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Ever want to use Google Maps on your 8-bit NES? No? Well, here it is anyway.
- A hacker has ported all of Google Maps to a modded Nintendo Entertainment System.
- The final product is an 8-bit map of the world.
- The hacker used several other NES/map mods as a launching point.
Remember how Google used to have April Fools’ jokes every year? One of those jokes was the announcement of an 8-bit version of Google Maps that you could use on a Nintendo Entertainment System (back in 2012). Fun joke, right?
Well, one hacker on YouTube going by the username “ciciplusplus” decided they didn’t like it being just a joke. In a recently uploaded video, the hacker pulled off what Google could only joke about (h/t Engadget). They brought the entirety of Google Maps to an NES.
Related: The best NES emulators for Android
Obviously, this NES isn’t your standard-issue fare. It’s connected to the internet (which barely existed when the NES was at its peak) and has several other mods. But it does render Google Maps in 8-bit designs, making our world look like something from Dragon Warrior or the very first Final Fantasy.
In the video, mirrored above, you can see how the hacker put it all together. They had plenty of inspiration including a modder who performed a similar feat using Bing and another who brought the original Doom to an NES. In the end, they are traversing our world using an NES controller, which is pretty awesome.