Tommy Vercetti vs. Carl Johnson (C.J.)

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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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What a way to make a debut into the Grand Theft Auto forums, eh? This is my first thread here. You have to have played GTA Vice City and San Andreas to probably know what you're up against. Tommy Vercetti was the gun-toting, car stealing, don't give a damn kind of heroic villain (oxymoron, but who's keeping score?). Carl Johnson is an agile, athletic, capable man of destruction with that kind of gangsta' thang, you feel me? If these two were in one game, this would be as big as Mario vs. Sonic. So I figured I'd give GTPlanet a thread where you can go at it to determine who's the better character, Tommy Vercetti, or CJ. So who's better? Here's my picks:

(LEGEND: TOMMY VERCETTI - TV; Carl Johnson - CJ)

My favorite one-liner:
TV - "Ya' badge-wearing fruit!" CJ - "Call the Army, I'm a ****in' maniac!"

Funny Quotes:
TV - "You got insurance. So don't be a prick."
CJ - "How are you allowed to drive if you blind?"

Just getting started, but I'll really get things going in my next post.
 
Now let's put them against each other. These are my picks, so yours vary, of course.

LUCK WITH LADIES: CJ
AGILITY: CJ
LEADERSHIP: TV, slightly
CUSTOMIZATION: CJ
WEAPONRY: CJ- slightly
HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT: CJ
TOUGHER SETTING: CJ
BETTER QUOTES: CJ, slightly
SKILLS: -draw-
BETTER EQUPIMENT USE: CJ
BIGGER MAN TO BEAT: TV
MORE SLY: CJ
BETTER VEHICLE JACKING: CJ - can jack almost anything
ROBBERY: TV
TOUGHER POLICE INVOLVEMENT: TV

So if you ask me, I think Carl Johnson is the tougher and better "heroic villain" than Tommy Vercetti. Tommy is pretty tough to beat, but CJ's a hardened OG. In fact, let's make GTA: San Andreas larger. You know, one storyline with CJ, the other with Tommy. Remind you of something? How about Sonic Adventure 2, where you could be the hero and save the world, or be the evil and conquer the world. But, those are my picks. How about you?
 
I thought Tommy Vercetti was much better. Over playing San Andreas, I've gotten tired of the whole gangster theme, therefore I'm tired of CJ. I thought Tommy was a very likeable character, who also has been able to stand the test of another GTA for me, still being my favourite. He was tough. A good leader. He knew exactly what he wanted, when he wanted, and if he wanted it, he would get it. He had good connections. He was cool, funny and smart. Psychotic - which is a must in any GTA, if you ask me. I'm very much into the whole Druglord/Kingpin thing, so overall, I think Tommy kicks butt over CJ, and the GTA 3 character for that matter.

By the way John, welcome to the GTA Forum. You going to be sticking around here, or are you just passing through?
 
I never got the sense that CJ was any sort of criminal mastermind. He seemed to be just some dumb thug that gets thrown around by circumstance. Tommy really takes controll and runs things, CJ just sort of goes along with whoever's talking.
I'm staring at this thinking I have something more to say, but that about sums up my opinion.
 
I think TV is the meaner dood, i mean he has a mansion and many business that make him money. he fought his way to the top. CJ is by no means at the top all he did was get out of his little trouble he was in. TV went up against heads of gangs. TV i belive is the better stronger character.

TV all the way
 
It's hard to say but I think the fact that Ray Liotta does the voice for TV, makes him the coolest 👍
 
Note-- I'm not comparing the games--only the characters/circumstances in the games.

Tommy worked for others early on--then controlled his own destiny toward the end of the game-- he ran the town at the end of the game.

CJ was was pretty much Everybody's b!tch through the whole game (more along the lines of Fido)-- yes he became more powerful but was a victim of his circumstance throughout the game-- he was forced/coerced to do almost everything- by his sister, Tenpenny, Cesar, Sweet, his responsibility to his gang, Toreno.... wuzi's missions were more of a means to an end.

