# all your base are.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405 "2001-06-03T05:25:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TN\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TN\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TN_hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405/1 "2001-06-03T05:25:39Z")
Okay, I know this is a stupid question. See, I’ve been without a computer for several months until very recently. Even now, I don’t have much time to spend online. I see references to _all your base are belong to us_ and I am clueless. Somebody please tell me the origin of this joke. Please. I promise not to bring it up again. Peace, TN\*hippie. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405/2 "2001-06-03T05:45:33Z")
Well, since you knew that Fort Sanders was the center of the universe… It’s in referene to a badly translated Japanese cartoon. I believe the line should have gone: All your bases belong to us," or “All your bases have ben captured by us,” but they stuck a few extra words in there. I’ve always wondered if there might be a Japanese version of the SDMB where they make fun of our mistranslations. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405/3 "2001-06-03T05:56:20Z")
In 1991, an obscure space shooter game by the name of Zero Wing was released for the Sega Genesis. It had an introduction featuring _Engrish_, or a really bad translation of Japanese to English. Here is the full introduction : > [@](#): > > In A.D. 2101 > War was beginning. > Captain: What happen ? > Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb. > Operator: We get signal. > Captain: What ! > Operator: Main screen turn on. > Captain: It’s You !! > Cats: How are you gentlemen !! > Cats: All your base are belong to us. > Cats: You are on the way to destruction. > Captain: What you say !! > Cats: You have no chance to survive make your time. > Cats: HA HA HA HA … > Captain: Take off every ‘zig’ !! > Captain: You know what you doing. > Captain: Move ‘zig’. > Captain: For great justice. The game went into obscurity for years. Years later, the bad translation was posted in a “worst video game quote” site. Some people found the game that this intro came from and [had a little too much fun with it](http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/), [from doing a music video based on the intro](http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/AYB2.swf), to having many many photos modified with the “All your base are belong to us” quote in it. Major media outlets noticed the craze and publicized it, and the All Your Base phenomenom took off from there. For more info on the game, find it here : [http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/zerowing/](http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/zerowing/) The semi-official site of All Your Base : [http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/](http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405/4 "2001-06-03T05:59:10Z")
I stand corrected. Thanks, Louie. The full transcript is even funnier than the one-liner. “What I” Sir ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-your-base-are/67405/5 "2001-06-03T07:00:11Z")
Ok, now that we have done this for the tenth time, no one ever ask this question again.