Never played a CRPG, but my first ever RPG was Pokémon Diamond. In terms of a more classic JRPG, the first one I remember playing fully was Dragon Quest IX.

Diamond is pretty bad and surpassed by other Pokemon games, but DQ9 is fantastic and very replayable. I recently replayed it and had a blast.

Malasada are a thing that Hawaiian people love, that’s for sure. Leonard’s is the bakery that is known for making the best ones, but everyone knows some place that supposedly makes them better than Leonard’s. They’re technically a Portuguese baked good, but they've become an emblem of Hawaii.

Sandyghast and Pallosand have great shiny forms that are actually appropriate. Hawaii has eight black sand beaches, seven on Hawai’i Island and an eighth on Maui. the most famous one is Punalu’u. I do wish one of them was green, because Papakōlea Beach is one of only four green sand beaches.

Popplio’s name comes from the word pop, like a bubble. But the -lio comes from the Hawaiian name for the native Monk Seal, ‘Ilioholoikauaua (“Dog that moves through rough water”). It’s evolutions lose that cool theming though and I wish they kept it.

Rowlet is my favorite starter pokemon of all time because of its inspiration. It is inspired by the Hawaiian pueo, an endemic owl that is endangered but is sacred to many families. Its final form, Decidueye, is based on the now extinct Hawaiian Stilt Owl. Hence why it becomes a ghost-type.

The other is a combination of areas. The areas leading up to the Battle Tree are reminiscient of the Nā Pali Coast (“Many Cliffs Coast”), which contains a famous and difficult hiking trail called the Kalalau Trail which leads to Kalalau Valley (“The Straying/Wandering” Valley).

Most of the island’s locations are called Poni *something*. There are two major landmarks that could be based off famous places on Kaua’i. Vast Poni Canyon could easily be Waimea Canyon, “Red Water Canyon”, named for the erosion of the red earth by rain. Also called the Pacific Grand Canyon.

Mount Lanakila (“Victory”) is more directly tied to Mauna Kea. It is the tallest mountain in Alola, much like how Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in Hawaii and the largest mountain in the world. It also has snow on it, something Mauna Kea has. Some Hawaiian gods even go snow sledding in myth!

Mount Hokulani (“Heavenly Star”) is based off of Mauna Kea (“White Mountain”) or Mauna Loa (“Long Mountain”). Both have observatories, but Mauna Kea is more well known for its observatories, being the largest in the world. Mauna Kea is the inspiration of another mountain though…

‘Ula’Ula Island is based off of Hawai’i Island, what you may know as the Big Island. It is probably most famous for the volcano of Kīlauea dramatically erupting. I know it better for the Merrie Monarch festival, a hula festival lasting three days and being the pinnacle of hula competition.

Konikoni City, “Passionate City”, is probably based off of Hana. Hana is a relatively isolated town in Maui that is only accessible by a winding, cliff-side road. It was the birthplace of the first queen of Hawai’i, Ka’ahumanu. Konikoni City is about as isolated as Hana and has a small/quiet feel.

Wela means heat in Hawaiian, so it is the name of the Volcano Park on Akala. It is based off of Haleakalā, “House of the Sun”, which is a large active volcano on Maui. It forms the Western lobe of the island.

Akala Island is based on Maui. Paniola Town probably caught a few people off guard, but it is actually based off a real place on Maui. ‘Ulupalakua is a district of Maui famous for its cowboys (Paniolo in Hawaiian), so famous that it has a popular song from 1947 about it.

Kala’e Bay might be based off of Hanauma, a famous bay and tourist destination, but the connection isn’t as direct as Ten Carat Hill. Big Wave Beach might be Waimea Bay, a beach known for its great waves for surfing in the Winter. Could also be Wāwāmalu, commonly called Sandy Beach, but probably not

One major exception is Ten Carat Hill, which is based on one of O’ahu’s most famous mountains, Le’ahi (Diamond Head). Lē’ahi did not have actual diamonds in it, white people found calcite crystals on the nearby beach and thought they were diamonds.

Melemele Island is Alola’s version of O’ahu, the island known for having the capital of Hawaii on it, Honolulu. Melemele does not have very strong connection to O’ahu. There really isn’t a version of Waikiki or major/important buildings in Honolulu like ‘Iolani Palace.