Another thing is that GTA 3 was pretty brutal compared to the other games, the npcs gore was insane, not really realistic but it was really bloody.

[@BlamcoTV]

Caught my nephew playing this game at 6 years old. Took the controller away and had to pry it out of his hands. My stupid brother thought it was ok for him to play this game and not watch rated R movies.

[@Yeshua_is-Cool]

Tell me about it parents need to know that Mrated means mature 6 year olds aren't aloud to be playing these games

[@yyouthcanoee]

GTA 3 and Goldeneye were the only games ever get taken away from my brother & I. After a few months though we were able to convince our parents to give them back

[@CampWithPaul]

Thank you for constantly sharing your stories with us. Your dad may be gone but thanks to you, he will live on forever.. Cheers Bro

[@julianlavalley7454]

Bs he was delusional and a basic sheep

[@KnottsBear-yTalesPreserved]

My mother and sister felt the same way about this game back in 2001 and I had the game taken away. Now, years later they do not mind Grand Theft Auto as a series now lol. It comes to show you how times have changed and now my Sister is ok with my niece and nephews playing the series now hahaha.

[@haasepete]

Great story thanks for sharing. I lost my Dad in 2021 and I remember the South Park movie on VHS being controversial at home

[@MyRetroLife]

So sorry for your loss

[@Howard007]

Your videos always take me right back to the times you’re discussing. I look at your videos as short films and you’re an amazing filmmaker my friend. Thank you for everything you do for History of gaming and giving people a first hand dive into this amazing time period.

[@AlexM-vt5pu]

I agree, I can relate to how frustrating this must've been for you at the time, and now that most of us are parents ourselves, it's so easy to understand your dad's dilemma.

[@jonwolfenden]

My nephew got a PS2 & GTA 3 for Christmas 2001 I was blown away. It was the 1st game I got when I bought my PS2 in April 2002.

[@GamingintoEternity]

I'm an old fart, so I was 29 and married when GTA 3 came out but it was at the forefront of the American consciousness. Incredible, revolutionary game!

[@xman777b]

the most revolutionary, IMO.

[@Cosmostrained]

Wow I just found this channel and I was hit with so much nostalgia. My mom and dad grew up playing video games, I don't remember that ages exactly, but they were both born in 1957 and 58. My dad would play games and then bought my mom the snes that we had in our house for years. We all played the games together from the nes all the way up to the xbox 360. I had a gamecube originally in that generation but around the end of it I got a ps2 and eventually I got gta liberty city stories. And I remember my dad didn't care and bought it but my mom saw it and originally had a problem with it. She gave in eventually because they would both say "there's always worse stuff on television". And that was really the standout statement for me my whole life going forward.

[@maxmorgan3370]

I really enjoyed this video. Its obvious from listening that your Dad really cared about you and loved you, and I'm glad you have those memories.

[@darrenmckeown990]

Surprising hard hitting video. Tyler, if more dads were like your dad was we might be living in a nicer world now

[@ThePhantomGamerForever]

Big time! My parents are the exact same way. They respect my choices as an adult but growing up didn't want me playing those titles.

[@SilverXTikal]

My dad 100% was the same way. Every GTA was an enemy to him. Yet. He was only a part of my life on rare occasions my mom had plans and was desperate enough to let me see him. He would have been your dad of my parents got along. I grew up listening to his left over ps1 games on CD player trying to absorb as much of him as I could with what I had. Miss the fat man. He’s not dead. He’s just alone

[@89sigma43]

Your Dad really cared about you, Tyler.

[@jiles8187]

You have a great dad. My parents got me GTA 3 for christmas in 01 but my bedroom was upstairs, they never came in and watched me play; which was much like the way you played until your dad stepped in. The first game i remember having that level of realism and freedom to do awful things. I’m with your dad on this one, I would not allow my kids to play a game like that the way both me and you played.

[@D3sdinova]

I remember getting terribly injured, having to stay at the hospital, and getting roomed up with someone who took his PS2. That was my introduction to GTA. But he didnt want me to progress the story so thats all i got to do, and loved it. Dude gave me some cheat codes too, i loved the low gravity one. We both were in there with extreme leg injuries. His bones were poking out, and i was the first case they ever had for my injury. But at least i got to play vice city as a kid.

[@tegridyfarms6851]

*I remember getting my PlayStation 2 for Christmas. It was sold out everywhere and the hype was huge. I already lost hope and was getting ready to wake up to something else. But there it was! Under our Christmas tree. Spent thousands of hours on it.*

[@RandyWitham-ew9tn]

Your dad was such an amazing person. I'm exactly the same way with my son! He can play and watch just about anything. hes really into marvel and dc and starting to love anime as well. He understands the difference between fantasy and more realistic games/movies so we tend to stay away from realistic gore/blood and violence. Tho I have no problem playing zelda , metriod , smashbros and even dragonball and FnAf. Now he doesn't even like playing gta or any real hyperrealistic game like CoD . Once he's 13 he won't be limited on what he plays , but I totally see your dad's point of view and I would do the exact same thing. These games can dangerous for a young audience. Not 14 . But I've seen my cousins playing gta at 8 , 9 years old and they did some stupid things . It's not the games. Its the parent.

