Using Cheat Codes in GTA: Vice City on PS2
The PS2 version of GTA: Vice City runs on a disc-based system where cheat codes are entered via the controller during gameplay. This isn't a menu option you toggle on or off — it's a sequence of button presses you execute while the game is running, and there's no visual confirmation that the code was accepted unless you see the effect actually trigger. That lack of feedback catches most people out on their first attempt. The input method uses directional pads, shoulder buttons, and face buttons in specific combinations. The PS2 controller layout means L1, R1, L2, R2, Triangle, Circle, Square, Cross, and the D-pad all play a role. Entering these sequences requires a level of muscle memory that becomes automatic after a few tries, but getting them wrong means restarting the mission or reloadng your save. One sequence I use most frequently is the weapon drop cheat — Triangle, R1, R1, L2, L1, Circle, L1, R1, R2. It empties your inventory so you can start fresh with whatever weapons you find on enemies or in safehouses. The timing window is tight. You need to hold the second R1 until the game registers the pattern, which takes about half a second of sustained pressure. If you tap it too quickly, the game interprets it as two separate inputs and the cheat fails. I learned this by breaking my thumb on a plastic R1 button during a particularly stressful police chase sequence around 2 AM.
The explosive rounds cheat (Right, Left, Square, Right, Right, R1, Right, Left, Triangle, Left, Circle, L1) turns every bullet into a small detonation. This is functionally useful for clearing groups of gang members but carries a downside: the explosions can kill you if you're standing too close. The game doesn't distinguish between your health and the target's health when calculating blast damage, so you'll accidentally suicide yourself more often than you'd expect. I've lost at least a dozen missions to this particular issue. Here are the most reliable cheat sequences organized by category: Weapons and combat:
Full weapon set: Circle, R1, R2, Left, L1, R1, Right, Right, L2, L1, Left Explosive bullets: Right, Left, Square, Right, Right, R1, Right, Left, Triangle, Left, Circle, L1 Explosive melee: Right, Left, Square, Right, Right, R1, Right, Left, Circle, Left, Triangle, L1
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Pedestrians have Tommy Guns: Triangle, R1, R1, L2, L1, Circle, L1, R1, R2 Wanted level control: Increase wanted level: Triangle, Left, L1, Right, L2, L1, Circle, Circle
Lower wanted level: Triangle, Left, L1, Right, L2, L1, Circle, Circle, L1 Stay on current wanted level: L1, L2, R1, Circle, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right Kill everyone: Up, Down, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, Circle
Movement and physics: Mega jump: Triangle, R1, R1, L2, L1, Circle, L1, R1, R2 Super punch: R1, Circle, Triangle, L1, L1, R1, R1, R2, L2, R2
Faster running: Triangle, Circle, L2, R2, R1, R2, L1, L2 Jump mode: R1, R1, R2, R2, L2, R2, R1, Circle Vehicle-related:
All vehicles explode on contact: L1, L2, R1, Square, L1, Right, Left, Right, L2, L1 Faster driving: Right, Right, L1, Left, Right, L2, Right, Left, L1, L2, Circle, L2 Red lights stay green: L2, L1, Circle, L1, R1, L1, R1, Circle, L2
Character and reputation: Infinite health: L1, L2, R1, Square, L1, Right, Left, Right, L2, L1 Respect plus 1000: L1, L2, R1, Square, L1, Right, Left, Right, L2, L1
Respect minus 1000: L1, L2, R1, Square, L1, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1 Civilians respect plus 1000: L2, L1, R1, L1, R1, Circle, L2 There are some less obvious behaviors worth noting. When you enter a cheat code, it stays active for the entire play session — you can't turn it off mid-game except by restarting. The infinite health cheat, for example, won't wear off even if you exit to the main menu and come back. This is useful but also means if you accidentally activate it and then want to play the game normally, you need to restart from a saved game that predates the cheat.
Another thing that catches people off guard: saving your game after entering cheats is safe. The game records which cheats are active in the save file, and they remain active when you reload. This was genuinely problematic for me during the Vice City story missions because I accidentally activated the "kill everyone" cheat while trying to complete a scripted assassination mission, wiped out all the AI in the area, and then couldn't progress because the mission-required NPCs were dead. The workaround was reloading from a save point before I entered the building. The PS2 version handles cheats differently from later ports. On PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC remasters, some versions removed certain cheats entirely or changed how they work. The original PS2 disc version has the most complete cheat list, which is why most retro gaming resources reference it specifically. If you're playing on original hardware, you can enter these codes at any time during free roam, but mission-specific cheats may not activate during certain cutscenes or loading screens. The game ignores button inputs during cinematic sequences, so if you think you entered a code and nothing happened, check whether the game was playing a scripted animation at that moment.
The most common mistake beginners make is confusing the D-pad direction with the analog stick direction. The cheats specifically require D-pad presses, not stick tilts. Pressing the stick forward does not register as "Up" in the cheat system. This distinction matters because the analog stick is used for movement and camera control throughout the game, so it's easy to accidentally input stick commands instead of D-pad commands when your hands are positioned for gameplay rather than for deliberate code entry. For players who want a complete reference, the official cheat sheet published by Rockstar Games lists approximately 35 distinct codes for the PS2 version. Many fan-maintained databases contain the same information with slight formatting variations. The core content hasn't changed since 2002 because these are hardcoded sequences in the original executable.
