All your base are belong to us
Updated: 12/10/2025, 8:51:51 PM Wikipedia source
"All your base are belong to us" is an Internet meme based on a poorly translated phrase from the opening cutscene of the Japanese video game Zero Wing. The phrase first appeared on the European release of the 1991 Sega Mega Drive conversion of the 1989 Japanese arcade game. By the early 2000s, a GIF animation depicting the opening text became widespread on web forums. A music video accompanied by a techno remix of the clip, originally posted on the website Newgrounds, gained popularity and became a derivative Internet meme in its own right. The original meme has been referenced many times in media outside of the forums. The original phrase in Japanese, uttered by the enigmatic antagonist "CATS", is "君達の基地は、全てCATSがいただいた" (Hepburn Romanization: Kimitachi no kichi wa subete CATS ga itadaita), which can be translated more accurately as "All of your bases have been taken over by CATS" (see the transcript below).
Tables
· <i>Zero Wing</i> transcript
機関士：.mw- .mw- .mw- 何者（なにもの）かによって、爆発物（ばくはつぶつ）が仕掛（しか）けられたようです。
機関士：.mw- .mw- .mw- 何者（なにもの）かによって、爆発物（ばくはつぶつ）が仕掛（しか）けられたようです。
Original script
機関士：.mw- .mw- .mw- 何者（なにもの）かによって、爆発物（ばくはつぶつ）が仕掛（しか）けられたようです。
Basic translation from Japanese
Engineer: It appears someone has planted explosives.
English version of the game
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョンが来（き）ます。
通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョンが来（き）ます。
Original script
通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョンが来（き）ます。
Basic translation from Japanese
Communications Operator: Incoming visual on the main screen.
English version of the game
Operator: Main screen turn on.
CATS：連邦政府（れんぽうせいふ）軍（ぐん）のご協力（きょうりょく）により、君達（きみたち）の基地（きち）は、 全（すべ）てCATSがいただいた。
CATS：連邦政府（れんぽうせいふ）軍（ぐん）のご協力（きょうりょく）により、君達（きみたち）の基地（きち）は、 全（すべ）てCATSがいただいた。
Original script
CATS：連邦政府（れんぽうせいふ）軍（ぐん）のご協力（きょうりょく）により、君達（きみたち）の基地（きち）は、 全（すべ）てCATSがいただいた。
Basic translation from Japanese
CATS: With the help of Federation government forces, CATS has taken all of your bases.
English version of the game
CATS: All your base are belong to us.
CATS：せいぜい残（のこ）り少（すく）ない命（いのち）を、大切（たいせつ）にしたまえ・・・・。
CATS：せいぜい残（のこ）り少（すく）ない命（いのち）を、大切（たいせつ）にしたまえ・・・・。
Original script
CATS：せいぜい残（のこ）り少（すく）ない命（いのち）を、大切（たいせつ）にしたまえ・・・・。
Basic translation from Japanese
CATS: Treasure what little time you have left to live...
English version of the game
CATS: You have no chance to survive make your time.
艦長：たのむぞ。ZIG！！
艦長：たのむぞ。ZIG！！
Original script
艦長：たのむぞ。ZIG！！
Basic translation from Japanese
Captain: We're counting on you, ZIG!!
English version of the game
Captain: Move 'ZIG'.
艦長：我（われ）々（われ）の未来（みらい）に希望（きぼう）を・・・
艦長：我（われ）々（われ）の未来（みらい）に希望（きぼう）を・・・
Original script
艦長：我（われ）々（われ）の未来（みらい）に希望（きぼう）を・・・
Basic translation from Japanese
Captain: May there be hope for our future...
