Also remember to join IRC, learn about it here.
All your base are belong to us
A poor translation of an obscure Japanese video game becomes one of the first big memes
- Date Discovered: 05/2000
- Discovered On: Overclocked.org
Summary
All your base (also AYB or AYBABTU) is probably one of the most well-known and most beloved memes on the internet, an Engrish phrase uttered by the antagonist in an obscure Japanese game for the Sega Mega Drive (the console is called the Sega Genesis in the states and Canada, but the game was never released there). Internet users all over found the phrase hilarious in its absurdity, and it has been Photoshopped into hundreds of images, videos, and other media since its inception.
The original translation of the famous intro sequence is as follows:
The entire script is rife with grammatical and translation errors, and most lines have been incorporated into the various images and so on.
A more accurate translation is offered below:
This, however, is much less entertaining.
For great justice
"...for great justice" is a mini meme offshoot of All Your Base where mundane, everyday tasks are made more humorous by adding the suffix "...for great justice" to a directive, invitation, or announcement. It is generally assumed that a person using this phrase (or any other meme) has nothing of real value to express.
Origins
Zero Wing (the game from which the script comes) was released in 1989 by Toaplan and Taito, and was ported to the Mega Drive in 1991. The game was never released in North America and would likely have been forgotten if not for Overclocked.org, where a humorous voiceover was added to the intro animation. Various gaming forums latched onto the poor translation, creating images, videos, and music from it. Fark, Something Awful, and other larger humor sites took notice shortly afterwards, and the meme spread at an alarming rate afterwards, in some cases reaching mainstream pop culture.
Current status
A classic. While in many circles references to AYB are frowned upon, it can still be incorporated into discussions, Photoshop threads, and the like if done skillfully. Many internet users find themselves occasionally returning to the videos for a nostalgic laugh.
Facts
- Zero Wing was only released in Asia/Europe
- The song in the background of the most popular video is "Invasion of the Gabber Robots" by The Laziest Men on Mars
- In June of 2006, YouTube was taken down for maintenance and replaced with the message "ALL YOUR VIDEO ARE BELONG TO US"
Images
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
Videos
Related Pages
External Links
You can find additional memes here.
Explore our other categories for information on different subjects!
