| Power-ups | Seven pickups |
|---|---|
| Found in | Crates you break with a weapon, fist or vehicle |
| Pick up | On foot or in a vehicle |
| Related | Weapons, wanted level, points and multipliers |
Power-ups are pickups that change how you play, some for a short time and some for good. There are seven of them in the original Grand Theft Auto. They sit in crates that you open with a weapon, your fists or a vehicle, and you can collect them on foot or from behind the wheel. The most useful are the Cop Bribe, which clears your wanted level, and the Get Outta Jail Free Card, which makes an arrest cost you nothing.
Quick reference
| Power-up | What it does |
|---|---|
 Armor | Protects against gunfire. Each pickup holds three hit points, so you survive three hits. |
 Get Outta Jail Free Card | Arrest costs you no multiplier and no weapons. You can carry only one. |
 Cop Bribe | Removes your wanted level at once. |
 Speed Up | Speeds up you or the vehicle you are driving. |
 Extra Life | Adds one life. |
 Multiplier | Adds one to your score multiplier. |
 Information | Shows tips at the bottom of the screen about the city and game features. |
Armor
One bullet is enough to kill you without armor, so grab it before a shootout. Armor only blocks gunfire; fire, explosions and being run over still hurt. The three hit points go down one per shot.
Get Outta Jail Free Card and Cop Bribe
These two answer the police. When you are busted you lose every weapon, any armor and half your score multiplier, so a Jail Card is worth holding before you take on a hard job. A Cop Bribe stops the chase: the wanted heads at the top of the screen disappear. Bribes are single use and hard to find, so remember where you saw them. The other way to lose the heat is a respray, covered on the wanted level page.
Multiplier and Extra Life
The Multiplier pickup works like finishing a job: it adds one to your multiplier, which raises every later payout. Take it when you find it, and see points and multipliers. An Extra Life gives you one more attempt before the chapter ends, which matters because lives are limited.
Speed Up and Information
Speed Up is a short boost for whatever you are controlling and helps in timed missions. The Information pickup is optional reading: it prints a tip about the city or a feature of the game at the bottom of the screen.