Downloading GTA San Andreas from the Internet Archive feels like buying a bootleg VHS of Star Wars before the Special Editions. It’s grimy, it’s legally dubious, and it requires a little technical elbow grease. But when you finally get it running, and you steal a lowrider while listening to "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," you realize: This is the real San Andreas. The one they don't want you to have anymore.
To understand the demand for GTA: SA on the Internet Archive, one must distinguish between the different versions of the game: gta sa pc internet archive