Google is showing its nerdy side tomorrow by bringing Nintendo’s mustachioed star to Maps in a new Mario Kart Easter Egg. He and his signature Kart take the place of the in-map arrow showing the user’s location.
Mario, a serious contender for the world’s most famous fictional character, will be available globally. He’s appearing in celebration of Mar10 Day, and will remain available in the app for a week.
To access Mario, tap the familiar ? block at the bottom of the app menu on both iOS and Android. You’ll be asked if you really want to use Mario, and the correct answer should be obvious.
Perhaps knowing the tactics of your typical Mario Kart player, Google also issues this warning: “Just remember to practice safe driving on the road—we don’t encourage throwing bananas or red shells at other drivers in real life!” It also encourages users to share screenshots of Mario in their Map on social media, so look out for #MarioMaps if you want to see the inevitable screenshots of Mario going offroad when Maps messes up.
It’s far from the first time Google has hidden a nerdy Easter Egg in Maps. The company briefly added dragons as a mode of transport in 2014, and has inserted locations from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Batman v Superman in order to promote those movies. It also let users play Ms. Pac-Man on last year’s April Fool’s Day.
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