With the exception of certain games, none of those other applications require JavaScript.

Form submissions and such have been part of HTML for a long time, and map viewing most certainly doesn't need JS. See this comment from 3 years ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10872194

Unfortunately the map images in the article there no longer work because Google has decided to "deprecate" that API, but there's absolutely nothing about serving what is essentially a large tiled image that requires the capability to run arbitrary code on the client. In fact, here's a tile URL I just found that still works: http://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=y&x=1325&y=3143&z=13

JavaScript is like Flash: useful or even essential for some things, but far too overused these days.

Sure, map viewing definitely doesn't need JavaScript, but Google Maps definitely does. I don't see how you could reasonably implement something like Google street view without JavaScript. Even just having the different locations on the map fade in and out of view as you zoom requires JavaScript, as far as I know. Personally, I don't want to have to use a stripped down version of maps, I want to be able to go into street view and see the locations, and smoothly see more detail as I zoom in.

Perhaps a better example is video calling. Definitely can't do that without JavaScript. My point is that disabling JavaScript entirely eliminates several classes of websites. I think it is better to have reasonable limits to JavaScript than make these types of websites impossible.

Why does this functionality have to be embedded in a website? I use google earth and skype to look at maps and make video calls. I don't feel like I'm missing out.

FWIW I generally take out my phone and use the Android Google Maps app, because it is considerably faster than waiting for the web version to load.