Just before I launch into the topic, first I need you help. I need screens from either SA2 of SA2 Battle, if anybody has the technology to do so. I require the following:
Level select map (fully unlocked if possible. I want the first map, not the ARK map)
Screen of the snowboard down hill at the start of City Escape
Screen of the truck chase from City Escape
Screen from Green Forest showing a tree with a tunnel cut through it located near the end of level ring
Screen of sonic FMV showing sonic in his prison cell
Screen of Tails in Prison Lane walking through the barred corridors
Screen of Tails on route 101
Screen of Shadow on sky rail
On location with Sonic Adventure 2: Welcome to CaliforniaThe mapsThe first thing you have to understand about the maps is that level location on the maps are not in some cases the same as the land marks from the real world that the levels were based upon.
The first parallel between Sonic Adventure 2 and San Francisco can be seen when viewing the maps. Many people have speculated, but a comparison of the maps proves that the large city area in SA2 is undeniable San Francisco.
The map below is the map of San Francisco. The map in the SA2 level display shares all the characteristic features of its real life counterpart, but with one disorientating aspect (at least when you know what has been done), the SA2 map has been condensed for the purpose of the game. The SA2 map is infact a copy of the north east corner of San Francisco, both the real map and the SA2 map contain 2 bridges that extended into the bay area, however the SA2 map has had its golden gate bridge pushed to the right so that it surpasses the route 80 bridge (the route 80 bridge on the SA2 map is where mission street is located, but route 80 did not provide the aesthetics for Mission Street). Not only has the golden gate bridge been moved to the right but so to has Alcatraz island, and because of this it is why on both the real map and the SA2 map the Alcatraz still falls on the right of the golden gate bridge. In effect it appears the SA2 San Francisco has been bent to the right.
Landmarks used in the game from San Francisco include the following:
Aquatic park = Chao Island
Columbus street = City escape: residential (start of street), Truck chase (end of street)
Rout 101 = Route 101 and bridge sequence
Mission district/ street = Mission street
Alcatraz prison = Prison Lane/ island
Landmarks used in the game from areas around San Francisco include the following:
Marin headlands = Encompasses Wild canyon, Dry lagoon and Pumpkin hill
Mt Tamalpais (within Marin country) = Sky Rail
Yosemite national park = Green forest
Aquatic ParkRelevance: Aquatic Park provided the aesthetics for the Chao Island map display. That’s where the parallels end. Aquatic Park only inspired the SA2 map aesthetics, not the game level aesthetics. Both Aquatic Park and Chao Island are located in the same position and are of a similar shape.
Columbus StreetRelevance: Columbus Street provided the aesthetics for city escape.
San Francisco is a famed for it hilly topography. The start of City Escape begins on a hill side residential area, doesn’t really narrow it down, but one factor did help, the architecture used in the City Escape houses resemble a Victorian style. Using a picture of Sonic Team in a hill side street I was able to use a land mark located in the background of the image and trace the location of that land mark to a street. The landmark featured in the Sonic Team snapshot was infact the Transamerica building, the street was Columbus Street.
(Above) Sonic team in Columbus Street. As you can see the bulding dominating the background is the Transamerica bulding.
The early uphill parts of Columbus Street are residential while the down hill parts are built up commercial areas. This matches up with the image of Sonic Team on location at Columbus hill. What also matches up is the architecture of the residential areas and also the fauna either side of the road. Both fauna from the Sonic Team location images and other Columbus hill images match in texture colour and shape to the bushes seen in City Escape. Infact these types of road side bushes are a common feature of San Francisco.
(Above) Location that inspired the truck chase.
It seems the location Sonic Team used from Columbus Street is divided into two: the residential area seen in game at the start of the level, and built up area used for the truck chase sequence at the end of the level. Basically Sonic Team spliced these sections of Columbus Street onto either end of the platform based elements of the level.
Alcatraz prisonRelevance: It provided the aesthetics for Prison Island/lane
Yes, yes it’s confirmed Prison Island/Lane is Alcatraz. Its close proximity to the main land and simply the fact that the SA2 map is a copy of the San Francisco map is proof enough. If you’re not convinced by that then you may like to know that the standard Alcatraz cells match up to the one Sonic was being held within in SA2. The bars are the same and are also the same coloured cream colours as they are in the game, while the bottom half of the wall is painted pastel green, and the top half is again cream just like its game counter part.
(Above) Recognise the cell? You should because it was this style of cell Sonic was held in.
There are also corridors of cells in Alcatraz that hang like ledges over the ground floor, it is these ledged cells that have been converted into bared passage ways featured in the Prison Lane level of the game.
(Above) These cells became the bared corridors featured in Prision lane
Mission District/ StreetRelevance: Provided name and aesthetics for the Mission street level.
Sonic Team appears to have made not attempt to hide the landmarks that inspired the game, as is clear with Mission Street. The most obvious connection made is the, both are the same in SA2 and San Francisco. The beginning of the Mission Street level draws parallels with it real life counterparts, the buildings are again similar in architecture, but this architecture is common style in San Francisco.
The later parts of this level uses a distortion of the Golden Gate Bridge, this distortion is also used in Shadows Radical Highway, but really bears no relevance to the Real Golden Gate Bridge. Later in the game the Golden Gate Bridge is again used in the Route 101 level and is an un-tampered recreation of it.
Route 101Relevance: It provided the aesthetics for the route 101 featured in the game.
Most people assume that route 101 in the game is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; the truth is that route 101 does exist and it happens to include the Golden Gate Bridge as part of the 101 system. There’s not much to say other than that SA2 route 101/Golden Gate Bridge is a straight copy of the San Francisco 101/Golden Gate Bridge, not distortions or changes have been made in reproducing the route 101/ Golden Gate Bridge featured in SA2.
It is important to note that in SA2 Tails tracks Shadow into the mountains, this occurs after he has left San Francisco via crossing the golden gate bridge. In real life the Golden Gate Bridge leaves San Francisco and crosses the bay and back onto land know as “Marin Countyâ€. The Marin County is a very rocky and mountainous area. One of the areas Route 101 passes in Marin country is a mountain known as Mt Tamalpais. From this it can be deducted that the mountainous area that Tails follows Shadow into was inspired by Mt Tamalpais and the areas near it.
Marin HeadlandsRelevance: It provided the map aesthetics for Aquatic Mine, Pumpkin hill, Wild canyon and Dry lagoon.
As of yet no connections have been made to the actual level design, but the land on which these levels occurs is similar to that of the land featured in the SA2 map
Mt Tamalpais (within Marin country)Relevance: it provided the aesthetics for Sky Rail.
Mt Tamalpais is famed for spawning the gold rush in San Francisco. Hydraulic (pressured water) mining took place here, which is interesting to note because the mountain on which Sky Rail takes place also shows signs of mining, more importantly there appear to be water wheels in Sky Rail that outcrop from the mountain side, this is associated with hydraulic (pressured water) mining. There’s no doubt that Mt Tamalpais was the mountain which Sky Rail took inspiration from.
Yosemite national parkRelevance: it provided the aesthetics for the Green Forest level.
A particular area know as Mariposa Grove in Yosemite national park has growing in it giant Red Wood trees. It is these Giant trees that are featured in the Green Forest level. These trees are so big that in some cases tunnels have been cut through them to allow vehicles to pass. If you view the platform near the end of level Goal Ring you will notice that in the back ground there is a tree with a tunnel cut through it, no doubt this was inspired by the same method used on the trees of Mariposa Grove.
(Above) These large trees inspired the hudge trees in Green Forest. As you can see a tunnel has been cut through the tree, a feature that can be seen at the end of the Green Forest stage.
