Why CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas deserves to be in PSASBR if there's ever another game.

A lot of people have been shooting down the prospect of having a Grand Theft Auto character in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. They say that the protagonists are too bland, or that there are too many characters with guns, or that there is nothing good for a moveset. Well, not only are all of those statements unjustified, but the character I've selected (CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) may represent Playstation post-2000 better than any other character.

It doesn't take a genius to see that the Grand Theft Auto series generally thrives on it's character development, and nowhere is that clearer that in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The story of CJ, Sweet Ryder, and Smokes gang and what happens to them and their relationships throughout the game is one of the most engaging and eventful video game stories of the last decade.In fact, the case could be made that the Grand Theft Auto series is closer to Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger than anything else. The games all are dependant on the main character's story and his relationships with other people, and like those series, the main protagonist is different in every game, although the game characters can meet up with each other in different ways.

But if the games all have different protagonists, why pick CJ over anyone else? Why does he deserve to be picked over the other protagonists? Well, CJ has more of a unique moveset than a lot of other GTA characters. While other GTA games rely nearly completely on guns for weaponry, GTA: San Andreas brings in more explosives and melee weapons for use. CJ has remote explosives, an RPG launcher, a flamethrower, a katana, a chainsaw, brass knuckles, and a golf club. The game also rather famously features a usable Jetpack and a usable Parachute, and interestingly enough CJ rides on bicycles with his gang in a lot of the game. Also, while yes, CJ does use guns in the game, he's almost always depicted with a 9mm or a Micro SMG. Incorporating 2 guns into his moveset wouldn't be that much of a problem.

Lastly, there's the issue of the Grand Theft Auto series' relationship to Playstation. While I admit that nether the Grand Theft Auto series or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were Playstation-exclusive at all, the series is still a GIGANTIC part of Playstation's history. The best selling game on the Playstation 2 was Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, while GTA: San Andreas only sold ninth most on the Xbox. While going by sales is nowhere near a test of whether or not something represents something else (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone technically outsold every game in the Crash Bandicoot series), but when a game outsells EVERY OTHER GAME for your console, it must have at least some standing as a series for it. Besides, if you threw out series that weren't Playstation-exclusive, you could say goodbye to Raiden, Heihachi, Dante, Big Daddy, and Isaac.

So in conclusion, not only is CJ from Grand Theft Auto a unique character with an interesting background and personality who has more that needed for a moveset, he represents Playstation as a console and as a game company, and it is for this reason that he deserves a spot in the Playstation All Stars Battle Royale series.