GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide
The GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide provides an overview of all the important things that fans should know about the game. It is one of the most popular video game projects from Rockstar Games which recently completed 20 years. The very first edition of the game was released on October 26, 2004, on the PlayStation 2 and later it was ported to PC, Xbox, Apple Macintosh, iOS, and Android.
The original version of the game has now been removed from the stores and was replaced by the GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition. But, you can still play it if you have purchased it before the removal in November 2021 or own a physical copy.
Following are the things that we will discuss in the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide:
- Story missions
- Side missions
- Best vehicles
- Girlfriends
- Trophies and achievements
- Conditions for 100 percent completion
Note: Some parts of this GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide are subjective and only reflect the writer’s opinions.
GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide: A basic overview of the game
GTA San Andreas is undoubtedly one of the biggest games of the 3D Universe of the Grand Theft Auto Series. It was Rockstar’s most ambitious game project of that time and the studio successfully managed to deliver it.
The game portrays Carl “CJ” Johnson as the protagonist and Frank Tenpenny, Big Smoke, Ryder, and a few others as the antagonists. For clarity, GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide readers should know that Frank Tenpenny is the main antagonist of the game.
Rockstar included three major cities, viz. Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, that together constitute the State of San Andreas (3D Universe version). You can also partially visit the 3D Universe Liberty City, but it is not available in freeroam. The story of GTA San Andreas revolves around how CJ returns to his home after his mother’s death and tries to restore his hood’s dignity by eliminating the enemies.
How many story missions are there in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas?
GTA San Andreas holds the record of having the highest number of main story missions in the entire series. Rockstar added a whopping 100 missions (105 including cutscene missions) that will keep you engaged for weeks. Plus, the storyline is also intriguing, making veteran players return to the game frequently.
Here are all the missions that GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide readers should know:
- In the Beginning
- Big Smoke
- Sweet & Kendl
- Ryder
- Tagging Up Turf
- Cleaning the Hood
- Drive-Thru
- Nines and AK's
- Drive-By
- Sweet's Girl
- Cesar Vialpando
- OG Loc
- Running Dog
- Wrong Side of the Tracks
- Just Business
- Home Invasion
- Catalyst
- Robbing Uncle Sam
- High Stakes, Low-Rider
- Life's a Beach
- Madd Dogg's Rhymes
- Management Issues
- House Party
- Burning Desire
- Gray Imports
- Doberman
- Los Sepulcros
- Reuniting the Families
- The Green Sabre
- Badlands
- First Date
- Tanker Commander
- Body Harvest
- King in Exile
- First Base
- Local Liquor Store
- Gone Courting
- Against All Odds
- Made in Heaven
- Small Town Bank
- Wu Zi Mu
- Farewell, My Love…
- Are You Going to San Fierro?
- Wear Flowers in Your Hair
- 555 We Tip
- Deconstruction
- Air Raid
- Supply Lines…
- New Model Army
- Photo Opportunity
- Jizzy
- T-Bone Mendez
- Mike Toreno
- Outrider
- Mountain Cloud Boys
- Ran Fa Li
- Lure
- Amphibious Assault
- The Da Nang Thang
- Snail Trail
- Ice Cold Killa
- Pier 69
- Toreno's Last Flight
- Yay Ka-Boom-Boom
- Back to School
- Zeroing In
- Test Drive
- Customs Fast Track
- Puncture Wounds
- Monster
- Highjack
- Interdiction
- Verdant Meadows
- Learning to Fly
- N.O.E.
- Stowaway
- Black Project
- Green Goo
- Fender Ketchup
- Explosive Situation
- You've Had Your Chips
- Don Peyote
- Architectural Espionage
- Key to Her Heart
- Dam and Blast
- Cop Wheels
- Up, Up and Away!
