Bit of alright: Old school 8-bit maps of the USA

Do you remember 8-bit Google Maps? You don’t have to be an ‘80s kid to recall that colorful Nintendo-style product: it was a (rather useful) April Fools prank pulled by Google as recently as 2012.

But joke or not, people loved it. There’s a beauty to 8-bit graphics that goes beyond nostalgia, and maps have a beauty of their own. Put the two together and you have the world in pixelated miniature – and now NetCredit has created the following maps as an homage to the humble yet loved world of 8-bit:

USA

The actual cartridge may never have made it to your NES console. But the online version of Google’s blocky graphics map proved an endless source of enjoyment for geeks and orienteers alike. And true gamers are still discovering ‘Easter eggs’ in Google’s retro maps today.

We decided the United States needed its own dedicated 8-bit atlas, featuring the most important natural and tourist attractions, rivers and mountain ranges of the country. So we made one. Because satellite view is too realistic, right?

West Coast

No tour across the America’s wild west is complete without meeting with some very extraordinary bison. Wyoming’s Yellowstone Park is brimming with them. But can you hop, Mario-style, over them without landing in the springs?

The Grand Canyon is another of the west’s awesome places of natural beauty – even rendered in miniature. But the west isn’t all wild anymore. The Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore are among symbols of modern civilization that take pride of place on our 8-bit map.

East coast

It’s all a little greener and less desert-like out east. But the Statue of Liberty remains a shining beacon for those in New York – and Disneyland echoes the sentiment further south.

Make your way to Memphis, though, and you could be in for an encounter with a local of note. Yes, Elvis sightings are even being reported in 8-bit America!

Alaska

Who’s that character in the red hat hanging out up in Alaska? He soars like that bald eagle, he’s soft and cuddly like Alaska’s famous Kodiak bears. But whether Santa is a goodie or an end-of-level video game boss, you’ll need to get closer to tell.

Hawaii

There are some video game worlds that make you just want to forget about the action and explore, or stand in awe at the wonder of (blocky graphics-) nature. Our Hawaii map is just one of those: watch volcanoes smoking from a safe distance, or have a ‘moment’ with the spinner dolphins and monk seals of Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

Joyfully onwards

The romance of 8-bit graphics can brighten up the darkest of days. And like the best Nintendo games, an 8-bit map is both a puzzle and a thrill. Where will your joypad take you next?