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Google Maps Introduces 8-Bit Quest Maps

Posted by samzenpus on from the believe-it-or-not dept.

AbsoluteXyro writes "Today users of Google Maps will notice a new mapping option — 'Quest' — alongside the usual 'Map' and 'Satellite' views. Quest view renders the planet in a retro 8-bit fantasy video game style, including renders of famous landmarks such as the White House and the Eiffel Tower. Even Pegman gets in on the game, now taking on the appearance of a sword wielding 8-bit adventurer, allowing you to witness Street View through 8-bit eyes. Basically, imagine a fully functioning Google Maps on an NES."

9 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by Digital+Mage · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is quite funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rznYifPHxDg

  2. Interesting places to look at by pinkushun · · Score: 4, Interesting

    - Area 51 has a cow being abducted
    - Google Offices
    - Pyramids and Spinx
    - Desert and ice tiles
    - Many more to discover...

  3. Similar concepts done before by lulalala · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://8bitcity.com/map?New%20York by artist Brett Camper

  4. Someone is trying to defictionalize this by tepples · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Someone on the NESdev.com forum is making a real NES cartridge with 2 MB of RAM and an ARM Cortex microcontroller that appears to be comparable to the MMC900913 that this (fictional) product uses. Once that's ready, all we'd need to defictionalize this AFD story would be a port of an OpenStreetMap viewer, along with a USB cable to tether it to a PC or phone.

  5. Cheat Sheet by Esteanil · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Looks like http://www.bengarvey.com/2012/03/31/list-of-interesting-places-in-8-bit-google-maps/has a pretty good list of interesting places

    --
    I'm a dreamer, the world is my playpen. But hey, I'm a serious person, I can't dream all the time.
  6. Google is OK by kurt555gs · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There is a difference between Google, M$, and Apple. Google still condones having fun.

    --
    * Carthago Delenda Est *
  7. Battle monsters? by Lord+Satri · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Anyone found out how to battle monsters? Is this just part of the joke or is there a way to actually do it? :-)

    The official Google Lat Long blog: "Get detailed directions to avoid dangerous paths, and battle your way through a world of powerful monsters and mystic treasures."

    --
    Animoog.org
  8. Other Google Pranks by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    www.gmail.com/tap
    www.google.com/fiber

  9. Nice and fast on low bandwidth! by Ken_g6 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I realize this is mainly intended as an april fool's joke, but I notice the quest maps load much faster than normal maps. It would be nice if Google kept around some kind of low-bandwidth version of their maps like this, for people on slow connections and throttled cell phones.

    --
    (T>t && O(n)--) == sqrt(666)