Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! You read the title: SD here to compare scenes from Counterfeit Island to the places in real life (IRL) that it was inspired by. Enjoying the series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
It may be pretty obvious, but Counterfeit Island is supposed to take place in real life France. Many scenes, including Main Street, were made to resemble France’s aesthetic environment—in particular, the country’s parks and natural landscape.
photo: Paris Park (mothernaturenetwork)
Aside from nature, we can’t forget about Downtown Counterfeit, and the more man-made features of the island! There’s the internet cafe, jazz cafe, and more. Mmmmm, if only there were more bakeries, like real-life Paris!
photo: Downtown France (expedia.com)
Moving back into nature, the Countryside was also a significant location in Counterfeit. Home of the Inspector (or should I say, *spoiler* Black Widow), as well as the last place where Balloon Boy’s feet touched the ground. Aren’t both cottages cute?
photo: France Countryside (travellerspoint.com)
On the opposite side of the island, we visit the Docks. I wouldn’t go so far as to say France is known for its docks, but that doesn’t mean its without them! I’m sure they reek of fish, just like any other place where fishing boats sit (no offense, Fishy!).
screenshot: Counterfeit Island Docks (Thinknoodles on youtube)
photo: Sainte-Maxime (autoeurope.com)
“What else could there be???” you ask. Well, we got everything above land, so time to head below! The underground tunnels we venture through in game may well be based on very real Catacombs of Paris. These famous catacombs include a series of tunnels underground the city that contain human remains. Spooky!
photo: Catacombs of Paris (europe1.fr)
Lastly, we can’t forget about all the artwork! I mean, this is Counterfeit Island after all, home of our friendly neighborhood art thief. In the Museum Fantastique, we see many well known paintings, including (but not limited to) The Scream, Starry Night, and Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies. And that’s not even mentioning the (spoiler alert) paintings in the secret room at the end of the quest!
Did you know that Edvard Munch created four versions of The Scream, two in paint and two in pastels? One of the painted ones is in The National Gallery in Norway, and the other is in The Munch Museum.
photo: The Scream (nationmultimedia.com)
It would be quite a hassle to include all the artwork in this post, but be sure to check out our Ancient Artworks of the Counterfeit Island Museum tour for a closer look at them all if you’re interested!
While not all the displayed paintings correspond, I think it’s safe to assume that this museum was inspired by France’s most famous museum: The Louvre. In fact, this art museum is the largest in the world and displays such pieces as the Mona Lisa! However, the museum in Poptropica is certainly not as grand as the real thing.
photo: Louvre (eghamat24.com)
I hope you enjoyed this post, because that just about wraps up our real-life tour of Counterfeit Island! I kinda want to visit France now…
What did you think? Have you ever seen these famous paintings in person, or been to any art museum? How about France? Be sure to let us know which island you want us to feature next in this series, as well as what places you think other islands resemble!
Au revoir!
~SD
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