Animated gif capture from the introduction to Zero Wing with subtitles
5 July 2020
All your base are belong to us is an ungrammatical phrase first appeared as a subtitle in the introduction of the 1991 English-language release of the Japanese video game Zero Wing. It’s a shoddy translation that became an in-joke among video gamers, who in the spirit of Kilroy and Mr. Chad copied it as a graffito wherever there was a flat surface. The relevant sequence of subtitles in the game reads as follows:
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.
In 1998 the phrase began to be posted to the Internet and what had been an in-joke among gamers went mainstream.
Sources:
Mistretta, William, “Game of the Week: Zero Wing.” Gamespy.com, accessed 25 Dec 2008.
“Story of All Your Base.” Gamespy.com, accessed 25 Dec 2008.
Image credit: Toaplan, Zero Wing for the Sega Genesis Mega Drive, 1991.