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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."

33 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

    1. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      For those who aren't NES RPG fans, the game they took the graphics and music from is Dragon Warrior.

    2. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Dragon Quest.

    3. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by gangien · · Score: 3, Informative

      not sure if you're trying to correct him or provide a link, but it was released as Dragon Warrior in the US.

    4. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by sirroc · · Score: 3, Informative

      Coincidentally, There is an icon of a slime at the location of the Square-Enix HQ in Tokyo.

    5. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by datavirtue · · Score: 3, Informative

      They used Dragon Warrior!! My favorite RPG of all time (well, besides WOW).

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
    6. Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

      It was originally released as Dragon Warrior in both the USA and Canada.

  2. really beautiful but by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was hoping that Street View would be a top down RPG. Google knows where the signs are so you could walk up to signs and press a button to see them...

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:really beautiful but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Come on! They did a really god job on the colors in street view and all you can do is complain about what it doesn't have?

  3. Ah, Dragon Quest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I loved that game. Brings back memories.

    When I use these new Google services, will I be interrupted with a message reading, "A COOKIE DRAWS NEAR....."?

  4. 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...

    1. Re:Interesting places to look at by Tacvek · · Score: 4, Informative

      So here is what I have found so far:

      Space needle,
      empire state building,
      statue of liberty,
      St Luis's Gateway Arch
      The white House,
      The Washington monument
      MLK Jr monument.

      The smithsonian has a Panda Icon.

      All Google offices have 2 little people.
      The Google headquarters has the Giant android statue, as well as the T-Rex skeleton.

      UK:
      Nelson's Monument
      Tower Bridge
      Tate Modern

      Other:
      The Louvre
      Eiffel tower
      Arc de Triomphe

      Pyramids of Giza.
      The sphynx.
      Taj Mahal

      --
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    2. Re:Interesting places to look at by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      loch ness monster just north of loch ness, uk

    3. Re:Interesting places to look at by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2

      If you find the right spot in Iowa you can see a starship under construction.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  5. check out area 51 in this map. by eljasbo · · Score: 2

    It shows a ufo beaming up a cow.

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

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

  7. 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.

    1. Re:Someone is trying to defictionalize this by tepples · · Score: 3, Informative

      Doesn't the NES have a big fat expansion bus on the bottom?

      There's a 48-pin connector (pinout) on the bottom of the NES-101. It was intended to combine the functions of the controller port on the front of the Famicom and the cable that comes out of the Famicom Disk System's system card. The connector was originally intended for the NES version of the FDS, but it never found use because Nintendo discovered that just as the FDS made it easier for Nintendo to make authentic copies of games to sell, it also made it easier for others to make infringing copies of games to sell. So there is no such port on the top-loading NES-101, nor on the Famicom. The configuration where a cable comes out of the side of the cartridge would probably be easier to manufacture in small quantities than a dongle that the NES sits on.

  8. Dragon Warrior by CheshireDragon · · Score: 2

    And they used the best game they could have ever used to make this mapping system. DRAGON WARRIOR, ahhh nostalgia. Of course, I am wondering why they used the name 'Quest' for the mapping name. Is it because the name of Dragon Warrior was Dragon Quest before it came to the states....or some other reason?

    I still play ver. 1-4 on an NES Emulator on my phone. Currently I am at the last tower on DW2. This cracks me up or it is just too early on a Sunday morning?

    --
    "That's right...I said it."
    1. Re:Dragon Warrior by Indras · · Score: 2

      Watch the promo video, they even use sound effects and music from the original NES Dragon Warrior: http://youtu.be/rznYifPHxDg

      --
      The speed of time is one second per second.
  9. 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.
    1. Re:Cheat Sheet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      remove the /has at the end and it works fine. derp.

    2. Re:Cheat Sheet by Esteanil · · Score: 3, Informative

      Link broken. Sorry about that, http://www.bengarvey.com/2012/03/31/list-of-interesting-places-in-8-bit-google-maps should work

      --
      I'm a dreamer, the world is my playpen. But hey, I'm a serious person, I can't dream all the time.
  10. Most Importantly! by Cramit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do the directions travel times for different routes include estimates for delays due to random encounters?

  11. 8-bit World Topology by Guppy · · Score: 2

    You know what would be awesome? If you could view this on Google Earth, and when you zoom-out all the way (complete with Beep-boop sound effects) the planet would be a Torus.

  12. I'm holding out for the Sega Genesis version by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    it's got the blood code, plus parallax scrolling.

    --
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  13. Map Quest? by dittbub · · Score: 2

    its funny because google maps killed map quest

  14. 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 *
  15. 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
  16. Other Google Pranks by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Interesting

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

  17. You should... by Ihmhi · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...be able to go to Redmond or Cupertino and have to fight enemies in an RPG-style battle.

    "TURTLENECK SLIME attacks with HIPSTER BEAM!"

    --
    Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
  18. 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)
  19. Walkthrough by sixtyeight · · Score: 4, Funny

    If anyone has a walkthrough for Iowa, please post a link to it here.

    --
    The Wolfpack Project: BitCoin + Crowdfunding = Political Accountability