Grand Theft Auto III incoming to iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and Android

If ever you needed a reason to upgrade to an iPhone 4S, Grand Theft Auto III is it. Mike Capps from Epic Games (of Gears of War fame) already whet our appetites by teasing us with Infinity Blade 2's impressively pin sharp graphics at the iPhone 4S launch – helped along by its dual-core A5 chip and 7x faster graphics – and now we have gangland carnage to look forward to on our iPhone 4S' as well.

Rockstar has announced it's bringing the full Grand Theft Auto III experience, not just to the iPhone 4S, but to the iPad 2 and Android, in the guise of a 10th Anniversary Edition. Based on the hardware lineup, it looks like the mobile version of GTA III will only run on dual-core powered machines, so bad luck if your phone or tablet is of the single-core variety.

But before you start bouncing off the walls, wild with excitement, its official release date is currently unknown. However, according to IGN, 22 November will be the special day, coinciding with the anniversary itself. We just hope it gets the controls right. Ultimately, smashing and hijacking cars, while wreaking havoc on innocent bystanders will be pretty difficult with a tiny on-screen D-pad.

Originally released on PlayStation 2 in 2001, Grand Theft Auto III was the first in the series to bring 3D to the table, offering an unprecedented open-world to explore, going on to become the year's best-selling release, while propelling the GTA franchise into blockbuster status. Imagine that on a phone? Awesome.

Lastly, for the seriously die-hard GTA fans (and for people who have more money than sense) Rockstar is also selling a limited edition 1:6 scale figure of Claude, in his gaming get up – so cargo trousers, bomber jacket, Liberty City prison uniform and an assortment of lethal weapons - and he's yours for a mere US$150. Ahem.

Also

iPhone 4S first impressions video review
HTC Titan video review
Best iPhone apps this week