[@basedzoe]

It’s amazing how much footage you have from back in the days!

[@ExtendoSmith]

Really enjoyed this video. I started playing GTA III whenever I was 7 years old. My parents never cared about what I played from what I can remember. Although my buddy’s parents did lol his parents were extremely strict and only allowed him to play E rated games and so he was so intrigued by wanting to play GTA III so we traded games for a week my GTA III for I believe a racing game of his and his mom caught him playing it by hearing something derogatory Lazlow was saying on chatterbox on the radio in the game and made us immediately trade back. Lol

[@btr3k]

"You'll never unlock the rest of Liberty City unless you progress in the missions. Don't you want to see Shoreside Vale and the airport? Don't you want to help out Asuka and Donald Love? And most importantly, don't you want to get revenge on Catalina and the Colombian Cartel?" Okay, maybe that wasn't the EXACT conversation, but it is still true. But really, nice to hear the story. And I like the general idea about being thoughtful about anything that you consume, including video games, movies, music, etc. As long as your brain is thinking about what you're doing, I think you're in pretty good shape.

[@kailomonkey]

I don't have the same experience but I do have a nephew that helps me understand your story. He was the youngest of 4 siblings at the time and he had it pretty bad, being blamed for everything by his older, wiser siblings. He wasn't always allowed to play the same games they could either. But when he did get to play GTA, there was something different about how he'd play. He was more transifxed, more engrossed in unleashing violence. Perhaps because he couldn't win fights in his home and he could in the game. That sort of attitude with the game probably warranted some intervention, some attention. Some sort of parental guidance and input. I feel he never got that because his parents never saw through the veil of him being blamed for everything. Maybe kid number 4 was just 1 too many to deal with at once for them. I was young myself so I wasn't really placed or equipped to adress it myself.

[@Ronsilk-pu5hr]

Starting my day watching your videos always makes me have a better day. Thank you so much

[@MyRetroLife]

Happy to hear that!

[@Superdimensional]

Your dad would be so proud of you, honoring his legacy!

[@RowdyYates12]

At first my parents were extremely against it, so I would sneak over to friends houses to play 3 and Vice. But after they split up, my Dad ended up buying me the double pack on original Xbox, and pretty much changed his views kn violent games knowing I wasnt gonna do that. My Mom probably to this day hates the series though 😅 I love watching these videos. This one got me a little watery eyed since neither Dads are with us anymore. Thanks for sharing!

[@MrCoOL47]

My older brother bought me GTA 3 for Christmas since my parents wouldn't. I secretly played when my parents weren't home or at night with headphones on. This game was absolutely groundbreaking. Still my favorite GTA game ever.

[@rhazelrig]

When you think back on things your parents did in the past, it really puts things into a whole new perspective when you have kids of your own.

[@mattjones1207]

great story as always. My mum bought me Vice City on release day using money I'd saved up from the paper round. I think I got GTA 1,2,London and 3 for various Christmas' but my parents had no idea what they were buying me haha! I also don't remember playing the story much on the first 3 GTA games, mainly to unlock the different sections of the map.

[@brethbk69]

Wow thank you for this! This brings back so many memories, honestly I'll be hard pressed to find another game where i had the type of reaction when i first played this game. The consoles from the 6th generation is what really defined what video games are today. This is truly when I would spend a fortune on games, accessories ,etc. I've never had this feeling again.

[@illawgical]

Every time I watch one of your videos about you and your dad I think how lucky you have all this footage of your gaming experiences with him. My most treasured memory with my dad was when he and I spent the day finishing Contra on the NES together. Watching your videos always brings me back to that day. Now you have the blessing to create these kinds of memories with your kids too!

[@folksurvival]

It's sad that your best memory with your father is staring at a TV playing a video game.

[@illawgical]

@@folksurvival I have a great relationship with my father and many wonderful memories, and many more to come. I chose that memory to comment here because this is a game centric channel. I hope you find happiness this upcoming year.

[@folksurvival]

@@illawgical I'm sure you do have many memories, and I never claimed otherwise, I simply said that I think it is sad that your "most treasured memory" with your father is one looking at a TV playing a video game. Having to find happiness implies not already having found it and being happy which is not the case for me as I am happy. I never mentioned anything about happiness or a lack thereof so I don't know why exactly you're randomly injecting that into the conversation and trying to spin that narrative. I can only assume it was some kind of sly passive aggressive ad hominem type of tactic on your part which is just uncalled for. That's another sad thing these days; that so many people can't seem to just have conversations with other people online without almost immediately resorting to trying to insult or slander that/those people in some way. Disappointing behavior I must say.

