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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."

15 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.

  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.'"
  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

      --
      Stylish sheet to fix many problems in Slashdot's D3: https://gist.github.com/801524
  5. Similar concepts done before by lulalala · · Score: 5, Interesting

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

  6. 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.

  7. Most Importantly! by Cramit · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  8. Re:Cheat Sheet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

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

  9. 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 *
  10. 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)
  11. 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)
  12. 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