New Mombasa: Difference between revisions

New Mombasa
Overview
Location:	Kenya, Africa, Earth
Notable events:	Battle for Earth Battle of Mombasa;
Governed by:	East African Protectorate

Latest revision as of 07:00, July 4, 2024

New Mombasa was a major port city and industrial center on Mombasa Island in south Kenya, in the East African Protectorate on Earth. A dominant feature of the city skyline was the Mombasa Tether, located on the mouth of the river north of the island. Old Mombasa surrounded the metropolis on all sides on the mainland. Like Earth's other tether cities, New Mombasa's infrastructure was managed with the help of a second generation "dumb" AI, the Superintendent.^[1]^[2]

It was the main target of the initial Covenant attack during the Battle for Earth.^[3] The city was invaded, occupied, and destroyed in the course of the conflict.

History[edit]

Mombasa[edit]

Mombasa had always been an important port of the Indian Ocean trade routes and was captured and recaptured countless times by a variety of powers including Portugal, the United Kingdom, and various Arab forces. This violent history led to its Swahili nickname "Kisiwa Cha Mvita", or "Island of War". The city became part of the independent nation of Kenya in the 20th century. During this era, Mombasa became a tourist destination, boasting numerous resorts and clean, white beaches. It was also important as a port city, connecting East Africa to the Indian Ocean.^[4]

Formation of New Mombasa[edit]

The Mombasa Tether, an iconic feature of New Mombasa.

In 2302,^[2] due to its economic stability and prominent location, New Mombasa—at that time the world's busiest sea port—was chosen to be Earth's first space elevator city. The elevator transformed the city; New Mombasa became one of the most important cities on Earth.^[5]

Over the next eleven years the city experienced explosive growth, but nothing compared to what followed. The city grew out as well as up, its urban sprawl unequaled throughout the continent.^[2]

By 2430, New Mombasa had absorbed the entire island and many of the surrounding towns, which became overrun by residents of Mombasa. The switch of name was never official, and though many of the neighborhoods within direct line of sight to the Mombasa Tether still distributed newspapers and chatter directories under their previous names, all municipalities within a 74-kilometer radius of the island became referred to as "Old Mombasa".^[2]

Battle of Mombasa[edit]

A hologram of New Mombasa, with Solemn Penance above it.

"This is the only place on Earth the Covenant decided to land. That Prophet is going to tell us why."

— Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood^[3]

Main article: Battle of Mombasa

On October 20th, 2552, a small fleet of Covenant capital ships exited slipspace just off of Earth's defensive network. During the ensuing battle, a Covenant CAS-class assault carrier, Solemn Penance breached the orbital fortifications and jumped in slipspace to the surface.^[6] The ship, which carried the Covenant Hierarch known as the High Prophet of Regret, took position over the Uplift Nature Reserve.^[7] In Old Mombasa, announcements in Swahili were broadcast over a public address system. These propagandist announcements encouraged New Mombasa's citizens to fight against the invading "alien zealots"; even though there was very little truth to these announcements as they were only intended to increase the morale of the population.^[8]

The rainy streets of New Mombasa, reduced to a ghost town.

Later that day, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 was deployed into Old Mombasa to assist UNSC forces to liberate the city from the Covenant. After fighting through the maze-like streets of the mainland, the Master Chief crossed the empty beach below the seawall and then entered the highway system and the bridge to New Mombasa. After a series of quick battles in a public park and the city streets, the Chief boarded and destroyed a Covenant Scarab as it passed through the city's artificial canals. After destroying the Scarab, the Chief returned to the UNSC In Amber Clad. At this point, the Covenant troops were retreating back into the Solemn Penance, which was preparing to leave.^[9]

Meanwhile, in orbit, an ODST task force was preparing to hot-drop onto the carrier. While the ODSTs were on their way down, Solemn Penance jumped into slipspace, with the In Amber Clad and 4 other ships in pursuit.^[10] The ensuing shockwave and EMP engulfed the whole city, causing heavy damage to its digital infrastructure, and scattering the ODSTs' drop pods around the city; at least the six members of Alpha-Nine survived landing. Although the whole of Mombasa Island was consumed by the explosion, only some buildings close to the slipspace vortex were sucked through.^[11] The slipspace rupture also created a large crater to the mainland, north of Mombasa Island. This was where the Covenant would eventually begin their excavation for the Forerunner structure under the region.^[10]

New Mombasa and its surroundings after the Battle of Mombasa.

"Before 2552, there was no way anything like that could happen on Earth. On one of those distant planets in the outer colonies, maybe. But an attack on Earth? Couldn't happen. Until it did. It's called glassing. Covenant warships rain plasma down on a planet until everything and everyone on the surface melts. Usually, it's complete world destruction. Earth only got a taste. The prolonged orbital bombardment destroyed East Africa, killing millions before it ended. None of us were safe anymore."

— Benjamin Giraud^[12]

After the slipspace event, the Jiralhanae quickly slaughtered any remaining Sangheili and the surviving ships of the initial Covenant fleet inserted an occupation force into the city in order to capture Vergil, under orders from the High Prophet of Truth.^[13] The remaining UNSC Marines and NMPD fought against the Covenant occupiers for the rest of the day. Eventually, the flotilla grouped over the city, glassing the northern sectors in order to uncover the Forerunner structure the city was built over.^[14]^[15] The fleet remnants was shortly later supported by a larger Covenant Jiralhanae-operated fleet that arrived en masse in Earth's atmosphere just over the city, securing the destroyed city and its surroundings from the UNSC and for Truth's arrival almost one month later.^[16]^[17]^[13]

Post-war[edit]

Though New Mombasa suffered extreme damage from the Covenant invasion, after the Human-Covenant War, Project Rebirth aimed to rebuild and revitalize the city.^[18] The city's proximity to Forerunner artifacts made it a hotspot for nefarious activity. Insurrectionists, Covenant remnants, and Banished human mercenaries would conduct operations in its streets.^[19]

Geography[edit]

An overhead view of the general area of New Mombasa.

A large seawall was constructed around Mombasa Island at some point, altering its coastline considerably. The northern side of the island retained more of its original width than the southern part, which was much more narrow and symmetrically bordered by the seawall. The narrow southern half housed the city center and Tanaga districts of the city, while on the northern side, industrial structures and docks were more prevalent.^[10] A highway ran along the seawall.^[16]

The majority of New Mombasa is divided into numbered, symmetrical sectors to limit human casualties and property damage, should disaster befall the city's space tether.^[20] Despite this, some districts such as Mbaraki, Kizingo or Kikowani still retain their original names. The original names are often seen in the names of streets or train stations, for example. Some of the districts' names have changed, albeit slightly; areas originally referred to as Tangana and Liwatoni are now referred to as Tanaga and Liwitoni, respectively. The locations of some districts have changed as well. This is the case with most of the districts on the southern side of the island, where the sea has claimed large areas of land.^[21]

A massive suspension bridge connected the northern side of the island to the mainland. Starting at some point near the city center, the highway NM 105 E led over the bridge, to the old city and beyond. Near the end of the bridge on the island was New Mombasa's industrial district. This area housed many massive industrial buildings, some with sky bridges connecting them.^[3]^[9]

City center[edit]

The city center was a large area. It covered Tanaga and the entirety of the south-east portion of the island.^{[notes 1]}

Tanaga was elevated above the surrounding terrain and housed a concentration of gigantic skyscrapers, the highest - the Vyrant Telecom tower - being over two kilometers tall.^{[notes 2]} At the southeast end of Tanaga there were several medium-sized skyscrapers; the NMPD headquarters was located here.^[10]

Southeast of the arcology wall, the layout of the city was near-symmetrical, and was divided to ten sectors. The Office of Naval Intelligence had their EAP headquarters and research building on the southeast end of the island. The main building was surrounded by a pool of water and an additional wall similar to the sea wall surrounding the whole island. Southeast of the city center, Uplift Nature Reserve, a large park and a wildlife reserve, was located on a series of circular, artificial islands.^[7]

Other[edit]

Northeast of the Alpha Site, a large artificial island housed the orbital elevator. This island was full of port structures, including warehouses, docks and cranes.^[10]

The city also contained a massive network of underground installations, such as the Superintendent's data center deep beneath the surface. The facility consisted of at least twelve sublevels, with the AI's data core residing on the tenth sublevel in a massive cavern with an underground lake on the bottom.^[22] Secretly from the general populace, the facility was used to conduct research on a subterranean Forerunner artifact, which was later revealed to be a small section of the Portal at Voi.^[23]

An industrial wasteland was also present on the outskirts of the city, and was home to a decommissioned UNSC munitions testing complex.^[24]

Industrial zone

Main article: New Mombasa industrial zone

City center

Main article: New Mombasa City Center

Other

Government[edit]

Superintendent, the Urban Infrastructure AI of New Mombasa.

