Google has hidden a Zelda easter egg in its search results: search for “zelda” or “Ocarina of Time”, click the Master Sword that appears in the corner, and the results page turns into Google as it looked in 1998. That’s the year Ocarina of Time first came out on the Nintendo 64. It turned up days before the game’s Switch 2 remake launches on Thursday, November 5. VGC, Nintendo Life, Kotaku and Polygon all reported on it on November 2.
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How to see the Google Zelda easter egg
- Search Google for a Zelda term. Outlets confirmed four that work: “zelda” (VGC, Kotaku, Polygon), “Ocarina of Time” (Nintendo Life, Kotaku, Polygon), “The Legend of Zelda” (GamesRadar+) and “tloz” (Polygon).
- Look for the Master Sword in the bottom-right corner of the results page. Kotaku describes it as glowing and hovering, and VGC says it floats above its pedestal from the Temple of Time.
- Click or tap the sword. According to VGC and Nintendo Life, it slides into the pedestal. You hear Link shout (“Hya!”, in Polygon’s words) and a time-travel effect plays. Polygon says the Triforce takes over most of the screen before the page changes.
- To come back, click the sword again. Polygon says this returns you to modern Google.
Adult Link returns Phantom Ganon's energy ball, one of the boss fights rebuilt for the Nov 5 Switch 2 remake. Image: Nintendo
What the 1998 Google page looks like
The retro page swaps in Google’s original logo with its exclamation mark (Nintendo Life, Kotaku, GamesRadar+). Kotaku describes plain blue links in a Times New Roman-style font, ranked by relevance, with no AI answers, shopping links or ads. VGC adds that the old “I’m Feeling Lucky” button is back, and Nintendo Life points to the blocky site links and the old-style search bar.
It only goes so far. VGC says the effect covers that one page of Zelda results, so you can’t keep browsing Google in the 1998 style.
Does it work on phones?
VGC’s instructions say you can “click or tap” the Master Sword, so the easter egg isn’t limited to desktop browsers. None of the reports we read tested the Google app on its own, and none gives an end date. Google’s results page needs JavaScript to run effects like this, so if the sword doesn’t appear, try a standard browser with script blockers turned off for google.com.
Why it’s in Google now
The timing ties in with Nintendo’s remake. Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 unlocks at 12:00 AM Eastern on November 5 (9:00 PM Pacific on November 4), and the pre-load is already open. Time travel is also at the heart of the original game: when adult Link puts the Master Sword back in its pedestal, he returns to being a child. As VGC points out, the easter egg’s 1998 jump copies that move.
The remake is more than a visual upgrade. Nintendo’s store page lists jumping and dashing, gyro aiming, voiced cutscenes and the new Hall of Fallen Foes, which we cover in the 8 new features in Ocarina of Time on Switch 2. If you’re still deciding which version to buy, our Ocarina of Time editions and prices guide compares the digital and physical versions.
Link and Epona in Hyrule Field, rebuilt for Switch 2 with new visuals and controls. Image: Nintendo
Other Google game easter eggs that still work
This isn’t Google’s first Nintendo nod. VGC lists several that still work: “do a barrel roll” spins the page like Star Fox 64, “super mario bros” shows a Question Block that plays a coin sound when you hit it, and “the last of us” grows a cordyceps-style fungus across the screen. Polygon notes that Google’s Pokédex mini-game, which asks you to find all 151 original Pokémon, is also still active.
What’s next
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5. No report gives a date for when Google will remove the easter egg, so try it before launch week ends. For updates through release day, follow our gaming news live page.
Sources: VGC, Nintendo Life, Kotaku, Polygon, GamesRadar+, Nintendo.
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Featured image: Nintendo
