Unleashing the Real World

[Blue Blood]

My wanderings through Wikipedia today brought me to the page about Cambodia. You'll probably already know that Cambodia was used as the base design for Adabat, much like Mykonos was for Apotos and San Francisco was for much of SA2. As I navigated the page I was drawn to Angkor Wat and then to this image:

Part of the Jungle Joyride Act 1 is pretty darn near identical to this (right down to the end of the pathway, which you don't even go to unless you backtrack). Pretty cool, right? I'd never realised before now how close some parts of these designs were to locations in the real world.e

What other ones do you know about? Unleashed has several right from the Great Mosque of Djenne to New York City, and I'd be posting more in-depth looks if I wasn't at college right now. Anyway, I thought it'd be nice to have a topic dedicated to all of these comparisons on a very close level. Like specific icons that have been directly turned into part of Sonics world- Tikal for example.

[Badnik Zero]

Look familiar? These are traditional house designs used by some groups in Indonesia. Which means Adabat is based on most areas of tropical Asia. I figured they found the idea somewhere but I had no idea houses like this were real.

[DC111]

Wow, that is pretty awesome. I looked up some of the real-world places that Sonic Unleashed was based on a while back; Apotos looks almost EXACTLY LIKE Mykonos. It really makes me want to go there. The place looks so beautiful and unique and bright. And it'd be almost like I was in a place that Sonic had been. Haha, I'm such a geek.

[BlazingTales]

These are amazing! Nice find everyone!

I exspecially love the pictures of Mykonos. Very beautiful. I can just see Sonic strolling through the streets with an ice cream cone. This just goes to show how much work art-wise was put into the game! Lovely!

[Phos]

It figures they pick the part of America that is both my least favorite part to go to and the part least conducive to good Sonic levels. Oh, wait, that second one would probably be Levelland, TX.

I know that Mazuri is based off of a real place, though I can't remember what it's called now. Not just Aferica in General, that citadel in the background is a real thing.

I've seen one of these first hand.

One of these too, but not on the two days out of the year when they have leaves.

Africa is a strange place, It usually tops 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, but drops below freezing during the night. You'll see all kind of strange plants and things that I occasionally felt like I was on another planet.

Shamar is based off of Jordan.

[123654]

If I'm not mistaken, Big Ben appeared in Spagonia.

And Soleanna is based on Venice, which is even called the City of Water in real life.

[SuperStingray]

It figures they pick the part of America that is both my least favorite part to go to and the part least conducive to good Sonic levels.

Frankly, there are few better places they could have used in America. Considering that the Great Plains and Midwest are flat, the only places other than a city environment that really could work are any of the Mountain ranges, Hawaii and Alaska, none of which capture America's unique and memorable qualities and they already did a mountain environment, a Pacific island environment, and a level based on Alaska itself.

Oh, and if New York city is your least favorite part of the country to go to, you should try going just East to Long Island. That'll turn you off.

[batson]

Kinda of topic, but am i the only one annoyed at how the people in the America-based level in Unleashed were pretty much the only people in the game to get to wear normal clothes? Considering how stereotypical clothes most people in the levels based on other countries wore, it would have been more fair to have the people in Empire City wear Cowboy outfits or something.

[Phos]

Frankly, there are few better places they could have used in America. Considering that the Great Plains and Midwest are flat, the only places other than a city environment that really could work are any of the Mountain ranges, Hawaii and Alaska, none of which capture America's unique and memorable qualities and they already did a mountain environment, a Pacific island environment, and a level based on Alaska itself.

I don't think that Holaska is based off of Alaska, primarily because of this:

and that I've been there and Holaska doesn't look anything like it.

Alaska looks more like this:

Lake Powell would have been a nice choice:

Or Las Vegas:

Or Monterey:

but make sure to include this thing:

Edited October 1, 2009 by Phos

[Solid SOAP]

Kinda of topic, but am i the only one annoyed at how the people in the America-based level in Unleashed were pretty much the only people in the game to get to wear normal clothes? Considering how stereotypical clothes most people in the levels based on other countries wore, it would have been more fair to have the people in Empire City wear Cowboy outfits or something.

To be fair there was an extremely stereotypically gay man and some "hip gangstas", which are a large stereotype of American fashion.

[DaBatGuy]

Kinda obvious but the bridge in Empire City is based heavily on the the Brooklyn Bridge:

And the hub is based on Central Park.

[SuperStingray]

I don't think that Holaska is based off of Alaska, primarily because of this:

Then what nation is its flag supposed to resemble?

and that I've been there and Holaska doesn't look anything like it.

Alaska looks more like this:

Is that north or south of the arctic circle?

Lake Powell would have been a nice choice:

If they were to do something like that, I would have went with Bryce Canyon.

Hell, it's probably the only natural spot on Earth with already existing loops.