- Intensive Care
- The Meat Business
- Fish in a Barrel
- Madd Dogg
- Freefall
- Misappropriation
- High Noon
- Saint Mark's Bistro
- Breaking the Bank at Caligula's
- A Home in the Hills
- Vertical Bird
- Home Coming
- Cut Throat Business
- Beat Down on B Dup
- Grove 4 Life
- Riot
- Los Desperados
- End of the Line (Finale)
The game has an ESRB rating of M (ages 17 and above). If your kids want to play it, the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide advises you to go through the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas parents guide first.
Side missions in GTA San Andreas
The side missions in San Andreas are divided into five categories. These missions offer you a break from the main storyline and provide a unique experience. Some side missions and activities are also associated with the trophies and achievements in the game that the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide will discuss below.
The following are all the side mission categories in San Andreas:
Vehicles Sub-Missions
- Firefighter
- Freight Train Challenge
- Paramedic
- Pimping Missions
- Taxi Driver
- Vigilante
GTA San Andreas Schools
- Driving
- Bike
- Boat
- Pilot Schools.
Side Missions and Activities
- Ammu-Nation Shooting Range
- Basketball
- BMX Challenge
- Burglar
- Exports & Imports
- Gyms
- Lowrider Challenge
- Unique Stunt Jumps
- Beat the Cock! (Triathlons)
- Beefy Baron
- NRG-500 Challenge
- Pool
- Race Tournaments
- Rampages (Multiplayer)
- Stadium Events
- The Chiliad Challenge.
Asset Missions
- Courier Missions
- Quarry Missions
- Trucking Missions
- Valet Parking Missions.
Time-sensitive missions
- Big Smoke's Cash
- Yay Courier.
GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide readers should note that the time-sensitive missions are very easy to miss and they do not spawn later. The Big Smoke's Cash and Yay Courier missions are available after completing the King in Exile mission. Keep an ear out for a phone call from Cesar Vialpando informing you about the missions.
Best vehicles in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
There are a total of 189 vehicles in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas including cars, motorcycles, helicopters, planes, trains, law enforcement vehicles, and others. However, not all vehicles are worth driving and holding onto. While there is an option to customize some vehicles in the game, most players prefer driving the NPC cars that spawn on the roads.
Here is a list of some of the best NPC vehicles GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide followers should drive in the game:
- Turismo - 149.13 mph (240.00 km/h)
- Infernus - 149.13 mph (240.00 km/h)
- Super GT - 142.92 mph (230.00 km/h)
- Cheetah - 142.92 mph (230.00 km/h)
- Bullet - 142.92 mph (230.00 km/h)
- Hotring Racer - 136.70 mph (220.00 km/h)
- ZR-350 - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Sultan - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Sparrow - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Shamal - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Sea Sparrow - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Phoenix - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Maverick - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Jester - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Hydra - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Hunter - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Comet - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- Banshee - 124.27 mph (200.00 km/h)
- NRG-500 - 118.06 mph (190.00 km/h)
- FCR-900 - 117.81 mph (189.60 km/h)
- PCJ-600 - 117.56 mph (189.20 km/h)
- Sanchez - 115.76 mph (186.30 km/h)
- Freeway - 115.20 mph (185.40 km/h)
- BF Injection - 105.63 mph (170.00 km/h)
- Bandito - 105.63 mph (170.00 km/h)
- Vortex - 93.21 mph (150.00 km/h)
- Combine Harvester - 86.99 mph (140.00 km/h)
- Rhino Tank - 49.71 mph (80.00 km/h)
- Jetpack
How many girlfriends are there in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas?
Rockstar Games included a total of six girlfriends that Carl “CJ” Johnson can date. They are as follows:
- Denise Robinson
- Millie Perkins
- Helena Wankstein
- Katie Zhan
- Michelle Cannes
- Barbara Schternvart
You can meet Denise Robinson and Millie Perkins automatically during the storyline. However, the other four girls have to be approached and interacted with to become girlfriend(s). Here is a brief description of how and when CJ meets the girls:
- Denise Robinson - During the Burning Desire mission.