The city's most senior government figure was the Mayor of New Mombasa.^[18] The New Mombasa Police Department (NMPD) was the organization charged with law enforcement. By the time of the Battle of Mombasa, it was under the leadership of Commissioner Kinsler.

The New Mombasa Transit Authority (NMTA) was charged with the maintenance of public transport in the city.^[25] New Mombasa Waste Management (NMWM) was responsible for city sanitation,^[3] while New Mombasa Parks and Recreation (NMPR) was responsible for parks and recreational areas.^[16] The Superintendent was heavily involved in all areas of administration.

Gameplay[edit]

The city of New Mombasa has seen considerably different depictions in different pieces of Halo media over the years. However, certain themes have carried over throughout the different iterations; namely the angular, geometric architecture on the whole as well as a number of minor details, like the distinct surface patterning of the roadways or the design of the traffic lights.

Halo 2[edit]

The center of New Mombasa in Halo 2.

In Halo 2, the city was shaped much like its real-world counterpart, with the metropolis residing on the Mombasa island instead of the whole surrounding area having been filled with a gargantuan megalopolis.

The space elevator was located in the city center, surrounded by massive skyscrapers. A large artificial canal cut through the island, built to house dock facilities for the space elevator. The city's streets appeared more simple and plain than in the E3 Demo, although with more trees and plants. The color palette was also different, now mostly featuring shades of light brown instead of the mostly gray city in the E3 demo.^[9]

New Mombasa is the setting of the level Metropolis, in which the player crosses the massive suspension bridge from Old Mombasa to the Mombasa Island, following a Covenant Scarab headed into the city. After traversing the highway tunnel and Kilindini Park, they push through a section of the city's industrial zone. There, they come face to face with the Scarab which is eventually trapped in the canals facing the space tether and is destroyed by the player, moments before Regret flees the city with the In Amber Clad in pursuit.

Halo 3[edit]

New Mombasa is not seen for much of the duration of Halo 3, but if one looks across from the Portal they can see the smoking ruins of the city in the distance. Most of the action on the ground takes place around the market city of Voi instead.^[26] Also, a prominent sight throughout the campaign is the sprawling remains of the Mombasa Space Tether, whose mammoth rings collapsed all across the countryside surrounding it and Voi upon the tether's collapse in the earlier engagements.

Halo 3: ODST[edit]

The island of New Mombasa in Halo 3: ODST.

Originally, it was assumed that the slipspace jump of the Prophet of Regret's assault carrier had completely destroyed the city, creating the crater seen later in Halo 3. It was revealed in Halo 3: ODST that it did in fact create a crater, although much smaller than what was originally assumed, while the rest of the city survived mostly undamaged. The initial crater, located north of the Mombasa Island, was where the Covenant began their excavation of the Forerunner structure, the Portal, as seen in the Halo 3: ODST level Kikowani Station.

Halo 3: ODST introduces considerable changes to the city. Unlike Metropolis in Halo 2, which was set on the northern side of the city, all gameplay spaces in ODST are located on the southern part of the island. While the areas seen in Halo 2 are not visited nor clearly seen at any point, the city's in-game model from in the level Prepare to Drop has significant differences to the Halo 2 version; namely, the absence of the large canal cutting into the island, as well as the bridge crossed in Metropolis. The northwest side of the island now also has a different overall shape than the Halo 2 version, which mostly followed the shape of the real-world Mombasa Island. However, the absence of most of the canal and the bridge seen in Halo 2 can be attributed to the fact ODST takes place on the other side of the city. The locations seen in Halo 2 are never visited nor meant to be seen, and are thus not modeled in-game even if they still exist in the fiction.

The skyscrapers in the city appear more sleek than the gargantuan industrial complexes in Halo 2, and are very similar to those later seen in the city of New Alexandria on Reach in Halo: Reach. The city center, itself part of a walled, arcology-like complex, now also has a more clearly defined skyline, with a series of thin skyscrapers increasing evenly in height toward the Vyrant Telecom headquarters at the center. Another prominent addition is a massive ONI complex in the southeastern end of the city. The orbital elevator's base has also been moved, and now resides on a small island away from the city center. Its base structure is different, notably being less massive in size than in Halo 2. The internal architecture of the city is much more detailed, with the streets ramping up and down and elevated walkways surrounding them.

Most of the action in ODST takes place within a symmetrically designed "hub" area between the city center and ONI Alpha Site complex, although certain levels take the player to the Uplift Reserve, into the ONI complex, the data center underneath the city, as well as the Waterfront Highway on the island's seawall.

Halo: Reach[edit]

The New Mombasa skyline with what appears to be Uplift Reserve in Halo: Reach.

Mombasa appears in Halo: Reach's Anniversary Map Pack DLC released in conjunction with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The map pack features Breakneck, a remake of Headlong from Halo 2 set in Section 21, as opposed to the original's Section 14. The city as displayed in the background of the map is not displayed consistently with other visual depictions of Mombasa; several large circular platforms connected by a suspension bridge appear to heavily resemble the Uplift Reserve as depicted in Halo 3: ODST, with the bridge even facing toward the destroyed tether as depicted in the aforementioned game. However, this camera angle would suggest that Breakneck and, by extension Section 21, are placed inside one of the west-most platforms of Uplift Reserve which would be illogical. Another possibility lies that the map is in fact set in Old Mombasa or otherwise across the water and simply depicts a similar set of round platforms, though this map's placement if this is the case is also another mystery. The city skyline in the map's skybox is heavily resemblant of that of Halo 3: ODST.

Halo 2: Anniversary[edit]

Halo 2: Anniversary ignores the Halo 3: ODST restructuring of New Mombasa, instead building the remastering upon the layout seen in Halo 2 with major landmarks like the Mombasa Tether in their original locations and ODST's sleek skyscrapers nowhere to be seen. Like in the original Halo 2, the immediate surroundings of the city to the north and the northeast are depicted as an empty desert, rather than the expansive urban sprawl seen in ODST and described in supplemental material.^[2]

Production notes[edit]

Halo 2 E3 demo[edit]

New Mombasa in the Halo 2 E3 demo.

In the E3 presentation of Halo 2, the city appeared vastly different than its later versions. The Mombasa Tether was nowhere to be found. Instead, the space elevator's site in the heart of the city was occupied by a massive arcology shaped like an African baobab tree, composed of multiple "decks" covered in massive skyscrapers, and surrounded by urban sprawl. The city was much larger than its future incarnations, with the urban metropolis sprawling into the horizon as far as one could see. The internal architecture and layout of the city also differed greatly in the final version of Halo 2.^[27] In this era, the structure was referred to internally as an arcology-an idea that did ultimately survive into later media.^[28]

The massive tree-like structure from the Halo 2 E3 demo has been used several times in subsequent Halo media. In Halo 2, it can be seen as an Easter egg when looking at reflections in large enough glass windows in maps set in New Mombasa, such as at the ground floor of the building with the giant soccer ball in Metropolis or the large glass side of one of the buildings in the multiplayer level Headlong. In Halo Legends Origins Part I, the design is used to represent a Forerunner structure covered in Flood biomass.^[29] Likewise, a similar structure is present in the colony development sequence in Part II of Origins.

