After going from dual screens to power handhelds it’s more than fair to say that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has had its fair share of strolls around the block, and with each release this miniature visit of Liberty City has been lauded by the most gaming critics and yet Rockstar Games valiant efforts has criminally gone unnoticed by all but most devout of fans, not just once but twice. With little fanfare Chinatown Wars has arrived for the iPhone OS and once again provides the most of the appeal of its original release from almost a year ago, only this time as a full download-only and with touchscreen-only controls.

For those just tuning in, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown wars for the iPhone OS is the third iteration of Rockstar's return to top-down, classic style GTA.  The game originated on the Nintendo DS, before making its way to Sony's PSP and is now wrecking its Asian-influenced vengeance on Apple's platform.  For everyone who neglected to pick up this game third time might actually be the charm this time around and the spirit of Liberty City is truly strong with this downloadable package.

Protagonist Huang Lee’s arrival into the dirty underbelly of everybody’s favorite crime-riddled metropolis and his quick descent into its darkest corners to avenge his father’s death is as entertaining as ever.  Despite having to rely on cartoon-style cinematic stills, Chinatown Wars is actually a narrative triumph for the series, and its incredibly easy to get sucked into this macabre world of familial duty and sociopaths.  If this sounds like a genuine Grand Theft Auto experience, that's because it is, just shrunk down to fit in the palm of your touchscreen-holding hands.

Practically nothing has changed compared to previous versions of the game, as you’ll still be experiencing all of the same missions and complex narrative that made the original game so entertaining.  From the essential to the absurd, look forward to all the productive activities that seemingly every citizen partakes in, such as hotwiring cars, making Molotov bottles, and keeping up in the lucrative drug trade market.  Interestingly, the game mixes the significantly-improved visuals from the PSP version, mixing in much of the DS version's immersive touchscreen controls to help make things a bit more interactive.  You can even play music that's on your iPhone/iPod Touch from the game's Independence radio station, a nice feature that more games on the platform should take advantage of.

The result is a unique hybrid package that  manages to bring together many of the original games' best elements, but a few of their shortcomings, too.

The real test begins when you actually experience the game; functionally, Chinatown Wars is certainly a direct port of this recent favorite, but I wouldn’t call the onscreen virtual nubs a perfect approach to a sandbox game many rejected almost a year prior. It’s admirable that the touchscreen controls were implemented without feeling too gimmicky, but things can and will undoubtedly become somewhat problematic at times.  Simple movements such as walking the streets on foot and playing the mini-games work fine, but more complex jobs such as driving a car and touch layout competing with screen space is with its own fair bit of frustration. Having virtual controls is definitely a far cry from the real thing and it shows, even it doesn’t kill the experience you’ll probably be pining for actual controller when it counts.

Its worth noting that the iPhone/iPod Touch version of the game also doesn't sport the multiplayer modes from either DS or PSP versions.  To be honest, they were never that impressive and I can't say that I ever missed having them.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the iPhone/iPod Touch is essentially a combined port of the DS and PSP version prior, and like its exact releases that are nary a year old it remains an strong, intuitive, and sometimes nonsensical dive into a city with no shame. As good everything may (thrice again) be the controls are obviously the biggest obstacle to overcome for veterans and potential newcomers alike, it doesn’t decimate any promise for the game but certainly compromises the ease thanks to its “virtual controls”.  Ultimately these issues are almost moot thanks to the app store price of $9.99, less than half of the other versions and that’s enough to forgive the shortcomings.