Empire City



Empire City (Skyscraper Scamper) (スカイスクレイパ・逸走る) is the fictional location of one of the levels in the 360/PS3 version of Sonic Unleashed. It's a high-rise metropolis based on New York City.

''A melting pot of diverse folk and ideas. All who come here dream of making it big.''

Notable Locations
Though Empire City is completely absent in the Wii/PS2 version, street signs in the Day and Night levels do reveal buildings and roads there.
 * S. Shadow Avenue
 * Rouge Street
 * E-123 Omega Road
 * Blaze Road
 * Silver Beach
 * Seaside Park
 * Chao Garden
 * West Park
 * Chao Beans
 * Soleanna Hotel
 * Pachacamac Parking
 * I want to play this game as I have been to NYC. Also, I should have seen NYC before this game came out.

Citizens
85. Louie Montaine- (ルイ=モンタン) A self-styled Love Expert who claims to have won as many hearts as there are in the sky. Louie is always happy to teach the ABCs of that sticky wicket they call romance. If you ask nicely, he'll even help you practice... just as long as you're OK with his particular practice style.

86. Boss- (ボス) A business wizard who can move billions with a mere snap of his fingers. Seeing as life is short and time in money, he believes in investing all of his time looking out for number one. If you were wondering, the Boss doesn't make his real name public. For business reasons, of course.

87. Def Big- (デフ・ビッグ) A big-name producer worried about the future of the music industry. Def Big is currently seeking a pop sweetheart newcomer sensation with urban integrity but with a dark side too.

88. Elizabeth- (エリザベス) An educator who has worked in the area schools for ages. People affectionately call her Liz. She loves seeing her kids smile, and reaches out to people left and right, but that's probably just the teacher in her. Liz has cared for more than 2,000 students to date.

89. Charles- (チャールズ) A superior student and aspiring doctor who sits at the top of his class and shows no sign of slipping. One teensy little problem: he's squeamish and can't stand the sight of blood. When the cadavers roll in, he rolls out, then talks the professor into giving him credit anyway.

90. Robert- (ロバート) A Def Big fan who moved into the city to meet his hero. He works part-time at the shop. Bob wants to be like Def Big more than anything, but so far he's only gotten the Big part down.

91. Li'l Kate- (リル・アン) A bright and bubbly pop star in the making, with a killer voice and dance moves to match. She's a go-getter, too; Li'l Kate doesn't sit around waiting for favors. "If life's a ride," she says, "then move over, 'cause I'm driving."

92. Brenda Hernandez- (Brendaブレンダ) A freelance writer who travels around the world. These days Brenda has been following the global crisis, penning stories like "Shattered Planet! Who Broke the Globe?" and "Light and Fight for Domination" or "Do Blue Hedgehogs Dream of Electric Eggs?"
 * As can be seen in the souvenir and in the Empire City HUB, Brenda writes for "World Treasure" Magazine.

93. Hot Dog Vendor- (ホットドッグ屋) The manager of the "Don Faccho" hot dog mega-franchise's Empire City location. Without a doubt, the friendliest guy in hot dogs. Check out the Empire City hot spots while nibbling one of his specialty links.

Town Products
In each town across the world, Sonic is able to buy souvenirs, food items and extras (music, videos) using his rings. The Empire City shop, run by Robert, is called the Counter of Dreams 2, though the sign on the stand reads Bonny's Kitchen.

Souvenirs

 * Photo Frame: "This picture frame hails from Empire City. Very urban and... ahem... hip. Let's call it a show of manmade beauty, hmm?"
 * Miniature Flag: "This is Empire City's flag. The many stars represent the many diverse people who live there, while the stripes represent their interconnection. The whole design is a sort of call for unity, if you will."
 * Magazine: "This magazine's pages are chock full of articles about this region. Brenda's stories are especially good reads. She knows how to pull you into the action with her writing."
 * This souvenir is bought from Wentos.
 * Jenny: "What a cute doll! I hear parents in Empire City buy dolls for their children when they're bored. The dolls are sort of like a first friend, if you will. Oh, look here. This one's named Jenny. Hello there, Jenny."
 * Jack-o'-Lantern: "This is a lantern carved from a pumpkin. They put these on display during holidays. No two are exactly the same.

Food

 * Hamburger (70 rings): "A quick source of nutrition for the busy professional."
 * Big G Steak (90 rings): "A giant slab of stamina for the tuckered-out professional."
 * Popcake (50 rings): "A treat sure to make you smile, whether you're 8 or 80."
 * Nuclear Taquo (30 rings): "Beef, veggies, and hot peppers on a thin shell. Not for kids!"
 * Chili Dog (50 rings): "Sonic's favorite, a jumbo frank slathered with spicy chili."
 * Cookie (20 rings): "Cream filling between two crunchy biscuits. Addictive!"
 * Fried Chicken (50 rings): "Juicy chicken fried to a nice, golden crisp."
 * Grapes (40 rings): "A cluster of sweet, plump grapes. Don't eat the seeds!"
 * Apple (30 rings): "One of these a day keeps the blah, blah, you know the rest."
 * Urban Dog: Complete an Empire City Mission.

Trivia

 * It appears to be based on New York City. The flag looks much like the U.S. flag, except the current U.S. flag has fifty stars, and the one for Empire City has only twelve, the U.S. flag has 13 stripes, and the Empire City flag has 17, and the blue area covers an entire side of the Empire City Flag, while the U.S. Flag only has a corner covered by blue.
 * The part of the Skyscraper Scamper Act 1 stage where the the Interceptor chases Sonic features a run on what looks like the Brooklyn Bridge. There is also a gray and gold building near the beginning of the stage (shown below in screenshots) that greatly resembles the Chrysler Building.
 * Many of the Street Locations are named after other characters, more specifically the members of Team Dark, Silver, Blaze, Pachacamac, and the Chao. Because of similar names used for the Crisis City stage in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), this may imply that the two stages are the same place in different time periods.
 * On the News Stand, if one looks closely enough, one can see the cover of Sonic '06 on a newsletter.
 * This is obviously the only location in Sonic Unleashed to not appear in the Wii/PS2 Version, indicating that the PS3/XBOX360 Version is the "complete" version, as it has all locations stated.
 * Because they are both based upon the United States, it is possible that Empire City is a city within the United Federation seen in previous Sonic games.