Google Maps Introduces 8-Bit Quest Maps 123
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."
Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video (Score:5, Interesting)
This is quite funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rznYifPHxDg [youtube.com]
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
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Agreed! I was a big DW4 fan. I loved the moving cut-scene and sounds.
Cheat Sheet (Score:4, Interesting)
Looks like http://www.bengarvey.com/2012/03/31/list-of-interesting-places-in-8-bit-google-maps/has [bengarvey.com] a pretty good list of interesting places
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Re:Cheat Sheet (Score:4, Informative)
remove the /has at the end and it works fine. derp.
Re:Cheat Sheet (Score:4, Informative)
Link broken. Sorry about that, http://www.bengarvey.com/2012/03/31/list-of-interesting-places-in-8-bit-google-maps [bengarvey.com] should work
Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video (Score:4, Informative)
For those who aren't NES RPG fans, the game they took the graphics and music from is Dragon Warrior.
Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video (Score:5, Informative)
Dragon Quest [wikipedia.org].
Re:Google Maps 8-Bit Version Promotional Video (Score:4, Informative)
not sure if you're trying to correct him or provide a link, but it was released as Dragon Warrior in the US.
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It was originally released as Dragon Warrior in both the USA and Canada.
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Coincidentally, There is an icon of a slime at the location of the Square-Enix HQ in Tokyo.
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Funny thing... I expected to see Rimuldar where Brazil is...
How long before a C&D from Squeenix, I wonder?
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really beautiful but (Score:5, 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...
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They revoke your nerd card if you don't complain with every breath you take.
Nice (Score:2)
Little on the sparse size, and street view looks more psychedelic then 8-bit, but how much time would you expect them to spend on a AF's joke.
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CGA was 4 colors.
Please hand in your geek card.
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Some times they spend half the year working on these. They take their jokes extremely seriously.
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Ah, Dragon Quest (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....."?
Interesting places to look at (Score:5, Interesting)
- Area 51 has a cow being abducted
- Google Offices
- Pyramids and Spinx
- Desert and ice tiles
- Many more to discover...
Re:Interesting places to look at (Score:5, 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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It says "find hidden monsters" so I assume that's one.
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loch ness monster just north of loch ness, uk
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A few I found:
Ayers Rock (Australia)
Sidney Opera House (Sidney, Australia)
Cristo Redentor Statue (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
La Sagrada Familia (Spain)
Colliseum (Rome, Italy)
Parthenon (Athens, Greece)
Saint Basil's Cathedral (Moscow, Russia)
Temple of Heaven (Beijing, China)
And... near Mt Everest there is a small guy walking - maybe the yeti?
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a few other ones:
chichen itza
petronas towers
dragon (?) on mauna kea
burj khalifa
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If you find the right spot in Iowa you can see a starship under construction.
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There are little soldiers in front of 10 Downing St.
Found a monsters near La Plata, MD and Scottsburg, VA. You can't see them if you're zoomed in more than 7 times.
Found Nessie [g.co]!
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Kremlin is also there in Moscow.
check out area 51 in this map. (Score:2)
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So does Roswell, NM
LOLCat Says (Score:2)
Similar concepts done before (Score:5, Interesting)
http://8bitcity.com/map?New%20York [8bitcity.com] by artist Brett Camper
Someone is trying to defictionalize this (Score:5, Interesting)
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Doesn't the NES have a big fat expansion bus on the bottom? Can't we just bring the data in and out there?
Re:Someone is trying to defictionalize this (Score:4, Informative)
Doesn't the NES have a big fat expansion bus on the bottom?
There's a 48-pin connector (pinout [nesdev.com]) 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.
Dragon Warrior (Score:2)
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?
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The Japanese name for the game translated to Dragon Quest, but due to someone already having a trademark under that name in the United States, the name had to be changed to Dragon Warrior. I believe that since that time, either the existing owner of the mark either stopped using it, went out of business, or had it purchased by the company that makes the games, so the newer titles in the series have been called Dragon Quest. So Dragon Quest was always the appropriate name, but for legal reasons it couldn't b
Kids with beanies? (Score:2)
There's a representation of the Sydney Harbour Bridge but stranger, off to the south-west you'll find a couple of kids wearing propeller beanies. Are there other beanie-wearers in the 8-bit Google Maps?
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Googlers (Score:2)
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Leaked early (Score:1)
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If you go to "0,0" and zoom in, you'll find the boss.
Most Importantly! (Score:5, Funny)
Pefect for a true slashdotter (Score:1)
Finally a map I can understand!
8-bit World Topology (Score:3)
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.
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Google Maps 8-bit World Tour (Score:1)
It's like exploring the world map in Dragon Quest...lots of landmarks and buildings have been 8-bittified and there are plenty more to discover. They've also cleverly hidden Dragon Quest enemies around the world
People are trying to look for the places. Found some sites with screenshots:
Some of the major world sites in 8-bit sprite format: http://www.bulsuk.com/2012/04/google-maps-8-bit-tour-of-world.html [bulsuk.com]
The enemy characters, including the dragon King in the middle of the world, literally: http://homepage.nt [ntlworld.com]
I'm holding out for the Sega Genesis version (Score:3)
Map Quest? (Score:2)
Google is OK (Score:5, Interesting)
There is a difference between Google, M$, and Apple. Google still condones having fun.
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There is a difference between Google, M$, and Apple. Google still condones having fun.
You're still doing the $ thing with MS? Really? The 90s called, etc etc, no I didn't bother to warn them, etc etc.
I thought all three of those companies were known for being pretty fun places to work. (Maybe not at the Apple Stores, but that's retail...) If you were to compare them to Oracle or IBM, at least that would make sense: fair or not, they're known for a suit and tie culture.
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Apparently the joke is still "funny" and that we should "lighten up". At least that's what I've been told. Maybe I lack humor?
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Apparently the joke is still "funny" and that we should "lighten up". At least that's what I've been told. Maybe I lack humor?
An analogy: they sound like the old man who still wears corduroys. Buddy, you want to wear them, no problem, it's your ass and they're your pants. But the stores don't sell them, and I don't buy that they're fashionable.
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Battle monsters? (Score:4, 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 [blogspot.ca]: "Get detailed directions to avoid dangerous paths, and battle your way through a world of powerful monsters and mystic treasures."
eeewww! (Score:2)
it's horrible! Kill it! Kill it! KILLIT!
Other Google Pranks (Score:4, Interesting)
www.gmail.com/tap
www.google.com/fiber
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You both forgot this one:
http://www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html [google.com]
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Details, details...
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You should... (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!"
What about slashdot (Score:1)
Nice and fast on low bandwidth! (Score:5, 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.
east of scranton? (Score:2)
Who's the dude with the sword to the east of Scranton? Looks like Jason from Ft13th?
Walkthrough (Score:5, Funny)
If anyone has a walkthrough for Iowa, please post a link to it here.
COOL! (Score:1)
Geocaching...? (Score:1)
Ghost (Score:1)
all foolishness aside (Score:2)
I don't think this will make it (Score:2)
Upon release they are bound to be sued by Enix for patent infringement.
Operation looks too similar to Dragon Warrior for the NES. Heck, some of the graphics look like they could have been lifted verbatim :)
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Ask her to buy you a new keyboard, your space key seems to be broken.