Welcome to Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game

Bugzy Malone’s Grandest Game

It’s one of the most controversial and critically acclaimed video games of them all. Grand Theft Auto – a game of stealing, shooting, joyriding and criminality – but also of immersive, mind-blowing creativity.

It was a game that enthralled British rapper Bugzy Malone growing up – and one that stayed with him as he rose through a tough life.

GTA raised the bar on gaming with its seemingly boundless open world and shocking, graphic violence. It would sell millions upon millions and become an entertainment titan. But that wasn’t without huge controversy over its content. Controversy that would land it in front of the highest powers in America.

This is the story of how the game and its makers overcame it all – moral panic, politicians and naysayers – to reach the new era it now faces. Featuring the people who were in the eye of some of the game’s real world storms and controversies - and the fans who’ve savoured its every detail over the last 25 years.

One of those fans was Bugzy – who could see a mirror to his own experiences in the game’s depiction of gang life.

Another is BBC 5 Live’s Chris Warburton: an ordinary fan with a journalistic itch to get deep behind the game’s real-world headlines.

Between them, they go on the rollercoaster ride that’s about to bring the world to the game’s sixth, eagerly anticipated title.

This was more than a game. This was culture shifting art, one of the most towering achievements in modern entertainment. An edgy, addictive masterpiece that would secure memories for friends around the globe.