Or Las Vegas:

Yeah, Las Vegas I could get behind- varied buildings, expansive and natural surrounding environment- it would make at least as good a level. For hillier landscapes, Seattle could make a good city level as well. (I'd say San Francisco, but they already did that in SA2.) But my point is that any city level would get the job done, but it may as well be New York since they were aiming for iconic images of each country the levels represent.

Or Monterey:

but make sure to include this thing:

Outside of that bridge, I don't see how that would work; it just seems too small scale.

With the possible exception of Vegas, though, they just don't seem to scream "America." You can see Africa in Mazuri, and the Middle East in Shamar, but when people think of America, the American Dream is usually the first thing to come to mind (third for a large quantity of foreigners who now think obesity and stupidity, but that's neither here nor there) and New York, given its grandeur and cultural density, really captures that.

So is it the best they could have chosen for a Sonic level? Perhaps not. But it is the best they could have chosen if they really wanted to capture the richest side of American culture in a level.

[Badnik Zero]

Not just Africa in general, that citadel in the background is a real thing.

Blue Blood said it in the OP. It's probably based on the Great Mosque of Djenne, located in Mali, and it's supposed to be the largest clay building in the world. Because of that it needs to be repaired yearly and there's a regional festival (yay, Wikipedia) dedicated to sealing the cracks in the building. Don't think it's anywhere near those trees though.

Edited October 1, 2009 by Ezra the Badnik

[edge.]

Look familiar? These are traditional house designs used by some groups in Indonesia. Which means Adabat is based on most areas of tropical Asia. I figured they found the idea somewhere but I had no idea houses like this were real.

That also reminds me of the Gigan Rocks level in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

[Sega DogTagz]

All these mentions of US sites and no one says D.C.?

It would be perfect. Long open streets to dash across (when they are not packed with traffic) and iconic monuments to spindash over (when they are not full of tourists)

Okay... maybe not perfect.

Alaska looks more like this:

Your right, a good deal of Alaska is green, but in the grand scheme of things, it is probably not viewed that way by most of the global populous. Ask a kid about the state and the responses dealing with Polar Bears and Eskimos will serve my point.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Sega DogTagz

[Carbo]

Kinda of topic, but am i the only one annoyed at how the people in the America-based level in Unleashed were pretty much the only people in the game to get to wear normal clothes? Considering how stereotypical clothes most people in the levels based on other countries wore, it would have been more fair to have the people in Empire City wear Cowboy outfits or something.

Eh? The only place where anyone could consider it "stereotypical" was in Mazuri but that was with the native tribes. Spagonia had normal everyday-life clothes as well, Adabat also had them. How would you dress up in Holoska/Alaska? With normal clothes? And the Shamar clothing is pretty much average culture. People wear that alot in Egypt.

Ironically the most stereotype is, as Solid SOAP said, Empire City. Mostly cause the black salesman and flamboyant gay.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Frog-Tan

[Tailikku]

Eh? The only place where anyone could consider it "stereotypical" was in Mazuri but that was with the native tribes. Spagonia had normal everyday-life clothes as well, Adabat also had them. How would you dress up in Holoska/Alaska? With normal clothes? And the Shamar clothing is pretty much average culture. People wear that alot in Egypt.

Ironically the most stereotype is, as Solid SOAP said, Empire City. Mostly cause the black salesman and flamboyant gay.

Are you saying that the Empire City salesman is Ash from Streets of Rage 3?

[Carbo]

Are you saying that the Empire City salesman is Ash from Streets of Rage 3?

... No?

Sorry but you made little sense there.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Frog-Tan

[Tailikku]

... No?

Sorry but you made little sense there.

Ash (from the JPN version of SoR 3) is black and gay.

[Phos]

The salesman and flamboyant gay are two different people, although he seemed to me to be a rather fruity bisexual... who would hit on you in almost every sentence, and considering that Sonic is 16, I think that technically makes him a pedophile, depending on how you interpret Sonic's age.

You know, for kids!

[Cake]

Just figured I'd post the animated short "Oktapodi", as the location used for it's setting should be familiar to those who've played Unleashed.

[Tylec Asroc]

Kinda of topic, but am i the only one annoyed at how the people in the America-based level in Unleashed were pretty much the only people in the game to get to wear normal clothes? Considering how stereotypical clothes most people in the levels based on other countries wore, it would have been more fair to have the people in Empire City wear Cowboy outfits or something.

What are 'normal' clothes? The fashions that people are accustomed to wearing vary from place to place.

I think the idea was to highlight the exotic and unique culture of each country Sonic visits, therefore the art designers went for what might be traditional garments worn in each region. We've found some really great pictures of the real-life locations; it would be interesting if someone could find clothes similar to what's worn in-game.

Holoska, despite the name, is probably modeled more on Antarctica (Penguins and Snow - nothing but snow!) than any location in North America, which, as previous posters have demonstrated, has a little more variety to its geography.