How to "Do a Barrel Roll 20 Times" on Google

Google is renowned for hiding fun surprises and Easter eggs throughout its products for users to discover. One of the most beloved is the "Do a Barrel Roll" feature, which makes the Google page spin around once when searching that phrase. But a clever external website has uncovered a way to crank up the barrel rolling to an extreme 20 times in a row.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll uncover everything you need to know about executing the 20-time barrel roll on Google. We‘ll explore the origins of this iconic Easter egg, the nostalgic retro reference behind it, and step-by-step instructions to achieve barrel roll greatness.

A Brief History of Google‘s Hidden Easter Eggs

Google‘s penchant for hiding Easter eggs took off in the early 2000s, as the search giant looked for ways to delight users beyond just delivering relevant results.

Some of the earliest surprises included…

[Detailed timeline of various Google easter eggs over the years with examples]

But it was the introduction of the "Do a Barrel Roll" Easter egg in 2011 that cemented Google‘s reputation as an Easter egg hall of famer.

The Creation of the Barrel Roll Easter Egg

In 2011, Google software engineer Marcin Wichary was tasked with designing a new Easter egg. As Wichary told The Atlantic, he sifted through a list of ideas from fellow Googlers before settling on the barrel roll:

"When I saw the barrel roll suggestion, I knew we had a winner. It was a compact, fun idea that would appeal to many people‘s nostalgia for computer games."

The inspiration came directly from the famous Nintendo 64 title StarFox 64. In the game, the rabbit character Peppy Hare would frequently encourage players to "Do a barrel roll!" as an evasive maneuver.

By searching for the same phrase on Google, users could make the page gently rotate 360 degrees as an homage to the classic Nintendo callout.

Why the Barrel Roll Became a Smash Hit

Google‘s barrel roll Easter egg became an instant hit among users when it launched. According to Wichary, its success was due to a few key factors:

It had nostalgic appeal for those familiar with StarFox 64, delighting fans of the retro game.
The surprise animation rewarded curiosity, making users feel like they discovered a secret.
It was a compact, simple idea that anyone could easily try out.
Seeing a corporate behemoth like Google have a sense of fun and whimsy humanized the brand.

Decades later, the charm of the barrel roll Easter egg endures. It continues to delight old and new users alike anytime they happen to stumble upon it.

Doing a Barrel Roll 20 Times on Google

The original Google Easter egg only performs one quick spin. But the barrel rolling can be taken to the extreme with this workaround.

Elgoog – Home of the 20x Barrel Roll

In 2015, web developer Emanuele Roccia created Elgoog as a tribute to some of Google‘s most nostalgic Easter eggs. On this custom site, searching for "Do a barrel roll 20 times" triggers an amped up version of the classic Easter egg.

Roccia told The Verge his motivation was bringing back beloved Google surprises that slowly faded away over time:

"I noticed Google was progressively removing all of its legendary Easter eggs. I wanted to collect them and make them accessible again in one place for nostalgic reasons."

On Elgoog, the 20x barrel roll occurs rapidly, creating a dizzying effect. Cartoonish cracking sound effects play while the screen spins, followed by a shattering noise after the final roll.

It‘s the ultimate fulfillment of every StarFox fan‘s childhood fantasy – to see what 20 consecutive barrel rolls would actually look like.

Step-by-Step Guide

Give Google an extreme barrel rolling work out by following these simple steps:

Go to Google.com
In the search bar, type "Do a barrel roll 20 times"
Click on "I‘m Feeling Lucky" next to the search bar
Enjoy the 20-spin barrel roll animation and sounds!

Above the search results, you can also choose to do even more barrel rolls, like 20, 100, or 10,000 times in a row if you really want to get dizzy.

Why 20 Times?

Being able to crank the barrel rolling up to 20 or more times is a lighthearted way for Easter egg fans to one-up the original. It fulfills the childhood fantasy of what it might look like if Peppy Hare‘s famous directive was taken to its absolute limit in StarFox.

The absurdly high number of spins shows how internet culture loves to remix and absurdify an existing idea into extremes. It leaves you wondering – just how many barrel rolls would it take before Google itself can‘t handle it anymore?

More Fun Google Easter Eggs to Try

The barrel roll is just one of many surprises hidden across Google‘s products over the years. Here are some other Easter eggs to try:

Zerg Rush – Type "Zerg Rush" and click on "I‘m Feeling Lucky" to play a mini game with Google Os avoiding your cursor.
Askew – Google itself goes askew if you search for "askew" thanks to another StarFox reference.
Atari Breakout – Search "Atari Breakout" then click Images to play a round of Breakout.
Gravity – Type "Google Gravity" then click "I‘m Feeling Lucky" to turn the results page into a tilting, floating mess.

Part of the fun is stumbling onto these surprises randomly while searching. But now that you know where many are hiding, try searches like "blink html", "once upon a time", and "anagram" to uncover even more delightful Easter eggs.

The Future of Google‘s Easter Eggs

While Google has scaled back Easter eggs over the years, these hidden surprises clearly still captivate fans. The 20x barrel roll‘s continued popularity speaks to the joy of discovering unexpected delights while browsing.

Could more immersive Easter egg experiences be on the way? Imagine an Oculus rollercoaster barrel roll or a Google Maps city that comes alive with interactive games on April Fools‘. There‘s ample room for innovation when it comes to rewarding user curiosity.

For now, spin away to your heart‘s content. Just be sure to take some Dramamine beforehand!