Grand Theft Auto Advance
The ROMANOV Archive plugs in the Game Boy Advance to trace how Russian weapons and Cold War motifs survive—even in the smallest of screens.
Often overlooked and rarely studied, Grand Theft Auto Advance is a 2004 prequel to GTA III that brings Liberty City to the GBA in a gritty, top-down package. Yet despite its limitations, the game sneakily revives Cold War aesthetics through its use of the iconic AK-47—a weapon model that, upon closer inspection, resembles the AKM, complete with wooden stock and mid-century stylings.
This new ROMANOV article explores how the handheld GTA retains the franchise’s fascination with post-Soviet iconography, embedding Russian-coded firepower deep in its pixelated shootouts. From its visual design to its role in gameplay, the AK is more than a gun—it’s a symbol of global narratives translated into handheld form.