Halo 2[edit]

The massive central structure from the E3 demo was scrapped because the designers wanted New Mombasa to feel more like a real city. An effort had been made to try to design the city as realistically as possible, using photographs of the current-day city as reference material and envisioning what the city would look like after 500 years of advancement.^[30]

Trivia[edit]

The New Mombasa emblem features a body of water to the bottom right of the lion. This is actually a mirrored outline of the Chesapeake Bay located in the United States.

Gallery[edit]

Development images[edit]

Early concept art of New Mombasa for Halo 2.
Another early Halo 2 concept of the city.
Concept art of the city.
Concept art of New Mombasa's skyline.
Another concept of the city skyline.
Original concept of the city's arcology for Halo 2.
A matte painting of the New Mombasa skyline for Halo 2.
Early Halo 3: ODST concept art.
Early Halo 3: ODST concept art.
An early overview of the city's urban area for Halo 3: ODST.
An early overview of the city's urban area for Halo 3: ODST.
An early overview of the city's urban area for Halo 3: ODST.
An early overview of the city's urban area for Halo 3: ODST.
Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
An abandoned parking lot during the Battle of Mombasa.
A vandalized UNSC recruitment kiosk during the Battle of Mombasa.
The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of Halo 3: ODST.
The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of Halo 3: ODST.
The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of Halo 3: ODST.
The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of Halo 3: ODST.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Early ODST concept art for the city's interior design.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary/ Halo: Reach concept art for the map Breakneck, set in Mombasa.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary/ Halo: Reach concept art for city skyline.
Concept of the New Mombasa skyline for Halo 2: Anniversary.
Artwork of a city street for Halo: Spartan Strike.

Iconography[edit]

A billboard promoting New Mombasa.
A banner promoting New Mombasa.
Another billboard promoting the city.
The emblem of the city.

Maps/Birds-eye views[edit]

An obsolete, Halo 2-era map of New Mombasa found on the map Terminal.
A map of New Mombasa, with major locations marked.
Map of a part of New Mombasa seen in Halo: Spartan Strike.
The sectors in New Mombasa's business district, near the southeast end of the city.

Images of the city[edit]

An overview of the bridge connecting Old Mombasa and New Mombasa.
The electromagnetic pulse created by the Solemn Penance's in-atmosphere slipspace jump engulfs the city.
The city in the "Keep it Clean" teaser.
New Mombasa and its orbital elevator.
Panorama of the area surrounding Tayari Plaza in the slipspace rupture's aftermath.
Panorama of the New Mombasa skyline, as viewed from the Uplift Nature Reserve.
Panorama of Mombasa's Coastal Highway lining the Mombasa skyline.
New Mombasa being glassed.
A construction site in Section 21 during the Battle of Mombasa.
New Mombasa as it appears in Halo 2: Anniversary.
New Mombasa in the Anniversary version of Another Day at the Beach.
The harbors of New Mombasa as seen in Halo 2: Anniversary.

List of appearances[edit]

i love bees (First mentioned)
Halo 2 (First appearance)
Halo Graphic Novel
- Second Sunrise over New Mombasa
Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (Mentioned only)
Halo: Uprising (Mentioned only)
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST
Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
- Palace Hotel
Halo Reach
Halo 4 (Mentioned only)
Halo 2: Anniversary
Halo: New Blood
Hunt the Truth (Mentioned only)
Halo: Hunters in the Dark (Mentioned only)
Halo 5: Guardians (Emblem only)
Halo Mythos
Halo Wars 2 (Mentioned only)
Halo: Envoy (Mentioned only)
Halo: Legacy of Onyx (Mentioned only)
Halo: Bad Blood (Mentioned only)
Halo: Renegades
Halo: Point of Light (Mentioned only)
Halo Infinite

Notes[edit]

^ In Sadie's Story, multiple areas seen in the ODST campaign are referred to as the city center. This includes Kikowani Station (Audio log 1, Circle 1, Arc 1), ONI Alpha Site and the New Mombasa Data Center (Audio log 8, Circle 3, Arc 2), the NMPD headquarters (Audio log 24, Circle 8, Arc 3), and the area in which the Solemn Penance arrived at (Audio log 3, Circle 1, Arc 3).
^ Measurable through using pan-cam coordinates. 1 WU is roughly equal to 3 meters. The height cap is at 615 WU, and the building extends slightly over this limit.

Sources[edit]

^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, p. 191
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bungie.net, Halo 3 ODST : Field Guide - New Mombasa (Retrieved on May 25, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Halo 2, campaign level Outskirts
^ Wikipedia: Mombasa
^ Halo Waypoint, "Space Elevator" article (Archived on Archive.org)
^ Halo 3: ODST: Sadie's Story, Circle 1, Arc 2
^ ^a ^b Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Uplift Reserve
^ Halo.Bungie.org: Halo 2 Dialogue Snippets - Snippets of Swahili
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo 2, campaign level Metropolis
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Prepare to Drop
^ Halo 2, campaign level Delta Halo
^ Hunt the Truth: Episode 01: A Hairline Fracture
^ ^a ^b Halo Waypoint - Ten Twenty
^ Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #2: First Twelve Hours
^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Kikowani Station
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Coastal Highway
^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality (Retrieved on Jun 15, 2021) [archive]
^ ^a ^b McFarlane Toys/Halo Point Prizes, Master Chief Statue Press Release
^ Canon Fodder: Legendary Ending: "The rebuilding of New Mombasa and proximity to so many Forerunner secrets is enticing to many opportunists, including insurrectionist factions, renegade Covenant splinter groups, and even Banished-allied human mercenary groups."
^ Halo: Evolutions, Palace Hotel
^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Mombasa Streets
^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Data Hive
^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, p. 132
^ Bungie.net: An Affinity for Art - "The moody lighting is dictated by the idea of an industrial waste on the outskirts of a ruined New Mombasa."
^ Halo 2, multiplayer level Terminal
^ Halo 3, campaign levels Tsavo Highway and The Storm
^ Halo 2 E3 Demo
^ YouTube - HiddenXperia, TALKING TO MARCUS LEHTO (Co-Creator of Halo) ABOUT HALO INFINITE, joining 343, Bungie's Halo 4 +MORE
^ Halo Legends, Origins (Screenshot)
^ YouTube: First Look Halo 2

[22] In Sadie's Story, multiple areas seen in the ODST campaign are referred to as the city center. This includes Kikowani Station (Audio log 1, Circle 1, Arc 1), ONI Alpha Site and the New Mombasa Data Center (Audio log 8, Circle 3, Arc 2), the NMPD headquarters (Audio log 24, Circle 8, Arc 3), and the area in which the Solemn Penance arrived at (Audio log 3, Circle 1, Arc 3).

[23] Measurable through using pan-cam coordinates. 1 WU is roughly equal to 3 meters. The height cap is at 615 WU, and the building extends slightly over this limit.

[evg-1] Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, p. 191

[fieldguide-2] Bungie.net, Halo 3 ODST : Field Guide - New Mombasa (Retrieved on May 25, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]

[outskirts-3] Halo 2, campaign level Outskirts

[4] Wikipedia: Mombasa

[waypoint-5] Halo Waypoint, "Space Elevator" article (Archived on Archive.org)

[sscirc1arc2-6] Halo 3: ODST: Sadie's Story, Circle 1, Arc 2

[upliftreserve-7] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Uplift Reserve

[8] Halo.Bungie.org: Halo 2 Dialogue Snippets - Snippets of Swahili

[h2-9] Halo 2, campaign level Metropolis

[preparetodrop-10] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Prepare to Drop

[11] Halo 2, campaign level Delta Halo

[hunt-12] Hunt the Truth: Episode 01: A Hairline Fracture

[Oct20-13] Halo Waypoint - Ten Twenty

[FTH-14] Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #2: First Twelve Hours

[kikowani-15] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Kikowani Station

[coastalhighway-16] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Coastal Highway

[waypointvergil-17] Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality (Retrieved on Jun 15, 2021) [archive]

[mcfarlane-18] McFarlane Toys/Halo Point Prizes, Master Chief Statue Press Release

[Legendary-19] Canon Fodder: Legendary Ending: "The rebuilding of New Mombasa and proximity to so many Forerunner secrets is enticing to many opportunists, including insurrectionist factions, renegade Covenant splinter groups, and even Banished-allied human mercenary groups."

