March 31, 2015 | 2:21 p.m.
THE PLAYER
A new function on Google Maps allows you to turn city streets — like those of Chicago, above — into “Pac-Man” maps. (Google Maps)
Here’s one negative about Google’s adorable “Pac-Man” overlay of its maps function: It’s not always easy to find locations for famous James Bond races.
Sure, it’s cute to navigate the parking lot of Dodger Stadium with Pac-Man and his not-so-friendly pals, but we at Hero Complex wanted to relive the scenic chase of “The Spy Who Loved Me,” the one off the coasts of Sardinia, Italy. It took a couple of tries for it to work, but we finally got the roads surrounding the Hotel Cala Di Volpe to be remade as a “Pac-Man” game (the first few times we were told there weren’t enough roads for a game).
Whew. An important job, but someone has to do it.
Earlier Tuesday, in what many believe is an April Fool’s joke 24 hours early (although there’s no joking around when it comes to a battle of “Pac-Man,” as far we we’re concerned), Google added a function on the bottom left of the screen that will turn city streets into a game of “Pac-Man.” Then we all put in the address of our childhood home and led Pac-Man to chomp around the streets of our exes. Or at least I did.
Then I started thinking of Bond. The upcoming “Spectre” is rumored to contain a pretty nifty race around the streets of Rome, so that’s where I headed first. Next was Italy, where we had a hard time navigating some of the curves as Pac-Man. Alas, snatching up cherries also won’t turn Pac-Man into a submarine.
Sadly, not all locations are optimized to work on mobile phones. That’s a shame, as the Google Maps edition of “Pac-Man” works surprisingly well with touch controls and less so with a keyboard. In order to find out where the game will work on-the-go, one will have to take part in a sort-of game-within-a-game scavenger hunt.
Head here, follow the hints from Google and then put in the addresses on your mobile phone. Warning: Some of these aren’t funny, especially if you’re a fan of the Chicago Cubs. This Chicagoan, for instance, could have done without this clue: “Don’t drop the ball on the eve of your victory!”
Instead, we offer this Chicago alternative. How about a “Pac-Man” race around Lower Wacker? Try it. Who did it better, “The Dark Knight,” or Pac-Man, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde?
– Todd Martens | @Toddmartens | @LATherocomplex
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