Grand Theft Auto III Heading to iOS, Android Devices

In the 10 years since the debut of "Grand Theft Auto III," several video games have upped the ante in the naughty category - including some other "Grand Theft Auto" games.

But the original open-world gangster-action game is doing a second drive-by with the December 15 release of "Grand Theft Auto 3: 10 Year Anniversary Edition."

The game will be available for download on Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and on Android tablets and smartphones. It will cost $4.99.

Publisher Rockstar Games sells "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars" in Apple's App Store, but this is the first game in the series to be released on Google's Android platform. The Apple version works on all iPads, the latest iPod Touch and the iPhone 4 and 4S. Rockstar has posted a list of supported Android devices as well.

From the first batch of screen shots released by the publisher, the game looks similar on the two mobile platforms. Instead of using a controller like on the original PlayStation 2 game, players will tap on-screen buttons to switch between weapons.

Rockstar plans to release more details and a trailer video to coincide with the game's release next week, the company said. A spokesman didn't immediately respond to a question about whether the anniversary game would have different missions from the original.

The "Grand Theft Auto" series has sold more than 114 million copies worldwide since it debuted in 1997. In November, Rockstar released a trailer for "Grand Theft Auto 5," which is in development.

The holiday season has been active with anniversary games. Microsoft released "Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary," Sega put out "Sonic Generations" and Konami had "Metal Gear Solid HD Collection."