
Suda51 says that No More Heroes 1's Santa Destroy is based on San Diego
I always wondered why Santa Destroy reminded me so much of San Diego. Turns out that it's based on San Diego, at least partially, as the background staff went there to check it out for NMH1.
The architecture, the general vibe/feeling, the Mexican border and the beach, the Gaslamp quarter, the giant baseball stadium, the shops and locations, the restaurants and suburban areas, all the empty parking lots and desolate spots. It's probably really obvious to a lot of people but getting confirmation is cool since I'm San Diegan. I've heard people say that it's based on San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other places before.
Interview: https://web.archive.org/web/20110605033650/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3176118