[@skippy8294]

man, i commented in one of your other videos, i just wanted to say, you are so blessed for having such a caring, loving, and humble dad. He really loves you, i'm pretty sure you already know, but i want to justify not all people have dads and many of them have wicked dads. I truly am happy for you, he's a model of what parenthood is.

[@kyongu375]

It's admirable that your dad still gifted you GTA Vice City even after not liking GTA 3. My dad got me GTA IV and eventually GTA V when it came out, and I think he understands that the game wouldn't influence me to obviously do those things irl. Thanks for sharing this with us

[@Tyler16bit]

My mom bought me the 3 GTAs on PS2 while I was still in my early to mid teen years as she actually thought the games looked really cool, and so I was able to play them around her. My dad and stepmom however banned all GTAs in their house until I was 16, which interestingly enough was the age I was when I moved out of my dad's and in with my mom. I understood my dad's ban on the games, but wow did I ever have fun with them at my mom's, especially Vice City!😅

[@eastside49er]

Your dad sounds like he was a great guy. Sorry you lost him. I love your stories about him, your family, and your gaming experiences. It's such a great channel. Thank you for sharing. 👍

[@ALVMACHETE69]

I really like ur story how ur dad wants best for you. Good thing he did so that u will not have regrets in life.

[@ALVMACHETE69]

One game PC hitman 2000 when my aunt saw me strangle one by stander she was shocked. So I got bannec playing the game.

[@rogeliolazaro1498]

What a great dad u have who really cares about you, im a dad now and i really put myself in your dads shoes. my parents didnt understand that games are for spacific ages so i got to play it on my psp and i think i was only 13 years old. good old memories!

[@Cloud16338]

the stories of your dad are just incredible thank you for sharing all these memories with us :)

[@LotteYanson]

Your dad was cool as shit. I think back to that time in my life at age 14 and I remember still not being allowed to play any M rated game largely due to the sensationalist media reports about games like this one. I love that your dad recognized it was just a game and could tell you could too.

[@BreakifyTV]

Hey, I went through the same scenario myself. For my birthday, my parents gave me money to get GTA 3, totally unaware of the game's content, haha. I enthusiastically played it in the living room, doing exactly what you highlighted in the video. Lo and behold, they swiftly banned the game and handed me cash to buy a different one. I vividly recall searching desperately for GTA alternatives during my teenage years, but nothing quite matched up to GTA 3. Driver 1 came close, and I spent countless hours rampaging through the city. Good times! 🎮😄

[@EQOAnostalgia]

I feel ancient knowing GTA 3 released something like 23 years ago, and even moreso knowing i played the original GTA 1 and 2 + London 69 on PS1 lol. I got it from a pawn shop for like 5 bucks.

[@itzdm0r3]

GTA 3 and Tekken Tag were the first games I bought for PS2 after getting my first job as a teen in 2000/2001. I was 16 at the time.

[@TheMalitz17]

There are so many things I love about this channel. Another great production Tyler.

[@MyRetroLife]

Thank you 🙏 Really

[@TheMalitz17]

@MyRetroLife Tyler, I wanted to share an idea with you. I love the work you do with this channel. For me personally, it's the tremendous amount of character each of your family members has. Aunt Michelle, for instance, she's an absolute gem. Some of my favorite moments from the channel, whether it's Manny/Mikey opening the sega CD, or when you guys got her the Gameboy. "The mouse in the sewing closet" , it's little things like that, stuff you have obviously recognized is great material. If I were you, given the finite video available, I might do a series fleshing out each character of your family - something along those lines. Manny is the king of games, we need to know more about Mikey, aunt Michelle and her husband, some of the best friends you grew up with (is it brian that has stuck around?). Your dad of course exudes charisma, one of the greatest men ive ever seen behind a camcorder besides my own dad ha! Etc. Just an idea for future videos - fleshing out these amazing people you've had in your life. Your ma too. All the best man 👍

[@michaelmorgan9009]

Your dad was a good guy, great video

[@BigBadJohnDiesel]

You had a great Dad! I'm blown away by how parents today, simply don't care what their kids take in.

[@julianlavalley7454]

Crap dad more like it

[@sonrazor]

Man, I love your videos.. they always make me emotional. The relationship you and your dad had is special and reminds me of my dad and I. Keep up the good vids man.

[@bencheshire]

Youre absolutely right that free running was the only fun thing about this game. The missions was incredibly frustrating.

[@Moyanskiondaspatyoriskiyow]

Same thing here back then when it came out in 2002 once I started playing it few mins later I just went on rampage killing everyone LOL.. another good video Tyler!!!

[@skull902]

One of my childhood memories was in 2004, my older brother picked up the Xbox version of GTA 3 and our mom was similarly upset with the content within; we were pretty young but had been exposed to some fairly rough media by that point so it kinda slipped through the cracks at first. But one night they had an argument over it and she eventually snapped the disc. Nowadays we have a bit of a laugh about it and how she could've traded it for credit or another game instead, and she's like "Yeah, I should've". XD