Google Maps adds Mario Kart for Mario Day

Don’t run over a banana peel

Of all the stupid holidays named after pop culture references — May the Fourth, It’s Gonna Be May, the day Marty McFly goes into the future that finds its way onto Twitter every couple of months even though it’s complete bullshit — Mario Day is easily the best. I don’t know how it started or who created it, probably some marketing internet at Nintendo who’s all hip with what the kids are into these days, but it’s always a nice opportunity to honor the only plumber in the world who hasn’t devastated an unsuspecting family with a horrid case of plumbers crack.

To mark the occasion, Nintendo has updated the My Nintendo rewards, you know that program you don’t use, to feature a variety of Mario wallpapers, strategy guides, and 3DS themes, as well as putting several 3DS and Wii U Mario games on sale when you use your silver or gold coins. There is also the big Animal Crossing Pocket Camp crossover that is now underway.

I don’t care much about any of that, but as somebody who is going to be traveling back and forth between a hotel and the EGLX event, I do want to see some Mario Kart on my Google Maps. So long as your Google Maps app is up-to-date, you too can transform your standard route marker into Mario for MAR10. Just hit the coin block at the bottom of the app before you start your trip to activate it. 

It’s always a nice touch when Google Maps geeks out. I still remember when the company turned the entire program into Dragon Quest for April Fools and absolutely made my year.

Celebrate MAR10 Day with My Nintendo [Nintendo]