Mario comes to Google Maps to celebrate Super Mario Day

A partnership between Google and Nintendo has brought loved gaming character Mario to Google Maps, to help you find your way all this week and celebrate Super Mario Day.

Remember the eighties when Nintendo and the Super Mario brothers ruled the world? In 1993, a movie was also made on the Mario Bros. Thirty years later, something truly amazing has happened, at least for Super Mario Bros fans.

Google truly understands fans - Super Mario Bros fans - when they see one. They hum the Super Mario Bros background music on repeat, daydream about collecting gold coins and 1-UP mushrooms, and want nothing more than to traverse the Mushroom Kingdom with Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.

To celebrate the favourite moustachioed plumber-turned-racer, Google has collaborated with the team at Nintendo to let Mario accompany you on all of your driving adventures on Google Maps from Mario Day (March 10; when Super Mario was born).

This is how Google wants you to get started. Update the maps app from Google Play or the App Store. Next, simply click on the yellow “?” icon found on the bottom right of your Google Maps app on Android or iOS. You’ll then see a prompt to enable Mario Time.

Once enabled, you’ll see that the navigation arrow has morphed into “Mario”. He’ll be a constant companion wherever you’re driving this week— to work, to school, or the curry house. Just remember to practice safe driving on the road as Google doesn’t encourage throwing bananas or red shells at other drivers in real life. Well, that's what Google said in a blog recently.

Super Mario Bros, or Mario Bros, was first introduced in Japan in 1983 and has gone on to sell more than 40 million video games till date. The game's creators were Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.

Gamification was missing on Google Maps and by paying homage to the Nintendo game, things like Donkey Kong and other games may show up as icons on Google Maps. So, this entire week, sit back and let Mario guide you through roads and find shops and restaurants.