English version of the game
Captain: For great justice.
| Original script | Basic translation from Japanese | English version of the game |
| 機関士：.mw- .mw- 何者（なにもの）かによって、爆発物（ばくはつぶつ）が仕掛（しか）けられたようです。 | Engineer: It appears someone has planted explosives. | Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb. |
| 通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョンが来（き）ます。 | Communications Operator: Incoming visual on the main screen. | Operator: Main screen turn on. |
| CATS：連邦政府（れんぽうせいふ）軍（ぐん）のご協力（きょうりょく）により、君達（きみたち）の基地（きち）は、 全（すべ）てCATSがいただいた。 | CATS: With the help of Federation government forces, CATS has taken all of your bases. | CATS: All your base are belong to us. |
| CATS：せいぜい残（のこ）り少（すく）ない命（いのち）を、大切（たいせつ）にしたまえ・・・・。 | CATS: Treasure what little time you have left to live... | CATS: You have no chance to survive make your time. |
| 艦長：たのむぞ。ZIG！！ | Captain: We're counting on you, ZIG!! | Captain: Move 'ZIG'. |
| 艦長：我（われ）々（われ）の未来（みらい）に希望（きぼう）を・・・ | Captain: May there be hope for our future... | Captain: For great justice. |
References
- Original broken English translation as it appeared in the released video game.
- Wiredhttps://web.archive.org/web/20140630204641/http://archive.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/magazine/16-02/mf_goons?currentPage=all
- Zero Wing
- Legends of Localizationhttps://legendsoflocalization.com/lets-take-a-peek-at-zero-wings-all-your-base-translation/
- Zero Wing
- United States Copyright Officehttps://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
- 東亜プラン (Toa Plan); ナムコ（中村製作所）Namco; ゼ; Williams Electronics; Zhttps://archive.org/stream/ArcadeGameList1971-2005#page/n51/mode/1up
- Computer and Video Gameshttps://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-117/page/n59/mode/2up
- Games & Play in Chinese & Sinophone Cultures
- Shooting Gamesidehttps://archive.org/details/Shooting_Gameside_Vol.4/page/n41/mode/2up
- Pixelated Audiohttps://pixelatedaudio.com/out-zone/
- Huberthttps://web.archive.org/web/20010602111141/http://hubert.retrogames.com/article.php?sid=1
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- TribalWar Forumshttps://www.tribalwar.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=24539
- Timehttps://web.archive.org/web/20070621020832/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C100525%2C00.html
- Ars Technicahttps://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/02/get-ready-to-feel-old-the-all-your-base-music-video-turns-20-today/
- Kotakuhttps://kotaku.com/the-all-your-base-are-belong-to-us-video-is-now-20-ye-1846281979
- WIREDhttps://www.wired.com/2001/02/when-gamer-humor-attacks/
- USA Todayhttps://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2001-03-07-ebrief.htm
- SFGATEhttps://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/carroll/article/all-your-base-are-belong-to-us-3327364.php
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2001/feb/28/internetnews.g2
- The Registerhttps://www.theregister.com/2004/03/05/wags_hijack_tv_channels_onscreen/
- CNEThttps://www.cnet.com/culture/youtube-our-humor-not-our-hack/
- The Vergehttps://www.theverge.com/2021/2/17/22287208/all-your-base-are-belong-to-us-20th-anniversary-internet-culture
- Intelligencerhttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/02/all-your-base-are-belong-to-us-turns-15.html
- VG247https://www.vg247.com/for-great-justice-a-partial-origin-story-of-gamings-original-internet-meme
- "Men arrested for 'All Your Base' prank"https://web.archive.org/web/20100829220138/http://www.wwmt.com/news/sturgis-468-security-thought.html
- CNEThttps://web.archive.org/web/20140506201205/http://news.cnet.com/YouTube-Humor%2C-not-hack/2100-1026_3-6079314.html
- TheGamerhttps://www.thegamer.com/botw-secrets/
- Newsweekhttps://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-tax-rate-plans-find-favor-among-republicans-she-1298164
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [@AOC]https://x.com/AOC/status/1086483485668319233
- Mashablehttps://mashable.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-all-your-base-tweet-meme