The game is the first 3D title in the series to be released for handheld devices, and acts as a prequel to 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, using the same setting of Liberty City (a fictional parody of New York City). Ports for iOS, Android and Fire OS devices were also released in December 2015, February 2016, and March 2016, respectively. At the time of release, the recommended retail price of the PS2 port was around half the price of the PSP version, because the PS2 version does not feature the custom soundtrack ripping capability of the PSP version. A port for the PlayStation 2 was later released in June 2006. The ninth installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, it was initially released as a PlayStation Portable exclusive in October 2005.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is an action-adventure game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games.