[EVO-20] Halo: Evolutions, Palace Hotel

[21] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Mombasa Streets

[24] Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Data Hive

[25] Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, p. 132

[26] Bungie.net: An Affinity for Art - "The moody lighting is dictated by the idea of an industrial waste on the outskirts of a ruined New Mombasa."

[27] Halo 2, multiplayer level Terminal

[28] Halo 3, campaign levels Tsavo Highway and The Storm

[29] Halo 2 E3 Demo

[Xperia-30] YouTube - HiddenXperia, TALKING TO MARCUS LEHTO (Co-Creator of Halo) ABOUT HALO INFINITE, joining 343, Bungie's Halo 4 +MORE

[31] Halo Legends, Origins (Screenshot)

[firstlook-32] YouTube: First Look Halo 2

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New Mombasa: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 07:00, July 4, 2024

Contents

History[edit]

Mombasa[edit]

Formation of New Mombasa[edit]

Battle of Mombasa[edit]

Post-war[edit]

Geography[edit]

City center[edit]

Other[edit]

Industrial zone

City center

Other

Government[edit]

Gameplay[edit]

Halo 2[edit]

Halo 3[edit]

Halo 3: ODST[edit]

Halo: Reach[edit]

Halo 2: Anniversary[edit]

Production notes[edit]

Halo 2 E3 demo[edit]

Halo 2[edit]

Trivia[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Development images[edit]

Iconography[edit]

Maps/Birds-eye views[edit]

Images of the city[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

Sources[edit]

