It is indeed, the KOF 01 Brazil stage resembles the start/finish section of the real Sao Paolo track. (Pitlane on the right of the camera, track on a slope, Sao Paolo in the distance.)
Also, the Fatal Fury Team in KOF 97 fight at the Monaco GP, at the La Rascasse hairpin which leads to the Start/Finish section. There’s usually a TV camera situated at the same point as the KOF 97 location so if you watch the race you’ll see it. Unfortunatly I couldn’t find any pics of the exact location, but it’s roughly in the same area as this one:
Unlike the KOF version though, the 1997 Monaco Grand Prix was wet, VERY wet.
Looking fwd to those. I had suspected that Sagat’s stage wasn’t based on a single place as there are surprisingly so many of those sleeping Buddhas, the same goes for the magnificent Budhist shrine in Dhalsim’s Alpha 3 stage, but to find the specific sites would be great. Ryu’s SF1 stage is also intruiging.
This is going a little borderline obvious again I’m afraid, but worth mentioning for its sheers number of appearances. Directly represented in:
KOF XI
I cant find the exact feaute in my (now exstensive) library of Hong Kong Tiger Balm Gardens Images, but Im certain that its a (respectful) combination of these sections (look at the Tiger especialy):
Besides the direct homage paid in this, Fei’s SSF and yung/yang SF3 2nd Impact bg stages, I’m beggining to trace strands of the Garden influence right through the more fantastical end of Capcoms whole design sinsibility. Those sytlised rockforms, mythological creatures and that fantastical composition of elements seen throughout Fergotten Worlds, Warzard, BattleCircuit and especialy Pyron’s Dalkstalkers background.
Not actualy realy places, but interesting enuff to break th rule i think, two pages showing Capcom geographical self refrencing in Street Fighter backgrounds:
Tnanks alot for the Sagat stage info. I could never be sure before that it was a real location, or ust a generic Thai stage. I’ll see if I can find some nice parralel details.
My point about the statue was that I was amazed that (however coincidentaly) a Bruce Lee statue, on Hong Kongs waterfront just like (tho not identical in apearance to) the one in Fei’s SSF2/ST ending had been made real. Kind of a life imitating art sort of thing.
The most remarkable example of this is the Mike Haggar - Jesse Ventura story. Jesse Ventura is the Pro Wrestler and action star:
*The amazing thing is, one year after Final Fight was released, Jesse Ventura, now retired from Wrestling, moved into politics and became Mayor of an American town!! Later he was elected Governor of Minnesota http://www.prisonplanet.com/images/july2005/010705ventura.jpg
*EDIT just done a bit of reading up on Ventura’s political career. Seems he was a bit of a peoples champion too, Due to his background I’d imagined he may be a bit of a Neocon, but turns out (despite being atni tax and pro gun ownership) in his time he supported: Abortion Rights, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools, sepeation of church and state, the use of medicinal marijuana, denounced the economic sanctions of the US against Cuba, supported Kerry for Pres and spoke out against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s position on taxing Native American Casinos.
Go Haggar!
its a beautiful picture and totally background worthy <3
