Google's Ocarina of Time Easter Egg Turns Search Back to 1998

Google has hidden a Master Sword in its search results: search "Zelda" or "Ocarina of Time" right now and a sword icon appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Tap it, and Google rewinds 28 years to its 1998 look.

The retro page strips search down to seven blue links with short descriptions on a very simple page. Even the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button works, according to the report that surfaced the find this week.

The easter egg nods to the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo Switch 2. The original game shipped for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 — the same era when Google was still, as the reporter put it, "a new name."

What does the throwback actually include?

The 1998 theme carries a handful of period-correct details:

• Seven blue links with short descriptions per results page
• A bare-bones layout, free of AI overviews and modern modules
• A functional "I'm Feeling Lucky" button
• Sounds and an animation of Link — adult or child form, depending on which direction you travel in time

"Tap that sword, and you'll be magically transported back to the way Google looked back in 1998," the reporter wrote.

What are the limits?

The theme only holds for that specific search. You can't keep the retro skin if you search for anything else — not even if you type a new query into the old-school search box on the 1998-themed page. "Bummer," the reporter noted.

Tapping the Master Sword again returns you to 2026 Google search, complete with the Link animation and sound. The trick works on both desktop and mobile.

Why does a games throwback matter to search watchers?

For marketers, the stunt is a reminder of how far the results page has traveled. In 1998, it was seven links and a button. In 2026, it's AI Mode, AI Overviews, and — per Google's recent rollouts — a Universal Cart that puts a shopping cart on the Search homepage and in Chrome, with Gemini-powered deal-finding across the web.

The contrast is the point. An easter egg that makes headlines for recreating "seven blue links" shows just how much surface area Google has added since — and how nostalgic some users are for the simpler version.

For now, the Master Sword stays sheathed for every other query. Search "Zelda" before the Switch 2 release if you want the 1998 view while it lasts.