Contribute

Recent contributors to this article

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Era|H2|H3|HGN}}
+{{Status|Canon}}
-{{Ratings}}
+{{City infobox
-[[Image:2ndsunriseovernewmombasa6uk.png|thumb|right|250px|The Heart of New Mombasa]]
+|city= New Mombasa
+|image= [[File:Mombasa View 2.jpg|375px]]
+|location= [[Kenya]], [[Africa]], [[Earth]]
+|built= *Mombasa- Before the 12th Century
+*New Mombasa- 24th Century
+|destroyed=[[2552#October|October 21, 2552]]
+|notable=[[Battle for Earth]]
+*[[Battle of Mombasa]]
+|notable-title=Notable events
+|governance= [[East African Protectorate]]
+}}
-'''New Mombasa''' is a major port city and industrial center on Mombasa Island in the [[East African Protectorate]] on [[Earth]]. It was the main target of the [[Covenant]] attack in the [[First Battle of Earth]].<ref>[[Lord Hood]]: "This is the only place on Earth the Covenant decided to land. That Prophet is going to tell us why." --[[Outskirts (Level)|Outskirts]]</ref> The city was invaded, occupied, and razed in the course of the conflict. Near the artificial canal in the city center is the [[New Mombasa Orbital Elevator]], a dominant feature of the city skyline. [[Old Mombasa]] is located nearby.
+'''New Mombasa''' was a major port city and industrial center on [[Mombasa|Mombasa Island]] in south [[Republic of Kenya|Kenya]], in the [[East African Protectorate]] on [[Earth]].
+A dominant feature of the city skyline was the [[Mombasa Tether]], located on the mouth of the river north of the island. [[Old Mombasa]] surrounded the metropolis on all sides on the mainland. Like Earth's other [[Space elevator|tether]] cities, New Mombasa's infrastructure was managed with the help of a second generation [[Dumb AI|"dumb" AI]], the [[Superintendent]].<ref name="evg">''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', p. 191</ref>{{Ref/Site|Id=fieldguide|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/odst/guide.aspx|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo 3 ODST : Field Guide - New Mombasa|D=25|M=05|Y=2013|LocalArchive=Archive:Bungie.net/Halo 3: ODST: Field Guide#Intel}}
-==Mombasa==
+It was the main target of the initial [[Covenant]] attack during the [[Battle for Earth]].<ref name="outskirts">''[[Halo 2]]'', campaign level [[Outskirts]]</ref> The city was invaded, occupied, and destroyed in the course of the conflict.
-Mombasa had always been an important port of the Indian Ocean trade routes and was captured and recaptured countless times by a variety of powers including Portugal, the United Kingdom, and various Arab forces. This violent history led to its [[Swahili]] nickname "Kisiwa Cha Mvita", or "Island of War". The city became part of the independent nation of Kenya in the 20th century. During this era, Mombasa became a tourist destination, boasting numerous resorts and clean white beaches. It was also important as a port city, connecting East Africa to the Indian Ocean.
-==New Mombasa==
+==History==
-[[Image:MombasaMap.jpg|350px|thumb|Map of New Mombasa found in Terminal. Highways are blue, streets are green, maglev lines are red, the space elevator is black, and parks are orange. The red arrow marks the Liwitoni Maglev Station. The black dots are presumed to be landing zones. Note the canal cutting into the city center.]]
+===Mombasa===
-Mombasa changed dramatically with the arrival of the interstellar era. The demand for cheap orbital access encouraged the government to construct one of the wonders of the age: a [[space elevator]]. This structure served to lift heavy cargo into geosynchronous orbit without expensive booster rockets. The elevator transformed the city; Mombasa became one of the most important port cities on Earth. An influx of trade, citizens, and jobs drastically changed the landscape of the city. Within a century older housing and hotels on Mombasa Island were replaced with vast industrial complexes and gleaming office towers. A large canal cut through the old downtown sector of Sidiriya to provide docking space for incoming cargo ships.
+Mombasa had always been an important port of the [[Wikipedia:Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]] trade routes and was captured and recaptured countless times by a variety of powers including [[Wikipedia:Portugal|Portugal]], the [[Wikipedia:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], and various Arab forces. This violent history led to its [[Swahili]] nickname "Kisiwa Cha Mvita", or "Island of War". The city became part of the independent nation of [[Wikipedia:Kenya|Kenya]] in the 20th century. During this era, Mombasa became a tourist destination, boasting numerous resorts and clean, white beaches. It was also important as a port city, connecting East Africa to the Indian Ocean.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Mombasa|''Wikipedia'': Mombasa]]</ref>
-During this period of tremendous growth the city became known as "New Mombasa," with four major sectors: the City Centre, Sector A, Sector B, and the Docks. By the 26th century the city was a dynamic, cosmopolitan metropolis, boasting such amenities as a mile-long suspension bridge, a highly efficient maglev rail system, an automatic highway network, and large-scale recreational areas.
+===Formation of New Mombasa===
+[[File:Orbital Elevator.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Mombasa Tether]], an iconic feature of New Mombasa.]]
+In [[2302]],{{Ref/Reuse|fieldguide}} due to its economic stability and prominent location, New Mombasa—at that time the world's busiest sea port—was chosen to be Earth's first [[space elevator]] city. The elevator transformed the city; New Mombasa became one of the most important cities on Earth.<ref name="waypoint">''[[Halo Waypoint]]'', "Space Elevator" article (Archived on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111007185941/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/locations/gallery/space-tether/e9b2f438-9b5b-477e-8e52-d4e6801e9d5b Archive.org])</ref>
-==The Covenant Attack==
+Over the next eleven years the city experienced explosive growth, but nothing compared to what followed. The city grew out as well as up, its urban sprawl unequaled throughout the continent.{{Ref/Reuse|fieldguide}}
-On October 20th, [[2552]], a small cluster of Covenant warships exited [[Slipspace]] just off of Earth's defensive network. During the ensuing battle, a Covenant [[Assault Carrier]] breached the orbital fortifications and made its way to the surface. The ship, which carried the Covenant Hierarch known as the [[High Prophet of Regret]], took position over New Mombasa, deploying troops and vehicles which occupied the city. The city's civilians evacuated, took shelter, or were razed.
-The [[Master Chief]] arrived in Old Mombasa to help [[UNSC]] forces liberate the city from the [[Covenant]]. After fighting through the maze-like streets of the mainland, the Master Chief crossed the empty beach below the seawall and then entered the highway system and the bridge to New Mombasa. After a series of quick battles in a public park (the Amphitheater) and the city streets, the Chief boarded and destroyed a Covenant [[Scarab]] as it passed through the city's artificial canals. The High Prophet of Regret fled from Earth in his flagship, with the Chief and the [[In Amber Clad]] pursuing. The Slipspace rift that the ship opened filled the whole city, but didn't destroy it all, just causing heavy damage to most structures. Although the whole of Mombasa Island was consumed by the Explosion, only the buildings close to the Slip-space vortex were sucked through. What remains of the of the city is used for UNSC forces still stationed within the city.
+By [[2430]], New Mombasa had absorbed the entire island and many of the surrounding towns, which became overrun by residents of Mombasa. The switch of name was never official, and though many of the neighborhoods within direct line of sight to the Mombasa Tether still distributed newspapers and chatter directories under their previous names, all municipalities within a 74-kilometer radius of the island became referred to as "[[Old Mombasa]]".{{Ref/Reuse|fieldguide}}
-==Aftermath==
+===Battle of Mombasa===
-The new game, [[Halo 3: Recon]] is thought to show what happened to New Mombasa, after the slipspace explosion. UNSC ODST's landed in the city, but were mostly wiped out by the explosion, but several of the troopers are thought to have survived, including the "Protagonist" for Bungie's new game.
+[[File:H3ODST PreparetoDropCinematic.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A hologram of New Mombasa, with ''Solemn Penance'' above it.]]
+{{Quote|This is the only place on Earth the [[Covenant]] decided to land. That [[Prophet of Regret|Prophet]] is going to tell us why.|[[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]]{{Ref/Reuse|outskirts}}}}
+{{main|Battle of Mombasa}}
+On [[2552#October|October 20th, 2552]], a [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|small fleet]] of Covenant [[capital ship]]s exited [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] just off of Earth's [[Orbital defense platform|defensive network]]. During the ensuing battle, a Covenant {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}, ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' breached the orbital fortifications and jumped in slipspace to the surface.{{Ref/Game|Id=sscirc1arc2|ODST|Detail=Sadie's Story, Circle 1, Arc 2}} The ship, which carried the Covenant [[Hierarchs|Hierarch]] known as the [[Prophet of Regret|High Prophet of Regret]], took position over the [[Uplift Nature Reserve]].{{Ref/Reuse|upliftreserve}} In Old Mombasa, [[Outskirts announcements|announcements in Swahili]] were broadcast over a public address system. These propagandist announcements encouraged New Mombasa's citizens to fight against the invading "alien zealots"; even though there was very little truth to these announcements as they were only intended to increase the morale of the population.<ref>[http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/h2dialogue.html?cat=swahili ''Halo.Bungie.org'': Halo 2 Dialogue Snippets - Snippets of Swahili]</ref>
+[[File:H3ODST NewMombasa.jpg|thumb|The rainy streets of New Mombasa, reduced to a ghost town.|200px]]
