If you’re sick of AI search and all the business of modern Google search, this week’s Google easter egg will take you back 28 years to a simpler time when Ocarina of Time was the pinnacle of gaming, and Google was still a new name.
It’s hard to believe I was sitting on a couch in my parents’ living room 28 years ago, playing Ocarina of Time on my Nintendo 64. Apparently, the folks at Google feel just as nostalgic as I do about the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Case in point, if you go to Google right now and search for “Zelda” or “Ocarina of Time,” you’ll see a Master Sword appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Tap that sword, and you’ll be magically transported back to the way Google looked back in 1998. It’s just seven blue links with short descriptions on a very simple page. Even the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button works!
Unfortunately, the theme only works for this specific search, so you can’t keep things looking retro if you search for anything else, even if you start from the old-school search box on the 1998-themed page. Bummer. Tapping the Master Sword again brings you back to 2026 Google search, complete with a great little animation and sounds of Link in adult or child form, depending on which way you travel in time. Try it for yourself on desktop or mobile!
More on Google Search:
- Google’s Universal Cart puts a shopping cart everywhere, including Search homepage, Chrome
- Google AI Mode and AI Overview updates work to elevate links
- Google rolling out Universal Cart that lets you shop the web and find deals with Gemini, Search
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