Philip Michael Thomas (Lance Vance), Gary Busey (Phil Cassidy), Danny Trejo (Umberto Robina) and Luis Guzmán (Ricardo Diaz) reprise the roles they played in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002).
A Message From Rockstar - To the left of the Hyman Stadium entrance is a small platform (it's a unique stunt jump) with a tourist sign about the stadium. If you have a camera or sniper rifle in your arsenal, take it out and look at the sign. At the bottom of this sign, in small text, is a message to the player. In the PlayStation Portable version the sign reads: "You are standing on USJ 005a, a fine new addition to our great city that isn't contrived at all. Have you found the 10 easter eggs? Rockstar Leeds would like to thank you for playing the game and letting us have a rockin' christmas party." In the PlayStation 2 version the sign reads: "You are standing on USJ 005a, a fine new addition to our great city that we've all grown to love. Have you found the 11 easter eggs? Rockstar Leeds would like to thank you for playing the game, and by the way, the christmas party was great."
Is the first Grand Theft Auto 3D era game that does not offer the mini game of collecting 100 "Hidden Packages" of some sort. Instead, the player has to find and shoot 99 red balloons. The following game, Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), continued this, as in that game the player has to find and shoot 200 pigeons.
Is the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series to feature a real-life person in cutscenes: Singer/drummer Phil Collins. Is also the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series to feature a Grand Theft Auto radio DJ in cutscenes: The transsexual filmmaker-turned-pornstar-turned-DJ, Reni Wassulmaier (voiced by Barbara Rosenblat), who previously featured on Flashback FM in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005).
Hidden Sign Inside A Boat - There is a sign featuring the happy face from the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) Easter egg INSIDE the boat docked on the south east side of the first island (it's right next to a unique stunt jump). To see it, swim towards the front of the boat. Vic will swim under the water a bit, causing the camera to zoom inside the boat's hull. In the PlayStation Portable version the sign reads: "Nothing To See Here..." In the PlayStation 2 version the sign reads: "I Wasn't Joking - There Really Is Nothing To See Here. Go And Look In The VCN Building Instead!"