Google has a particularly mischievous streak when it comes to April Fool's Day, and this year the company started a day early. The result is Google 8-bit maps, real world locations lovingly redrawn in glorious 8-bit. Just go to Google Maps and click on the quest button in the top-right. Suddenly those boring, accurate, and helpful landmarks and cities look like something torn from the screen of Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior.
From the Google Maps blog:
"Our engineering team in Japan understood the importance of maps on retro game systems. With the power of Google’s immense data centers, and support from Nintendo and Square Enix, we were able to overcome the technical and design hurdles of developing 8-bit maps. Today, we’re excited to announce the result: a version of Google Maps for NES, with beautiful low-res graphics, simple and intuitive controls, and a timeless soundtrack."
Check out the very funny video from Google below.
Thanks to Kenny Z. for the story.
Like! Happy April Fool's Day!
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