+Later that day, [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] was deployed into [[Old Mombasa]] to assist [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces to liberate the city from the Covenant. After fighting through the maze-like streets of the mainland, the Master Chief crossed the empty beach below the seawall and then entered the highway system and the bridge to New Mombasa. After a series of quick battles in a [[Kilindini Park Cultural Center|public park]] and the city streets, the Chief boarded and destroyed a Covenant [[Protos-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] as it passed through the city's artificial canals. After destroying the Scarab, the Chief returned to the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}. At this point, the Covenant troops were retreating back into the ''Solemn Penance'', which was preparing to leave.{{Ref/Reuse|h2}}
+Meanwhile, in orbit, an ODST task force was preparing to hot-drop onto the carrier. While the ODSTs were on their way down, ''Solemn Penance'' jumped into [[Slipstream space|slipspace]], with the ''In Amber Clad'' [[UNSC Paris|and]] [[UNSC Redoubtable|4]] [[UNSC Coral Sea|other]] [[UNSC Dusk|ships]] in pursuit.<ref name="preparetodrop">''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level [[Prepare to Drop]]</ref> The ensuing shockwave and [[Electromagnetic Pulse|EMP]] engulfed the whole city, causing heavy damage to its digital infrastructure, and scattering the ODSTs' [[M8900 drop pod|drop pods]] around the city; at least the six members of [[Alpha-Nine]] survived landing. Although the whole of Mombasa Island was consumed by the explosion, only some buildings close to the slipspace vortex were sucked through.<ref>''Halo 2'', campaign level [[Delta Halo]]</ref> The slipspace rupture also created a large crater to the mainland, north of Mombasa Island. This was where the Covenant would eventually begin their excavation for the Forerunner structure under the region.{{Ref/Reuse|preparetodrop}}
+[[File:Mombasa area.png|thumb|left|250px|New Mombasa and its surroundings after the [[Battle of Mombasa]].]]
+{{Quote|Before 2552, there was no way anything like that could happen on Earth. On one of those distant planets in the outer colonies, maybe. But an attack on Earth? Couldn't happen. Until it did. It's called [[glassing]]. Covenant warships rain plasma down on a planet until everything and everyone on the surface melts. Usually, it's complete world destruction. Earth only got a taste. The prolonged orbital bombardment destroyed East Africa, killing millions before it ended. None of us were safe anymore.|[[Benjamin Giraud]]{{Ref/Game|Id=hunt|Game=Hunt the Truth|Detail=Episode 01: A Hairline Fracture}}}}
+After the slipspace event, the [[Jiralhanae]] quickly slaughtered any remaining [[Sangheili]] and the surviving ships of the initial Covenant fleet inserted an occupation force into the city in order to capture Vergil, under orders from the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]].{{Ref/Film|Id=Oct20|Film=Halo Waypoint|Story=Ten Twenty|StoryLinkText=Ten Twenty}} The remaining [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]] and [[New Mombasa Police Department|NMPD]] fought against the Covenant occupiers for the rest of the day. Eventually, the flotilla grouped over the city, [[glassing]] the northern sectors in order to uncover the [[Forerunner]] [[The Portal|structure]] the city was built over.{{Ref/Generic|Id=FTH|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]|Detail=[[:File:LC 002 Doc 1.jpg|First Twelve Hours]]}}{{Ref/Level|Id=kikowani|ODST|Kikowani Station}} The fleet remnants was shortly later supported by a larger Covenant [[Jiralhanae]]-operated [[Truth's fleet|fleet]] that arrived en masse in Earth's atmosphere just over the city, securing the destroyed city and its surroundings from the UNSC and for Truth's arrival almost one month later.{{Ref/Reuse|coastalhighway}}{{Ref/Site|Id=waypointvergil|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-vergil-reality|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality|D=15|M=06|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
+{{clear|left}}
+===Post-war===
+Though New Mombasa suffered extreme damage from the Covenant invasion, after the Human-Covenant War, [[Project Rebirth]] aimed to rebuild and revitalize the city.<ref name="mcfarlane">''[[McFarlane Toys/Halo Point Prizes]]'', [[McFarlane Toys/Halo Point Prizes#Golden Master Chief|Master Chief Statue Press Release]]</ref> The city's proximity to Forerunner artifacts made it a hotspot for nefarious activity. [[Insurrectionist]]s, [[Covenant remnant]]s, and [[Banished]] [[human]] mercenaries would conduct operations in its streets.{{Ref/Site|Id=Legendary|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-legendary-endings|SiteName=Canon Fodder: Legendary Ending|Quote=The rebuilding of New Mombasa and proximity to so many Forerunner secrets is enticing to many opportunists, including insurrectionist factions, renegade Covenant splinter groups, and even Banished-allied human mercenary groups. }}
+==Geography==
+[[File:Mombasa View From Sky.jpg|thumb|250px|An overhead view of the general area of New Mombasa.]]
+A large seawall was constructed around [[Wikipedia:Mombasa Island|Mombasa Island]] at some point, altering its coastline considerably. The northern side of the island retained more of its original width than the southern part, which was much more narrow and symmetrically bordered by the seawall. The narrow southern half housed the [[New Mombasa city center|city center]] and [[Tanaga]] districts of the city, while on the northern side, industrial structures and docks were more prevalent.{{Ref/Reuse|preparetodrop}} [[New Mombasa Waterfront Highway|A highway]] ran along the seawall.<ref name="coastalhighway">''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level [[Coastal Highway]]</ref>
+The majority of New Mombasa is divided into numbered, symmetrical sectors to limit human casualties and property damage, should disaster befall the city's space tether.<ref name="EVO">''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]'', [[Palace Hotel]]</ref> Despite this, some districts such as [[Mbaraki]], [[Kizingo]] or [[Kikowani]] still retain their original names. The original names are often seen in the names of streets or train stations, for example. Some of the districts' names have changed, albeit slightly; areas originally referred to as Tangana and Liwatoni are now referred to as [[Tanaga]] and [[Liwitoni Station|Liwitoni]], respectively. The locations of some districts have changed as well. This is the case with most of the districts on the southern side of the island, where the sea has claimed large areas of land.<ref>''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level [[Mombasa Streets]]</ref>
+A massive suspension bridge connected the northern side of the island to the mainland. Starting at some point near the city center, the highway [[New Mombasa 105 East|NM 105 E]] led over the bridge, to the old city and beyond. Near the end of the bridge on the island was New Mombasa's industrial district. This area housed many massive industrial buildings, some with sky bridges connecting them.{{Ref/Reuse|outskirts}}<ref name="h2">''Halo 2'', campaign level [[Metropolis]]</ref>
+===City center===
+The city center was a large area. It covered Tanaga and the entirety of the south-east portion of the island.<ref group="notes">In [[Sadie's Story]], multiple areas seen in the ODST campaign are referred to as the city center. This includes [[Kikowani Station (location)|Kikowani Station]] (Audio log 1, Circle 1, Arc 1), [[ONI Alpha Site (location)|ONI Alpha Site]] and the [[New Mombasa Data Center]] (Audio log 8, Circle 3, Arc 2),  the [[NMPD headquarters]] (Audio log 24, Circle 8, Arc 3), and the area in which the ''Solemn Penance'' arrived at (Audio log 3, Circle 1, Arc 3).</ref>
+Tanaga was elevated above the surrounding terrain and housed a concentration of gigantic skyscrapers, the highest - the [[Vyrant Telecom tower (Mombasa)|Vyrant Telecom tower]] - being over two kilometers tall.<ref group="notes">Measurable through using pan-cam coordinates. 1 WU is roughly equal to 3 meters. The height cap is at 615 WU, and the building extends slightly over this limit.</ref> At the southeast end of Tanaga there were several medium-sized skyscrapers; the [[NMPD headquarters]] was located here.{{Ref/Reuse|preparetodrop}}
+Southeast of the arcology wall, the layout of the city was near-symmetrical, and was divided to ten sectors. The [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] had [[ONI Alpha Site (location)|their EAP headquarters]] and research building on the southeast end of the island. The main building was surrounded by a pool of water and an additional wall similar to the sea wall surrounding the whole island. Southeast of the city center, [[Uplift Nature Reserve]], a large park and a wildlife reserve, was located on a series of circular, artificial islands.<ref name="upliftreserve">''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level [[Uplift Reserve]]</ref>
+===Other===
+Northeast of the Alpha Site, a large artificial island housed the orbital elevator. This island was full of port structures, including warehouses, docks and cranes.{{Ref/Reuse|preparetodrop}}
+The city also contained a massive network of underground installations, such as the Superintendent's [[New Mombasa Data Center|data center]] deep beneath the surface. The facility consisted of at least twelve sublevels, with the AI's data core residing on the tenth sublevel in a massive cavern with an underground lake on the bottom.<ref>''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level [[Data Hive]]</ref> Secretly from the general populace, the facility was used to conduct research on a subterranean Forerunner artifact, which was later revealed to be a small section of the [[Portal at Voi]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', p. 132</ref>
+An industrial wasteland was also present on the outskirts of the city, and was home to a decommissioned [[Unnamed UNSC munitions testing complex|UNSC munitions testing complex]].<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12358 ''Bungie.net'': An Affinity for Art] - "The moody lighting is dictated by the idea of an industrial waste on the outskirts of a ruined New Mombasa."</ref>
