all your base are belong to us

lore

ops culture

A garbled line from a badly translated 1991 video game that became one of the first viral internet memes.

The Mega Drive port of Zero Wing opened with 'All your base are belong to us', a mistranslation so awkward it became beloved, exploding across forums and image edits around 2000 and 2001. It is a landmark in early meme culture and a standing joke about machine and rushed translation.

Also known as: All your base are belong to us, AYBABTU, Zero Wing

Sources

Zero Wing (Toaplan/Sega, 1991) - European Mega Drive port

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