All these cryptic message are from the Internet and are spreading like a virus across the entire globe. In the past few months the messages has begun appearing on everything from T-shirts and posters to (literally) hundreds of images you can see all over the net. In fact, there are several video games out now that have these messages hidden inside in the code and various random screen-shots. The phrase even made it into a Foxtrot comic strip (one of the best... right up there with Calvin & Hobbes and Dilbert).
Basically, all the phrases came from a little-known game, "Zero Wing," a coin-operated arcade title released in 1989 by the now-defunct Japanese firm Toaplan and later sold in Europe for Sega console machines.
From what I gather, in the game you fly a space-fighter, called a "ZIG" and shoot up the bad guys. Before the game starts, it has an opening animated sequence--a mini-movie that explains why you are trying to save the universe.
This is the original ZeroWing game intro that came out in the English version of the SEGA Genesis/ MegaDrive version of the game.
Details the script and the storyline are here.
In Japanese, the sequence details the war between the good guys and the villain, Cats. When Toaplan decided to ship the game overseas, "Zero Wing's" Japanese-to-English shift turned the movie into a grammatically challenged series of animated silliness. While Cats snarls in Japanese, "Thanks to the cooperation of the U.N. forces, we've taken over all of your bases," the enemy's threats in English--"All your base are belong to us"--is a mite less intimidating, and quite a bit funnier!
Here is a animated .GIF of some screen-shots from the actual original game. (each frame in the .GIF is displayed for about 3-4 sec.)
In my opinion, it is hilarious and this thing has a huge and very twisted following.
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http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~pyang/base/allyourbase.swf
This is a very cool FLASH movie that a few Harvard students put together.
http://hubert.retrogames.com/article.php?sid=1
Here is the complete history of the All Your Base phenomenon.
http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/
This is a good site that claims to be The Official home to the video which kicked it all off.
http://www.allyourbase.net/pictures/index.php
Here is an image gallery of the impact AYBABTU has on our world...