Tommy was only a victim through the opening cutscene-- I guess you could say he was a victim of Lance's treachery and incompetence--but that problem got solved at the end. 👍

Spuds
 
I agree with you Spuds.

The one thing I didn't like about GTA:3 was you were always someones *****. You never got much higher.

In VC you got to control your own world and it was much better. There was no one else to care about, just you, No# man.

And in SA you are tied down to that slum you call OG, not exactly a glamourous 'home'.
 
Yup. In VC you end up with the Vercetti Mansion. In SA you end up with the rappers house.
 
DQuaN
Yup. In VC you end up with the Vercetti Mansion. In SA you end up with the rappers house.
Click to expand...

Rappers house.... Half ownership of a LV casino... A Airstrip... Couple Expensive Houses... Several different shops (If you did all those missions)... Control over LS... Yep... All he got was a rappers house... (BTW there should be money comin in from Mad Dogg... I don't see any...)
 
I'll compare them, but now I'm throwing the GTA3 guy into the mix:

Weapon Skills: a tie between Tommy and "Fido"
Athletic Abilities: CJ by a longshot
Driving Skills: tie between "Fido" and Tommy
Flying Skill: 3-way tie between Tommy, "Fido", and CJ
Robbing: Tommy
Control of the City: Tommy by far
"Gangsta" Factor: "Fido"
Who Would Win In A Triple Threat Match Between Them Without Weapons: probably CJ, but Fido and Tommy would give him a good fight
Best Flat Out Killer: Fido
Best Dressed: CJ
Best Voice Acting: Tommy by Ray Liotta
Best Overall Character: This one is extremely tough, as all 3 have their strengths and weaknesses. I think all of them are good in their own ways. Fido has the raw killer atribute. Tommy gets control of VC at the end. Finally, CJ can swim and climb walls.
 
I wasn't really tired of CJ's criminal aura. Tommy Vercetti was more like a guy who should be serving time in the Big House, while CJ could be in the State Pen. To me, Vercetti was more of a crimelord, whereas CJ wasn't as mean. In fact, I'm inclined to say that CJ isn't as worse as TV. If C.J. weren't a "little Vercetti," he wouldn't care about ladies because he'd kill everyone in sight if he wanted to. There's a house you could buy in Vice City that had two levels to it outside, and you can do your sniping from there. You could simply get your machine guns and stuff and simply fire away from the balcony. When I got to at least 4 stars, then I take my stolen Police Car, and do what I call "Targa Vice City," or maybe "Vice City Rally." I'll explain.

The police car has a good amount of oversteer, making it nearly perfect for drifting. From that house, I usually veer off on to the beach front, or maybe stay on the road while cops chase me down. The Malibu club has that tight little chicane, then basically, I do an Insane Stunt with that ramp and just go almost anywhere. Usually, I try to make up a targa rally, but it's more fun with cops chasing you.

In San Andreas, I really like racing motorcycles and maybe some sporty cars. My favorite bikes? The FCR-900 and the NRG-500. For cars, the ZR-350, the Bullet, the Infernus, and the Slamvan are killer.

Keep in mind that the GTA3 Vercetti makes a cameo appearance with that hellcat Catalina (appropriate, no?). But really, I'd like to see a Grand Theft Auto that's more like a competition between Tommy Vercetti and Carl Johnson to see who can rule San Andreas better. Maybe even have some co-operative play where you can control Tommy and CJ to become a killer (no pun intended) duo. Rockstar Games, how about a Vercetti/Johnson battle for the next GTA?
 
I preferred the mute from GTA:III personally. Well, maybe it's because I prefer GTA:III to both Vice City and San Andreas.

But as we're choosing between Vercetti and CJ here, I'm going with Tommy. The whole gangsta thing is pretty mediocre. :indiff:

ExigeExcel
I agree with you Spuds.

The one thing I didn't like about GTA:3 was you were always someones *****. You never got much higher.

In VC you got to control your own world and it was much better. There was no one else to care about, just you, No# man.

