While it probably won’t have the impact of a new Super Mario title, Nintendo’s new collaboration with Google has produced a game that’s getting attention: Ando-Kensaku, a Wii game, will center on search engine optimization (SEO).

Describing the game, PC World’s Matt Peckham writes that “players compete by attempting to guess the popular web search terms. The player with the most correct guesses wins. The hook: It uses Google’s search engine, and while you can play it offline with some 10,000 pre-stored words and phrases, go online and you’ll be able to download additional challenges based off current Google search trends.”

Peckham also mentions that the game contains several alternate modes, which add more traditional video gaming elements like special items and exploding staircases. The game is, at present, set for a Japan-only release.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is, to say the least, an uncommon topic upon which to base a video game, but Nintendo has made such a topical leap before with games about surgery and janitorial work, among other things.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.