Sometimes, imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery. Other times, it is the catalyst for a mountain of laughter, if said imitation is poorly done. Such was the case with games like Grab The Auto V and Gangster Town, just a couple of the titles highlighted in Youtube user Jerma985‘s supercut of ridiculous Grand Theft Auto imitations. By typing Grand Theft Auto into the iTunes app store, Jerma slipped into a bottomless pit of absurd knockoffs trying to cash in on the GTA concept.

Believe it or not, Grand Theft Auto III was not the first title to embrace the third-person sandbox style that we’ve seen many modern games adapt. Titles like Urban Chaos were ahead of the curve from a technological standpoint, but didn’t have as solid of a grip on popular culture as the Grand Theft Auto series has. And while franchises like Saints Row clearly use Grand Theft Auto as an inspiration to create unique experiences, it appears, judging from this video, that some developers are best suited for anything else.

What do you think of these GTA knockoffs? Is there a GTA-inspired game that you believe does it better than the series?

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HT: Youtube

Malik Forté is the Gaming Editor of Nerdist. Find him on Twitter @Malik4play.