+{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-3|title-1=Industrial zone|
+{{Main|New Mombasa industrial zone}}
+*[[New Mombasa Sector B|Sector B]]
+*[[Kilindini]]
+**[[Kilindini Park Cultural Center]]
+**[[Mwatate Street Transit Center]]
+**[[Beria Plaza]]
+**[[Palace Hotel (location)|Palace Hotel]]
+|title-2=City center|
+{{Main|New Mombasa City Center}}
+*[[Tanaga]]
+**[[NMPD headquarters]]
+*[[Kizingo]]
+**[[New Mombasa Sector 0|Sector 0]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 1|Sector 1]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 2|Sector 2]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 3|Sector 3]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 4|Sector 4]]
+*[[Mbaraki]]
+**[[New Mombasa Sector 5|Sector 5]]
+***[[Tayari Plaza (location)|Tayari Plaza]]
+*[[Lumumba]]
+**[[New Mombasa Sector 6|Sector 6]]
+**[[New Mombasa Sector 9|Sector 9]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 7|Sector 7]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 8|Sector 8]]
+*[[New Mombasa Sector 10|Sector 10]]
+**[[ONI Alpha Site (location)|ONI Alpha Site]]
+***[[New Mombasa Data Center|Data center]]
+*[[Uplift Nature Reserve]]
+|title-3=Other|
+*[[New Mombasa Sector A|Sector A]]
+*[[Mombasa Tether]]
+*[[New Mombasa 105 East]]
+*[[Kilindini Underpass]]
+*[[Kizingo Boulevard (location)|Kizingo Boulevard]]
+*[[Moi Avenue]]
+*[[Shimanzi Road]]
+*[[New Mombasa Waterfront Highway|Waterfront Highway]]
+*[[United Nations Space Command Memorial Park]]
+*[[Kikowani]]
+*[[Tononoka]]
+*[[New Mombasa Docks|Docks]]
+**[[Section 14]]
+**[[Section 21]]
+*[[Kwakiziwi]]
+*[[Liwitoni]]
+*[[Makupa]]
+*[[Manyimbo]]
+}}
+==Government==
+[[File:Superintendant-alone.svg|thumb|100px|[[Superintendent]], the Urban Infrastructure AI of New Mombasa.]]
+The city's most senior government figure was the Mayor of New Mombasa.{{Ref/Reuse|mcfarlane}} The [[New Mombasa Police Department]] (NMPD) was the organization charged with [[Civilian security forces|law enforcement]]. By the time of the Battle of Mombasa, it was under the leadership of [[Kinsler|Commissioner Kinsler]].
+The [[New Mombasa Transit Authority]] (NMTA) was charged with the maintenance of public transport in the city.<ref>''Halo 2'', multiplayer level [[Terminal (map)|Terminal]]</ref> [[New Mombasa Waste Management]] (NMWM) was responsible for city sanitation,{{Ref/Reuse|outskirts}} while [[New Mombasa Parks and Recreation]] (NMPR) was responsible for parks and recreational areas.{{Ref/Reuse|coastalhighway}} The [[Superintendent]] was heavily involved in all areas of administration.
 ==Gameplay==
-The Halo 3 landscape is richly detailed. In Old Mombasa, announcements in Swahili are broadcast over a public address system. These announcements encourage New Mombasa's citizens to fight against the polythestic "alien zealots".<ref>http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/h2dialogue.html?cat=swahili</ref> [[Tterrab Industries]], a corporation in downtown New Mombasa, is Bungie level designer [[Chris Barrett|Chris Barrett's]] name reversed. "Mtangulizi Kampuni," printed on a welcome mat at the entrance to the building that leads to the canals, is Swahili for "[[Forerunner]] Company".<ref>[http://www.yale.edu/swahili/ The Internet Living Swahili Dictionary]</ref>
+The city of New Mombasa has seen considerably different depictions in different pieces of ''Halo'' media over the years. However, certain themes have carried over throughout the different iterations; namely the angular, geometric architecture on the whole as well as a number of minor details, like the distinct surface patterning of the roadways or the design of the traffic lights.
+===''Halo 2''===
+[[File:SpaceElevator.jpg|thumb|250px|The center of New Mombasa in ''Halo 2''.]]
+In ''[[Halo 2]]'', the city was shaped much like its real-world counterpart, with the metropolis residing on the Mombasa island instead of the whole surrounding area having been filled with a gargantuan megalopolis.
+The space elevator was located in the city center, surrounded by massive skyscrapers. A large artificial canal cut through the island, built to house dock facilities for the space elevator. The city's streets appeared more simple and plain than in the E3 Demo, although with more trees and plants. The color palette was also different, now mostly featuring shades of light brown instead of the mostly gray city in the E3 demo.{{Ref/Reuse|h2}}
+New Mombasa is the setting of the level ''[[Metropolis]]'', in which the player crosses the massive suspension bridge from Old Mombasa to the Mombasa Island, following a Covenant Scarab headed into the city. After traversing the highway tunnel and Kilindini Park, they push through a section of the city's industrial zone. There, they come face to face with the Scarab which is eventually trapped in the canals facing the space tether and is destroyed by the player, moments before Regret flees the city with the ''In Amber Clad'' in pursuit.
+===''Halo 3''===
+New Mombasa is not seen for much of the duration of ''[[Halo 3]]'', but if one looks across from [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]] they can see the smoking ruins of the city in the distance. Most of the action on the ground takes place around the market city of [[Voi]] instead.<ref>''[[Halo 3]]'', campaign levels [[Tsavo Highway]] and [[The Storm]]</ref> Also, a prominent sight throughout the campaign is the sprawling remains of the Mombasa Space Tether, whose mammoth rings collapsed all across the countryside surrounding it and Voi upon the tether's collapse in the earlier engagements.
+===''Halo 3: ODST''===
+[[File:New Mombasa Island.jpg|250px|thumb|The island of New Mombasa in ''Halo 3: ODST''.]]
+Originally, it was assumed that the slipspace jump of the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s assault carrier had completely destroyed the city, creating the crater seen later in ''[[Halo 3]]''. It was revealed in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' that it did in fact create a crater, although much smaller than what was originally assumed, while the rest of the city survived mostly undamaged. The initial crater, located north of the Mombasa Island, was where the Covenant began their excavation of the Forerunner structure, [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]], as seen in the ''Halo 3: ODST'' level ''[[Kikowani Station (location)|Kikowani Station]]''.
-=="Keep it Clean" Trailer==
+''Halo 3: ODST'' introduces considerable changes to the city. Unlike [[Metropolis]] in ''Halo 2'', which was set on the northern side of the city, all gameplay spaces in ''ODST'' are located on the southern part of the island. While the areas seen in ''Halo 2'' are not visited nor clearly seen at any point, the city's in-game model from in the level ''[[Prepare to Drop]]'' has significant differences to the ''Halo 2'' version; namely, the absence of the large canal cutting into the island, as well as the bridge crossed in Metropolis. The northwest side of the island now also has a different overall shape than the ''Halo 2'' version, which mostly followed the shape of the real-world Mombasa Island. However, the absence of most of the canal and the bridge seen in ''Halo 2'' can be attributed to the fact ''ODST'' takes place on the other side of the city. The locations seen in ''Halo 2'' are never visited nor meant to be seen, and are thus not modeled in-game even if they still exist in the fiction.
-In the "Keep it Clean: trailer released by Bungie, the city of New Mombassa is depicted during the slipspace incident in which it is damaged. This is confirmed by the sighting of the Space Elevator and a sign that states "<evacuate> City of New Mombassa."
+The skyscrapers in the city appear more sleek than the gargantuan industrial complexes in ''Halo 2'', and are very similar to those later seen in the city of [[New Alexandria (location)|New Alexandria]] on [[Reach]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. The city center, itself part of a walled, [[Wikipedia:arcology|arcology]]-like complex, now also has a more clearly defined skyline, with a series of thin skyscrapers increasing evenly in height toward the [[Vyrant Telecom]] headquarters at the center. Another prominent addition is a massive [[ONI]] complex in the southeastern end of the city. The orbital elevator's base has also been moved, and now resides on a small island away from the city center. Its base structure is different, notably being less massive in size than in ''Halo 2''. The internal architecture of the city is much more detailed, with the streets ramping up and down and elevated walkways surrounding them.
+Most of the action in ''ODST'' takes place within a symmetrically designed "hub" area between the city center and ONI Alpha Site complex, although certain levels take the player to the Uplift Reserve, into the ONI complex, the data center underneath the city, as well as the Waterfront Highway on the island's seawall.
+===''Halo: Reach''===
+[[File:HR Mombasa Skyline.png|thumb|250px|The New Mombasa skyline with what appears to be Uplift Reserve in ''Halo: Reach''.]]
+Mombasa appears in ''Halo: Reach''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Anniversary Map Pack]] DLC released in conjunction with ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''. The map pack features [[Breakneck]], a remake of [[Headlong]] from ''Halo 2'' set in Section 21, as opposed to the original's Section 14. The city as displayed in the background of the map is not displayed consistently with other visual depictions of Mombasa; several large circular platforms connected by a suspension bridge appear to heavily resemble the Uplift Reserve as depicted in ''Halo 3: ODST'', with the bridge even facing toward the destroyed tether as depicted in the aforementioned game. However, this camera angle would suggest that Breakneck and, by extension Section 21, are placed inside one of the west-most platforms of Uplift Reserve which would be illogical. Another possibility lies that the map is in fact set in Old Mombasa or otherwise across the water and simply depicts a similar set of round platforms, though this map's placement if this is the case is also another mystery. The city skyline in the map's skybox is heavily resemblant of that of ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+===''Halo 2: Anniversary''===