And in SA you are tied down to that slum you call OG, not exactly a glamourous 'home'.
Click to expand...
I preferred the whole 'working your way up from the gutter' thing in GTA:III. Meh, each to his own I guess.
 
Interesting but Highly unlikely...

TV is how old around San Andreas? I'm guessing around Forty... He is a druglord in Florida... The opposite area of California... He probably has gained more power and does not need to bother stepping into the action... With his drug money, I'm guessing he has a lot of good men under him...

C.J. at the end of the game, does not say anything about making more money... He seems satisfied in my opinion...

It does seem to make sense of them creating an alliance... The mafia hate em But in GTA 3 the mafia is crippled... (Not to mention... The guy who threatened CJ is dead!!) The Yakuza probably has the most power in Liberty City... The mafia is weak...

So it does seem to be an interesting idea but... It would be a stretch to put them together...

Anyways... RockStar announced a GTA (Liberty City again) and a Midnight Club on the PSP.... I wonder if that one will have any ties with the other games... (Anybody play GTA Adv for the GBA? I don't know if that has any ties besides being in Liberty city)
 
Remember-- we are not comparing the games-- just the characters.

I agree with Shannon in that GTAIII actually had the best story-- it was pretty cohesive and didn't go off on tangents-- but GTA3guy/Fido/Claude-- had no character-- that was left up to you (how you played him since you played as him-- first person that actually drew you into the game)-- so in my opinion, you can't really compare Fido to CJ or TV-- Fido was you.

Just my opinion....

Spuds.
 
DQuaN
Yup. In VC you end up with the Vercetti Mansion. In SA you end up with the rappers house.
Click to expand...
Well, you don't really. It's not CJ's house. It's still Madd Dogg's. And it's kinda crap. There's no weapon pickups, no garages, inside is big but pretty boring. All your have is a Sparrow and a savepoint. I haven't saved there since I finished the plotline of the game.

In Vercetti Mansion you had a garage, an Infernus and a Stretch, a Maverick on the roof, a Seasparrow in the garden and a full range of weapon pickups. Plus, R* put loads of nice touches into Vercetti Mansion. You collect trophies when you win the Hyman Stadium events. You get Lovefist and Candy Suxxx stuff when you do missions for them. You can find gun manuals, a box for a toy helicopter just like the Hunter, bags from Gash, a safe full of cash, Diaz's portrait has graffiti on it, and the rubbish, pizza boxes and glasses and bottles build up after a while.

As for the 2 characters, I like Tommy Vercetti better. He was just an in-your-face hardass psycho. He didn't take **** from no-one. And when the time came and Tommy had to kill his friend who betrayed him, he didn't get all weepy and stuff. He just killed that backstabber Lance in cold blood. When CJ came to get rid of Big Smoke, there were all sorts of emotional crap and stuff. I know he was his old friend and all, but I'd rather he just popped a cap in him in cold blood. Plus, when Vice City is finished, Tommy is sitting on the stairs his house with his assault rifle, contemplating being crime boss of Vice City. CJ goes for something to eat with his mates. Tommy's just a stone cold badass.

The voice acting for both characters was excellent, but Ray Liotta was the better of the two. It's my favourite voice acting performance in a game by far.


KM.
 
I have only been playing san andreas for a short time, but already i like CJ best.Don't get me wrong, TV was an awesome character, but i vote for CJ because of the pure customization factor.You can turn CJ into any type of character you want, Tommy was only one kind of guy.
 
I'm going to have to go with TV, simply for the fact that 1) he was already in jail and when he got out he was forced to contend with his "family" from Liberty and take over a city at the same time, and the fact that people are comparing features that weren't available. I think if it were to be CJ in Vice City and have the plot revolve around him, Tommy would still win, simply because he's more mature, somewhat smarter (from what I've seen, I've only played SA a couple times) and is his own boss.

[edit] Oh and Tommy? always cool under pressure 👍
 
Tommy wins by far......he seems the traditional mafia hard man who's slightly older and feels more 'big time crime'! He was well suited to the era of VC.