- Millie Perkins - During the Key to Her Heart mission.
- Helena Wankstein - Found near the Ammu-Nation store in Blueberry, Red County.
- Katie Zhan - Found at the golf course near the Cobra Marital Arts Gym, Garcia.
- Michelle Cannes - Found at the Driving School in Doherty, San Fierro.
- Barbara Schternvart - Found at the El Quebrados police station, Tierra Robada.
These girls have different conditions to be happy with CJ. GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide advises you to go through the San Andreas girlfriends guide to understand them better.
All the trophies and achievements in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Rockstar Games offers 33 trophies and achievements in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas that you can unlock on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. Each reward has different values and conditions to unlock. GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide readers should note down the following rewards and their unlock conditions:
- Getting Started: Complete the Big Smoke mission.
- Represent: Purchase a Grove Street tattoo.
- Hustle some: Win a game of pool.
- The American Dream: Purchase any house.
- Get a Pump: Do a barbell curl or bench press at any gym.
- Pay 'n' Spray: Use a Pay 'n' Spray shop with a wanted level.
- Bike or Biker: Complete the BMX or NRG challenge.
- Beat the Cock: Win the Beat the Cock! marathon.
- Metrosexual: Spend $6,969 on clothes, hair, and tattoos.
- Freight Date: Use the train to travel between cities.
- Horror of the Santa Maria: Get wasted by drowning.
- Assert Yourself Next Time: Fail a mission.
- Home Run: Cross the “final base” with a girlfriend.
- What are the Odds: Bet on a horse and win at the Inside Track.
- Double or Nothin': Put all your money or the maximum bet on red or black and win.
- Assassin: Kill someone with stealth.
- A Legitimate Business: Export all listed cars to the Easter Basin Docks.
- School's Out: Fully complete a vehicle school side mission.
- Serial Offender: Get arrested 50 times.
- What the City Needs: Reach level 12 in the Vigilante side mission.
- Savior: Reach level 12 in the Paramedic side mission.
- Rescue a Kitten Too?: Reach level 12 in the Firefighter side mission.
- Yes I Speak English: Complete 50 taxi fares.
- Trickster: Master Pimping Game. (Xbox only)
- Time to Kill: Watch the credits to the end.
- What happens in Las Venturas…: Unlock the map portion of Las Venturas.
- All Dressed Up for San Fierro: Unlock the map portion of San Fierro.
- The Los Santos Slayer: Kill a total of 4000 NPCs.
- Public Enemy No. 1: Achieve a six-star wanted level.
- The End of the Line: Complete the End of the Line mission.
- Original Gangster: Reach maximum respect.
- Chick Magnet: Achieve maximum sex appeal.
- Grove Street War Lord: Capture 30 territories.
- The Key to San Andreas: Unlock all trophies. (PlayStation only)
For more details, the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide advises you to check out the GTA San Andreas trophy guide.
Conditions to complete GTA San Andreas to 100%
If you are playing the game, then it is better to complete it to the fullest. Achieving 100% completion in San Andreas is both challenging and interesting. Nonetheless, the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide advises you to go for it. The following are the conditions to complete the game to the fullest:
- Complete all 100 story missions.
- Complete all asset missions.
- Complete six vehicle sub-missions.
- Win 25 race tournaments.
- Win four stadium events.
- Complete three vehicle challenges.
- Complete all three export vehicle lists.
- Win at least a bronze medal in all School Challenges.
- Complete four Ammu-Nation Shooting Range Challenges.
- Purchase all properties, including 29 Safehouses and three assets.
- Learn all three gym fighting styles.
- Spray all 100 gang tags.
- Click 50 images with your camera.
- Collect 50 horseshoes.
- Collect 50 oysters.
- Get at least 35% girlfriend progress with Millie Perkins.
If you follow the GTA San Andreas walkthrough guide thoroughly and complete all these activities, you will master the game. PlayStation players will also get ‘The Key to San Andreas’ Platinum trophy.