Skip to main content

Blue shell your commute: Mario Kart temporarily races onto Google Maps

To honor Mario Day this Saturday (Mar.10 — get it?), Google has added a special, cross-promotional surprise to its Maps app: Mario Kart. Starting on Friday, March 9, both iOS and Android users of Google Maps will be able to press a yellow question mark button (familiar to any longtime Mario fans) on the bottom left corner of their screen to enable “Mario Time.” This will supplement the traditional blue guidance line that leads you to your destination with a 3D rendering of everyone’s favorite Italian plumber, cruising along your chosen route.

Google, for its part, asked that people still be safe and not use the app feature as an excuse to “throw bananas or red shells at other drivers in real life.” The update which introduces the feature has already begun rolling out to users on Friday, March 9, and it will remain active for the following week. Google has encouraged fans to screenshot and share their Mario commutes on Twitter with the hashtag #MarioMaps (though of course people should be careful not to dox themselves). Although it feels like a transparent bit of cross-promotional advertising between Google and Nintendo, a Google rep assured TechCrunch that no money changed hands in order to make this happen.

Related Videos

WHO SAYS NO TO THIS?!
Thanks @googlemaps ???????? pic.twitter.com/C441XnTPhE

— Trisha Hershberger (@thatgrltrish) March 9, 2018

Wahoo! Now you can navigate the world as Mario in @GoogleMaps to celebrate #MAR10Day! Check out #MarioMaps on Google Maps now for a week. pic.twitter.com/iX3uZMfLrc

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 9, 2018

Google has a long history of lighthearted joke features like this in its various products, particularly on April Fools Day. Previous Google Maps pranks include an explorable TARDIS from popular BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who or the ability to navigate through street view as the Loch Ness Monster. You can check out our running list of our favorite Google pranks here. Google and Nintendo previously collaborated on a 2012 April Fools Day launch of a supposed 8-bit version of Google Maps that came in a plastic cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Nintendo has made a tentative foray into mobile gaming in the last several years, finding mixed success with games like Super Mario RunMiitomo, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Now that the seal has been broken, we would not be surprised to see more collaborations between Google and Nintendo in the future, given both companies’ playful sensibilities.

Editors' Recommendations

Sonic Frontiers is getting a free update this week, including new modes
Sonic holds his heels during a midair trick in Photo Mode.

Sonic Frontiers will receive its first of three planned updates on Wednesday, March 22. The free DLC -- dubbed Sights, Sound, and Speed -- has a load of new features, including Photo Mode, Jukebox, and new challenge modes.

Sega previously detailed its plans to support Sonic Frontiers in the long term last November, but it didn't share a timeline for when the updates were coming. Now that first wave is finally here, giving the game it's first significant update since it launched last year.

Read more
What is Google Assistant? Here’s the guide you need to get started
Using Google Assistant on the Google Pixel Watch.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is huge news right now, thanks to chatbots like ChatGPT -- but did you know you can already access an AI on your Android phone? Google Assistant is Google's AI-powered voice assistant, and it's available on Android, iOS, and a large number of smart devices (like Google's Nest speakers). While not as capable as ChatGPT (yet), Google Assistant can handle an impressive number of tasks — including pausing and resuming songs and videos, making tasks and reminders, and in some cases, even taking and screening phone calls for you.

That may seem like a lot, but Google Assistant is relatively simple to use. If you've never used a voice assistant before, we've got this guide to help you get to grips with it and take your first steps.
What is Google Assistant?

Read more
Everything we know about Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake Looking Grizzly In Alan Wake 2.

The original Alan Wake is a game that went through quite a troubled development before it was finally released. After many iterations and changes in scope and direction, the final product was initially a cult hit, but didn't hit the mass market it needed -- at least not initially. After two DLC episodes, a sequel was in the works to build upon the first game and revive some of the elements that had to be cut from the first in order for it to ship, but this was ultimately not meant to be. The sequel was canceled and a smaller downloadable game, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, was released instead.

Since then, we hadn't heard from our intrepid writer until he showed up in a very unlikely place. Featured in the AWE expansion for a completely different game, Control, Alan was back in the picture. With a remaster of the initial game catching everyone up on his first appearance, now was the perfect time to announce that the long-awaited sequel was back in development. We haven't found all the manuscript pages yet, but here is everything we know about Alan Wake 2.

Read more