+''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' ignores the ''Halo 3: ODST'' restructuring of New Mombasa, instead building the remastering upon the layout seen in ''Halo 2'' with major landmarks like the Mombasa Tether in their original locations and ''ODST''{{'}}s sleek skyscrapers nowhere to be seen. Like in the original ''Halo 2'', the immediate surroundings of the city to the north and the northeast are depicted as an empty desert, rather than the expansive urban sprawl seen in ''ODST'' and described in supplemental material.{{Ref/Reuse|fieldguide}}
+==Production notes==
+===''Halo 2'' E3 demo===
+[[File:NM E303.png|thumb|250px|New Mombasa in the ''Halo 2'' E3 demo.]]
+In the [[Halo 2 E3 demo|E3 presentation]] of ''[[Halo 2]]'', the city appeared vastly different than its later versions. The [[Mombasa Tether]] was nowhere to be found. Instead, the space elevator's site in the heart of the city was occupied by a massive arcology shaped like an African baobab tree, composed of multiple "decks" covered in massive skyscrapers, and surrounded by urban sprawl. The city was much larger than its future incarnations, with the urban metropolis sprawling into the horizon as far as one could see. The internal architecture and layout of the city also differed greatly in the final version of ''Halo 2''.<ref>''[[Halo 2 E3 Demo]]''</ref> In this era, the structure was referred to internally as an [[Wikipedia:Arcology|arcology]]-an idea that did ultimately survive into later media.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=Xperia|JfJCQbJA3v0|HiddenXperia|TALKING TO MARCUS LEHTO (Co-Creator of Halo) ABOUT HALO INFINITE, joining 343, Bungie's Halo 4 +MORE}}
+The massive tree-like structure from the ''Halo 2'' E3 demo has been used several times in subsequent ''Halo'' media. In ''Halo 2'', it can be seen as an Easter egg when looking at reflections in large enough glass windows in maps set in New Mombasa, such as at the ground floor of the building with the [[Soccer ball|giant soccer ball]] in ''Metropolis'' or the large glass side of one of the buildings in the multiplayer level ''[[Headlong]]''. In ''[[Halo Legends]]'' ''[[Origins]]'' Part I, the design is used to represent a Forerunner structure covered in [[Flood]] biomass.<ref>''[[Halo Legends]]'', [[Origins]] ([[:File:HL Origins Halo2 E3 NM.png|Screenshot]])</ref> Likewise, a similar structure is present in the colony development sequence in Part II of ''Origins''.
+===''Halo 2''===
+The massive central structure from the E3 demo was scrapped because the designers wanted New Mombasa to feel more like a real city. An effort had been made to try to design the city as realistically as possible, using photographs of the current-day city as reference material and envisioning what the city would look like after 500 years of advancement.<ref name="firstlook">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0yjEi4YnDM ''YouTube:'' First Look Halo 2]</ref>
 ==Trivia==
-*New Mombassa is a refrence or futuristic remake of mombassa in Africa.
+The [[:File:NM Emblem.png|New Mombasa emblem]] features a body of water to the bottom right of the lion. This is actually a mirrored outline of the Chesapeake Bay located in the United States.
-*New Mombassa has been made in [[Halo Custom Edition]].
-*New Mombassa will be featured in [[Halo 3: Recon]].
+{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Mombasa}}
+==Gallery==
+===Development images===
+<gallery>
+File:H2 Mombasa Concept 1.jpg|Early concept art of New Mombasa for ''[[Halo 2]]''.
+File:H2 Mombasa Concept 2.jpg|Another early ''Halo 2'' concept of the city.
+File:H2 Mombasa Concept 3.jpg|Concept art of the city.
+File:H2 New Mombasa Skyline Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of New Mombasa's skyline.
+File:H2 New Mombasa Early Concept Art.jpg|Another concept of the city skyline.
+File:H2 E3MombasaArcology Concept.png|Original concept of the city's arcology for ''Halo 2''.
+File:H2 Mombasa Concept 4.jpg|A matte painting of the New Mombasa skyline for ''Halo 2''.
+File:H3ODST_Mombasa_Haze_Concept.jpg|Early ''Halo 3: ODST'' concept art.
+File:H3ODST_Mombasa_Bleak_Concept.jpg|Early ''Halo 3: ODST'' concept art.
+File:H3ODST_Mombasa_Ringed_Concept.jpg|An early overview of the city's urban area for ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa Skyview Concept.jpg|An early overview of the city's urban area for ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa Bustling Concept.jpg|An early overview of the city's urban area for ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST AlphaSite Concept 2.jpg|An early overview of the city's urban area for ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST_Buildings_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
+File:H3ODST_Buildings_Concept_2.jpg|Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
+File:H3ODST_Buildings_Concept_3.jpg|Concept art of the city's numerous skyscrapers.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa Abandoned Concept.jpg|An abandoned parking lot during the [[Battle of Mombasa]].
+File:H3ODST RecruitmentKiosk Concept.jpg|A vandalized [[UNSC recruiting center|UNSC recruitment kiosk]] during the Battle of Mombasa.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa ModularKit 1.jpg|The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa ModularKit 2.jpg|The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa ModularKit 3.jpg|The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST Mombasa Blockout.jpg|The initial blockout of the city from early in the development of ''Halo 3: ODST''.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 1.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 2.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 3.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 4.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 5.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 6.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 7.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:H3ODST MombasaExploration Concept 8.jpg|Early ''ODST'' concept art for the city's interior design.
+File:HR Breakneck Concept.jpg|''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''/ ''Halo: Reach'' concept art for the map Breakneck, set in Mombasa.
+File:HR Breakneck Concept 2.jpg|''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''/ ''Halo: Reach'' concept art for city skyline.
+File:H2A_MombasaSkyline_Concept.jpg|Concept of the New Mombasa skyline for ''Halo 2: Anniversary''.
+File:HSS MombasaStreet.jpg|Artwork of a city street for ''Halo: Spartan Strike''.
+</gallery>
+===Iconography===
+<gallery>
+File:New Mombasa Welcome Billboard.png|A billboard promoting New Mombasa.
+File:Newmombasabanner.jpg|A banner promoting New Mombasa.
+File:New Mombasa Poster 2.png|Another billboard promoting the city.
+File:NM_Emblem.png|The emblem of the city.
+</gallery>
+===Maps/Birds-eye views===
+<gallery>
+File:H2_Terminal_Mombasa_Map.jpg|An obsolete, ''[[Halo 2]]''-era map of New Mombasa found on the map [[Terminal (map)|Terminal]].
+File:Mombasa Area Map.png|A map of New Mombasa, with major locations marked.
+File:New Mombasa Spartan Strike map.png|Map of a part of New Mombasa seen in ''Halo: Spartan Strike''.
+File:NM sectors.png|The sectors in New Mombasa's business district, near the southeast end of the city.
+</gallery>
+===Images of the city===
+<gallery>
+File:H2 - NewMombasa.jpg|An overview of the bridge connecting [[Old Mombasa]] and New Mombasa.
+File:H2SSRupture.jpg|The [[electromagnetic pulse]] created by the ''[[Solemn Penance]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s in-atmosphere [[slipspace]] jump engulfs the city.
+File:Tanaga District.png|The city in the [[Keep It Clean (Trailer)|"Keep it Clean" teaser]].
+File:Mombasa View.jpg|New Mombasa and its orbital elevator.
+File:H3ODST-Mombasa-EMP-Panorama.jpg|Panorama of the area surrounding [[Tayari Plaza (location)|Tayari Plaza]] in the slipspace rupture's aftermath.
+File:New and Old Mombasa Skyline.jpg|Panorama of the New Mombasa skyline, as viewed from the [[Uplift Nature Reserve]].
+File:Mombasa skyline ODST spoilers by 2900d4ua.png|Panorama of Mombasa's Coastal Highway lining the Mombasa skyline.
+File:Mombasa Glassing.jpg|New Mombasa being [[glassing|glassed]].
+File:HR_Breakneck_1.jpg|A construction site in [[Section 21]] during the Battle of Mombasa.
+File:H2A Metropolis Loadscreen.png|New Mombasa as it appears in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.
+File:H2A-ADatB-Mombasa.jpg|New Mombasa in the ''Anniversary'' version of ''[[Another Day at the Beach]]''.
+File:H2A - Mombasa Harbor.jpg|The harbors of New Mombasa as seen in ''Halo 2: Anniversary''.
+</gallery>
+==List of appearances==
+*''[[i love bees]]'' {{Fm}}
+*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{1st}}
+*''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
+**''[[Second Sunrise over New Mombasa]]''
+*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Uprising]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo 3]]''
+*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
+*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
+**''[[Palace Hotel]]''
+*''[[Halo Reach]]''
+*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
+*''[[Halo: New Blood]]''
+*''[[Hunt the Truth]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{C|Emblem only}}
+*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
+*''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Envoy]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Bad Blood]]'' {{Mo}}
+*''[[Halo: Renegades]]''
+*''[[Halo: Point of Light]]'' {{mo}}
+*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
+==Notes==
+<references group="notes"/>
 ==Sources==
-<references/>
+{{Ref/Sources|2}}
-*[[Halo 2]]
+{{MombasaLocales}}
 [[Category:Mombasa]]
+[[Category:East African Protectorate]]
+[[Category:Human cities]]