I feel that even though CJ has a big character I think he seems more petty thief and less intimidating......He doesnt seem to be as scary as Tommy! and he is less focused on crime (lots of other aspects to his life as well)

......to be honest I feel that it was quite a let down initally having CJ as the new character......he seems to young to be a believeable major crime guy..... he even seems quite a nice guy at times!......

.......I guess R* was trying to open the game up and appeal to more people and make it less focused on crime and more of a story......
 
robin2223
Tommy wins by far......he seems the traditional mafia hard man who's slightly older and feels more 'big time crime'! He was well suited to the era of VC.

I feel that even though CJ has a big character I think he seems more petty thief and less intimidating......He doesnt seem to be as scary as Tommy! and he is less focused on crime (lots of other aspects to his life as well)

......to be honest I feel that it was quite a let down initally having CJ as the new character......he seems to young to be a believeable major crime guy..... he even seems quite a nice guy at times!......

.......I guess R* was trying to open the game up and appeal to more people and make it less focused on crime and more of a story......
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
JohnBM01
Now let's put them against each other. These are my picks, so yours vary, of course.

LUCK WITH LADIES: CJ
AGILITY: CJ
LEADERSHIP: TV, slightly
CUSTOMIZATION: CJ
WEAPONRY: CJ- slightly
HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT: CJ
TOUGHER SETTING: CJ
BETTER QUOTES: CJ, slightly
SKILLS: -draw-
BETTER EQUPIMENT USE: CJ
BIGGER MAN TO BEAT: TV
MORE SLY: CJ
BETTER VEHICLE JACKING: CJ - can jack almost anything
ROBBERY: TV
TOUGHER POLICE INVOLVEMENT: TV

So if you ask me, I think Carl Johnson is the tougher and better "heroic villain" than Tommy Vercetti. Tommy is pretty tough to beat, but CJ's a hardened OG. In fact, let's make GTA: San Andreas larger. You know, one storyline with CJ, the other with Tommy. Remind you of something? How about Sonic Adventure 2, where you could be the hero and save the world, or be the evil and conquer the world. But, those are my picks. How about you?
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree, CJ is my choice ;) 👍
 
TV again, he is a badass mofo, CJ is nothing really, i mean he is only one of many who control SA, TV was da man, he controlled everything, had a mansion in the middle of the land. Hand plenty of money guns etc. I really like VC storyline and TV. CJ and SA were softer than the hardass TV. Go TV
 
I like the way you can 'mod' CJ in SA - and in looks, at least, you can make him whoever you want (although, hands-up if you haven't got a buff/toned CJ...) But the split scenes make CJ look like a dumb knuckle-head, not the sort of guy who could do anything other than run a small, small-time gang.

Tommy V on the other hand, seemed much more intelligent - a guy who'd track you down no matter what, if you crossed him.
 
So, would you call Tommy Vercetti the second coming of Scarface? If so, I'd sure like to see Vercetti take on Al Capone. Technology and gun play would be much different, but maybe Vercetti could upset Capone.

Don't ask me about any mob or Mafia movies, but now that I've completed San Andreas, I guess I can talk more about Carl Johnson during the course of the game. CJ has the tougher final objective to me. In Vice City, it was "Keep Your Friends Close..." or something like that; San Andreas had "End of the Line." With the SA final mission, it was more like its own game because you had to break through a fortress, go through the "fortress," escape from it, chase Tenpenny, take down thugs, all for [the ending - no spoiler!]. I don't think CJ's intent is to rule the entire state of San Andreas; he just wants to rule the streets with GSF. In Vice City, you had to get assets for formerly Diaz's mansion. People didn't pay protection, so you had to MAKE others pay protection for you. If that doesn't show toughness, nothing does. CJ becomes a big timer, his own celebrity, a "made" man.

Tommy ends up being higher than any crackhead politician in VC. Carl Johnson kind of has a normal life, but still has more street smarts than your average man. CJ also proves that he can do more than be a street punk. He's so talented, I think.

Actually, both of them are good. Tommy is a bit more sadistic while Carl is more talented and able.
 

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