Google Maps has helped many a lost traveler or those bitten by the wanderlust bug to get around from one point to another within the most efficient manner possible, be it if you are driving yourself, taking the public transport in a new city, or simply walking to find your way around a new culture. Well, it seems that Google Maps has been given a shot in the arm by Google this April Fool’s Day, with one able to transform Google Maps into a Ms. Pac Man grid. So far, Google has never failed to dazzle when April Fool’s Day comes around, and this year is no different, either.

How to play Ms. Pac Man on Google Maps
If you would like to skip all of the pleasantries and head right into the action, here is how you are able to get your Ms. Pac Man fix on Google Maps in double quick time. First of all, make sure your eyesight is perfect to see all that Google Maps presents on the screen. Located at the lower left of Maps on the browser, right next to Earth, you ought to be able to check out an image of Ms. Pac Man that will read “Insert Coin”. When you place the cursor over the “Insert Coin” box, the word “Ready!” will flash across in the middle of the screen.

Should the current layout of the map be insufficient enough to generate a decent Ms. Pac Man level, you can always hit the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button to have a random layout generated from actual roads in the neighborhood. From there, it will use the roads and alleys to redesign it into a level from the game.

The gameplay is fast and furious, and certainly jives with what Ms. Pac Man is all about, complete with the Power Pills and plenty of cherry and other kinds of fruit hanging around at random to help you rack up the points. This is yet another classic example of how Google celebrates April Fool’s Day, not to mention their great love for video games. Who can forget the Zerg rush search results from a few years ago, not to mention the paying of homage to Nintendo’s Star Fox series when one searches for "do a barrel roll"?

You can be rest assured that this is not going to be the last of video game homages performed by Google, and there will be many others down the road that ought to keep folks looking forward to each April Fool’s Day, and then some. What are some of the other video games or gaming franchises that you would like to see Google work on as an Easter egg in the future?

Of course, at any time where you would like to take a break from fantasy and make a return to reality, then you can always select the “Return to Google Maps” option that is located at the bottom left hand corner of the screen. That’d be pretty hard to miss.