Google’s annual tradition of giving its users a good (almost believable) joke on April Fools’ Day takes the form of Satoshi Tajiri’s Pokémon creations.

The search giant has added the quirky feature on Google Maps that show different Pokémons in various locations within Google Maps. The latest version of Google Maps is required for the feature to work. After updating Google Maps, users simply need to hit the search bar and tap on Press Start to begin the Pokémon challenge.

The feature will only be available until April 2 at 2am Pacific Time so those who want to try it out should get the update as soon as it becomes available in their market.

Other Google April Fools’ Pranks for previous years include:

GOOGLE NOSE (2013)

GMAIL MOTION (2011)

GMAIL BLUE (2013)

GOOGLE TRANSLATE FOR ANIMALS (2010)

GOOGLE MAPS 8-BIT FOR NES (2012)

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Google also announced an update to Google Maps today at its annual developer conference in San Francisco. The announcement was made by Google Maps Director Daniel Graf in the event’s keynote alongside other Google products and services.

Changes to Google Maps basically revolve around a more intuitive user interface and an improved system of recommendations such as an improved 5-star rating system for businesses and Zagat listing integration.

There are also new features that cater specifically to drivers and travellers. There’s a new notification system that alerts drivers to incidents on the road and reroute them in real time to avoid traffic jams.

Moreover, the new Google Maps will soon provide smarter recommendations to users including comparison of available public transit in the area which is presented in a very intuitive and informative way. It can also highlight driving routes directly on the map that might be useful for the user at the same time dimming those routes which are unlikely to be useful.

Google Earth is also fully integrated with the new maps which is most useful when zooming in a particular area. And with WebGL support, the new Google maps provide a faster and more fluid experience. The map is currently in its preview stage and users can already sign up using this link.

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