I forgot to bookmark it but once I followed a link from reddit to google images and it somehow defaulted back to the old method. So something on the URL can toggle it, I just have no clue what it was and feel stupid for not researching it right there and then.
Just recently they are tinkering with maps and the new controls are so sluggish and non-intuitive, I have to dig two or three levels constantly. Every so often it reverts to the old interface but the new one looks like it's here to stay. Very fustrating.
ps. I want my old image search back and my old map controls back