SuperTrainStationH
East Unova Resident
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2011
- Messages
- 371
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This subject has been touched on before in other threads, many of which are now out of date, but here I basically wanted to compile an easily accessible, easily understandable resource explaining the inspirational connections between the Unova region and the New York City metropolitan area.
Even though it's fairly common knowledge that Unova drew inspiration from the NYC area, it's still commonly mistaken that this connection only applies to Castelia City, and that the suburban and rural aspects of Unova are purely fictional.
During the heated controversial speculation leading up to the release of Pokémon Black as to whether Unova was based on New York or Shanghai, those looking for evidence that Unova was based on New York unknowingly made things tough for themselves by zooming their maps in so close on Manhattan that the characteristic shape of Brooklyn and Queens between the East River and Jamaica Bay (or Undella Bay) to the East was cut off.
(note: this map is skewed slightly east of true north)
Listed within the spoiler cut are some of the major map locations and their real life analogs in New York and New Jersey.
Some of these game locations have extensively borrowed from their geographical real life counterparts, others have very little in common besides their similar location on the map.
Blog entries prove that Junichi Masuda has at the very least personally visited DUMBO, the Brooklyn Bridge, Lower Manhattan, and the Theater District, which were translated into the game as Nacrene City, the Skyarrow Bridge, Castelia City, and Nimbasa City respectively, and has taken photographs here.
Also compiled here are a number of photographs comparing art and game screens with photographs of the analogous real life locations.
Some bear a strong resemblance, some only a general one which may or may not be coincidental.
For Bed-Stuy and Flatbush I used photographs that would be found if a bare minimum 5 minute web search were to be done on those areas, which may lend themselves to the creators having some background research as a starting point to how those towns might look.
I'm not trying to stretch for evidence to prove anything in particular, I'm just drawing a comparison here.
I personally took these pictures. The one on the lower left was taken from the same spot Junichi Masuda took his own photos of DUMBO from which were featured on his blog.
I also took video footage here as well.
These photos are all of Camden Plaza, turns out I forgot to take any decent photos of Brooklyn Bridge Park while I was there. That elevated roadway to the left leads directly onto the Brooklyn Bridge itself.
I also took video footage at the Brooklyn Bridge, Castelia City, and the Airport Gardens.
I could have made a few more comparison slides, and eventually do in fact plan to, but beyond what I posted the parallels visually become less and less of interest to what's seen in the games, and I'm not going to try to reach across every corner of this very large area trying to find connections where they aren't any, though I've personally visited as much of it as I can for the sole purpose of finding stuff like this.
Some things, like the existence of an actual airport featuring vegetable gardens within NYC limits, may or may not be purely coincidental, but serve such a close parallel to similar sights in Unova that I think they're worthy of note.
And of course, in spite of all of this, Unova is still not New York and north eastern New Jersey. It's it's own unique, pretend region which merely draws some geographical, thematic, and historical inspiration from those real life areas.
I hope this thread proves to be of some utility in appreciating and understanding the setting of Unova and perhaps the real world as well.
Even though it's fairly common knowledge that Unova drew inspiration from the NYC area, it's still commonly mistaken that this connection only applies to Castelia City, and that the suburban and rural aspects of Unova are purely fictional.
During the heated controversial speculation leading up to the release of Pokémon Black as to whether Unova was based on New York or Shanghai, those looking for evidence that Unova was based on New York unknowingly made things tough for themselves by zooming their maps in so close on Manhattan that the characteristic shape of Brooklyn and Queens between the East River and Jamaica Bay (or Undella Bay) to the East was cut off.
(note: this map is skewed slightly east of true north)
Listed within the spoiler cut are some of the major map locations and their real life analogs in New York and New Jersey.
Some of these game locations have extensively borrowed from their geographical real life counterparts, others have very little in common besides their similar location on the map.
Blog entries prove that Junichi Masuda has at the very least personally visited DUMBO, the Brooklyn Bridge, Lower Manhattan, and the Theater District, which were translated into the game as Nacrene City, the Skyarrow Bridge, Castelia City, and Nimbasa City respectively, and has taken photographs here.
Also compiled here are a number of photographs comparing art and game screens with photographs of the analogous real life locations.
Some bear a strong resemblance, some only a general one which may or may not be coincidental.
For Bed-Stuy and Flatbush I used photographs that would be found if a bare minimum 5 minute web search were to be done on those areas, which may lend themselves to the creators having some background research as a starting point to how those towns might look.
I'm not trying to stretch for evidence to prove anything in particular, I'm just drawing a comparison here.
I personally took these pictures. The one on the lower left was taken from the same spot Junichi Masuda took his own photos of DUMBO from which were featured on his blog.
I also took video footage here as well.
These photos are all of Camden Plaza, turns out I forgot to take any decent photos of Brooklyn Bridge Park while I was there. That elevated roadway to the left leads directly onto the Brooklyn Bridge itself.
I also took video footage at the Brooklyn Bridge, Castelia City, and the Airport Gardens.
I could have made a few more comparison slides, and eventually do in fact plan to, but beyond what I posted the parallels visually become less and less of interest to what's seen in the games, and I'm not going to try to reach across every corner of this very large area trying to find connections where they aren't any, though I've personally visited as much of it as I can for the sole purpose of finding stuff like this.
Some things, like the existence of an actual airport featuring vegetable gardens within NYC limits, may or may not be purely coincidental, but serve such a close parallel to similar sights in Unova that I think they're worthy of note.
And of course, in spite of all of this, Unova is still not New York and north eastern New Jersey. It's it's own unique, pretend region which merely draws some geographical, thematic, and historical inspiration from those real life areas.
I hope this thread proves to be of some utility in appreciating and understanding the setting of Unova and perhaps the real world as well.
