GTA Advance follows Mike, a Liberty City criminal whose plan to leave town with his partner Vinnie collapses after a car-bomb attack. His search for answers sends him through a chain of underworld contacts across Portland, Staunton Island, and Shoreside Vale.
Role
Protagonist
Mike is the playable lead whose planned escape becomes a revenge-driven investigation across Liberty City.
Mike
Mike is the playable protagonist of Grand Theft Auto Advance for the Game Boy Advance. Starting in Portland with Vinnie, Mike earns escape money before investigating the explosion that appears to kill his partner.
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Status
- playable
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Jump Start
Role
Central Antagonist
Vinnie's deception turns Mike's former mentor into the story's central enemy.
Vinnie
- Affiliation
- Independent (later antagonist)
- Status
- antagonist
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Jump Start
Role
Main Contacts
Underworld employers and allies who move Mike's investigation between Liberty City's districts.
8-Ball
- Affiliation
- Independent (explosives)
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Jump Start
Jonnie
- Affiliation
- Red Light District (bartender)
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Ill Repute
King Courtney
- Affiliation
- Uptown Yardies
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Race to Run
Cisco
- Affiliation
- Colombian Cartel
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Flying High
Asuka Kasen
- Affiliation
- Yakuza
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Grand Theft Auto
Role
Supporting Characters
People connected to individual jobs, disputes, rescues, and entertainment work around the city.
Federico
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Dirty Laundry
Misty
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Ill Repute
Scorelli
- Affiliation
- Mike’s work in Liberty City
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Hot Wheels
Billy
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Sober Driver
Freddy
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Show the Money
Pat
- Affiliation
- Independent (pilot)
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Flying High
Yuka
- Affiliation
- Yakuza
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- School's Out
Biff Rock
- Affiliation
- Independent (actor)
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Scorned Lover
Unnamed Movie Actress
- Affiliation
- Independent (actress)
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Scorned Lover
Mike and Vinnie's escape plan
Mike is the playable protagonist throughout the Game Boy Advance story. He and Vinnie intend to leave Liberty City and abandon their criminal life, but they first need enough money to go. Vinnie acts as Mike's partner and mentor, giving him work and guiding the opening part of the campaign.
The apparent death of Vinnie changes the objective from earning escape money to finding whoever arranged the attack. That investigation gives the campaign its structure: Mike follows Vinnie's old connections, accepts jobs from powerful criminals, and moves from one island to the next as new leads appear.
Underworld contacts across Liberty City
8-Ball is an old friend of Vinnie who specializes in fake identification and explosives. He helps Mike rather than serving as a straightforward enemy. Jonnie is another Vinnie contact, a bartender in the Red Light District who offers illegal work connected to Vinnie's debts.
King Courtney leads the Uptown Yardies and mixes racing, drugs, contracts, and manipulation. Cisco leads the Colombian Cartel, while Asuka Kasen represents the Yakuza from her Staunton Island base. These figures employ Mike at different points, but a mission contact is not automatically an ally. Their motives and loyalties determine whether a working relationship lasts.
Supporting characters and returning names
GTA Advance uses smaller mission roles to connect Mike's investigation to the wider city. Misty, Yuka, Federico, Pat, Scorelli, Billy, Freddy, Biff Rock, and the unnamed actress appear through individual jobs or short strands rather than all driving the central mystery.
Several names are also associated with other Liberty City stories, including 8-Ball, Asuka Kasen, Misty, and King Courtney. Their presence helps place GTA Advance in the familiar city, but their role here should be read through Mike's campaign rather than assumed from another GTA game.
Major late-story spoiler
Vinnie faked his death and used the explosion to send Mike on a false hunt while planning to escape with their money. The reveal changes him from trusted mentor to the central antagonist and explains why people close to the truth are placed in danger. If you are playing blind, stop before comparing the later mission spans for Vinnie and Mike.
The remaining criminal leaders are more complicated than one permanent hero-or-villain label. 8-Ball and Jonnie aid Mike's search, while King Courtney's dealings become openly hostile. Mission order and changing motives matter more than the broad character grouping.
FAQ
Who is the protagonist of GTA Advance?
Mike is the playable protagonist. He begins by trying to leave Liberty City with Vinnie, then pursues answers after their plan collapses.
Who is Vinnie to Mike?
Vinnie begins as Mike's partner and mentor. He gives Mike criminal work and shares the plan to leave Liberty City, making his apparent death the event that drives the investigation.
Are all characters grouped as antagonists Mike's enemies?
No. 8-Ball and Jonnie help Mike, while other employers have shifting motives or later betray him. The grouping covers major figures in the conflict, not permanent hostility.
What do two mission names in a character summary mean?
They indicate the first and last credited mission appearances for that character. They do not mean the character appears in every mission between those points.
Do familiar GTA III characters have the same role in GTA Advance?
Not always. GTA Advance uses familiar Liberty City names such as 8-Ball, Asuka, Misty, and King Courtney within Mike's own campaign, so their immediate relationship should be judged from this story.
Does GTA Advance include GTA Online characters?
No. GTA Advance is a single-player Game Boy Advance story and does not include GTA Online roles or continuity.