“Do a Barrel Roll” on Google, and You Won’t Be Disappointed

“Do a barrel roll” has become a trending topic on Twitter and elsewhere, thanks to an Easter egg on Google Search.

Type the phrase in Google, and the screen will tumble around (it’s a barrel roll, after all). The same thing happens if you search for “Z or R twice.” If you’re feeling lazy, you can simply click here and see the effect for yourself. Because it was built in HTML5, it doesn’t work on all browsers. Firefox and Chrome seem to support it best.

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Both phrases are references to Star Fox 64, the classic 1997 Nintendo game that sucked up a giant chunk of my life when I was a kid. Peppy, the game’s veteran space pilot rabbit, tells hero Fox McCloud to “do a barrel roll” (a feat accomplished by pressing “Z” or “R” twice) multiple times throughout the game. The phrase spawned an Internet meme that has stood the test of time.

We have no clue how long the Google Easter egg has been around (we’ve emailed Google for more information), but we love it. It’s yet another testament to Google’s quirkiness and nerdy demeanor.

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Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to power up my Nintendo 64 and take down Andross, because only I have the brains to rule Lylat.

Update: “Today’s fun query, ‘do a barrel roll’, was created by a Google software engineer with the primary goal of entertaining users — while showcasing the power of CSS3, a presentation feature of modern browsers,” a Google spokesperson tells Mashable. “The ‘do a barrel roll’ query, which causes the search page to spin, will remain in place for a while.”

Beyond Barrel Roll: 10 Hidden Google Tricks

Gravity

Enter “Google Gravity” in the search bar. Hit “I’m feeling lucky” (if you have Google Instant enabled, it’s on the right hand side of the suggested searches). Then watch your world fall down.

Click here to view this gallery.