Here's How To Get Mario On Google Maps
Reports of sat-nav users slipping on bananas unfounded.
March 10 is Mario Day, because MAR10. Yup, that's the reason.
So to celebrate (ie, promote), Nintendo have hooked up with Google to bring a little levity to disoriented drivers, with a Mario Kart icon for their Maps app.
It's a cosmetic change - being at the head of the queue won't suddenly make you susceptible to a lightning strike inches from home - but it's sort of cute, which is nice.
Making Mario your designated wheelman is pretty simple:
1) Ensure the Google Maps app is up to date.
2) After entering your destination, hit the classic Mario '?' block before embarking.
3) "HERE WE GO!"
(If you have the time, or are stuck in traffic, hit the '?' block a hundred times to hear the iconic 1-up chime. We don't accept responsibility here if you careen into a tree - that 1-up ain't for real).
This isn't the first time Google have given Maps over to a video game tie-in; last April Fool's day, the streets became overrun with pellets, transformed into a maze for a marauding Ms. Pac-Man.
Google Kart runs for the rest of the week. Incidentally, Mario Kart Tour is slated for mobile platforms in the coming months.