Google has added an interactive search Easter egg inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ahead of the game’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 remake. When users search for terms such as “Zelda,” “Ocarina of Time” or “tloz,” a Master Sword graphic appears in the lower-right corner of the results page. Clicking the sword triggers an animation and changes the page to resemble Google’s search results from 1998, the year the original Nintendo 64 game was released.
Polygon reported on November 2 that Google had introduced the interactive feature as a tribute to the upcoming game release. Users can trigger it by searching for the game or related terms. A floating image of the Master Sword appears in the lower-right corner of the page. Clicking it places the sword into its pedestal, plays Link’s familiar shout and brings a Triforce graphic onto the screen.
The sequence uses imagery that will be familiar to players of Ocarina of Time. In the game, the Master Sword is central to the story’s time-travel mechanics. Google’s version turns that reference into a visual transition within the search interface.
After the animation, the search results take on the appearance of Google in 1998, when Ocarina of Time first appeared on the Nintendo 64. Nintendo Life and Video Games Chronicle described the same effect, including the old-fashioned text links and simplified search-page design. Users can click the sword again to return to the modern Google interface.
The effect is a visual recreation rather than a full restoration of the early web. Video Games Chronicle noted that the retro appearance is limited to the Zelda-related search page. It does not allow users to continue browsing the wider internet through a complete 1998 version of Google.
The Easter egg arrives shortly before the Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time is scheduled to launch. Video Games Chronicle reported that the remake is due on November 5. The Google feature uses the game’s best-known visual symbols to mark the release and connect the modern search page with the year of the original title.
Google has created other game-related search interactions in the past. Polygon cited earlier examples including a Super Mario question block in 2015 and a Wordle-related interaction in 2022. These features turn ordinary search results into temporary interactive experiences tied to familiar entertainment properties.
The new feature changes the look of a particular search page, but it does not restore the old web or reproduce the full functionality of Google in 1998. The effect is designed as a brief tribute. Once users return to the standard interface, the modern search experience resumes.
Google has not announced how long the Easter egg will remain available. The reports also do not provide usage figures or say whether similar effects are planned for other upcoming games. Those details should not be inferred from the launch itself.
The feature illustrates how search platforms can use major game releases as opportunities for lightweight interactive design. For players, the Master Sword and retro interface provide a recognizable reference to a classic title. For Google, the search results page becomes a place to present a cultural event in a way that goes beyond a conventional text result.
The confirmed feature is straightforward: search for the game or related terms, click the Master Sword and watch the results page change to a 1998-inspired design. The duration and wider availability of the Easter egg remain unannounced.