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2015 Google April Fools’ Day Prank: Retro Game Fans Will Love Latest Google Hoax

By Cheryl Phillips
Published on: 07:23 PST, Mar 31, 2015

Wondering how Google is going to prank you on April Fools’ Day 2015? It may be hard to top last year’s Auto Awesome Photobombs with David Hasselhoff hoax — people loved the idea of having the Hoff photobomb their personal pictures.

According to Engadget, you won’t have to wait until April 1 to see at least one of this year’s Google pranks — it’s already up and running. If you’re a retro-game lover, you will enjoy the Pac-Man option that is now featured on Google Maps, complete with the famous ghosts buzzing around on streets that convert to a “Pac-Man-like grid.”

“With the click of a button, your streets will be dotted with yellow pellets and the four famous ghosts. New York City, with its perpendicular streets, is perfect for Pac-Man’s maze. I zipped around the block for a few minutes, until I ran into Pinky outside Webster Hall.”

Of course, this feature won’t last forever, although some of us hope it will. The Pac-Man Google Maps option may be a April Fools’ Day prank, but it’s a great lunch hour diversion.

Will this be the only prank Google will pull this week? Don’t be so sure — the hoax-sters at Google headquarters may play another trick on unsuspecting Internet users on Wednesday, so keep your eyes open for something that doesn’t sound quite right — including a YouTube hoax or two.

If you love a good prank on April 1, Google comes up with several entertaining hoaxes each year. While you wait to see what transpires on Wednesday, aside from the Pac-Man maps, here are a few of the pranks the creative people in Mountain View, California, have come up with over the past few years.

Last year, the David Hasselhoff Auto Awesome prank was first revealed on the official Google blog. While it was not believable, it certainly was amusing. In 2013, Google featured the Aromabase, complete with millions of “scentibyte” that would allow you to search and sniff people and places, including long-dead Abraham Lincoln.

“Does Google Nose have the smell of success (sweet)? You decide. Courtesy of the Google Aromabase, you can search and smell Abraham Lincoln – Old, musty, remnant of American history; Airport terminal – Baked tarmac and lost luggage; Apple Pie – Carmelized sugar, tarty fruit and baking powder; or April Fools’ Day – Immature and cheesy, with a quick, bright finish.”

In 2012, Google had several April Fools’ Day pranks, including an ultra-high-speed fiber network, and a self-driving car. That self-driving car doesn’t sound like much of a hoax anymore, with CNET reporting that Hyundai plans to have self-driving cars on the road by 2030.

[Image: Google Screengrab]

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