# Mega64 Mega64 is a San Diego sketch comedy trio that films real-life video game reenactments, pranking unsuspecting strangers by cosplaying as characters from titles like Shenmue, Katamari Damacy and Metal Gear. Started in 2003 as a public access show pitch, it grew into one of gaming's longest-running comedy channels with over 220,000 YouTube subscribers by 2012. ## Origin Botte, Acosta and Chatfield registered Mega64.com in April 2003 as the home base for a public access television show they planned to air in November 2004[1]. The original show never made broadcast, but the group later put the completed episodes out on DVD through Awful Video, the publishing arm of Something Awful[2]. The name Mega64 comes from the in-universe console invented by the show's villain Dr. Poque. The first sketch the troupe posted online was a parody of Sega's 1999 Dreamcast game Shenmue, uploaded in November 2003[4]. In it, Botte dresses as protagonist Ryo Hazuki and wanders around southern California asking real people the stilted questions Hazuki uses to interrogate NPCs in Yokosuka, Japan[2]. The clip established the template every later sketch would follow. - **Platform:** Public access TV / YouTube (viral spread) - **Creator:** Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta and Shawn Chatfield - **Date:** 2003 ## Overview Mega64 is a comedy troupe made up of Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta and Shawn Chatfield whose sketches drop video game mechanics into real public spaces[1]. The fictional framing device is Dr. Poque, a deranged former game programmer who invents a VR helmet console that downloads titles straight into a player's brain, forcing the crew to act out games in the real world[2]. The bit works because bystanders in southern California parking lots and sidewalks have no context for what the cosplayed cast is doing. Each skit typically runs two to five minutes and reenacts either a real game or a fake one, with the humor coming from the collision between rigid game logic and confused strangers[3]. Over 50 of the group's early 300-plus YouTube uploads reinterpret specific titles including Katamari Damacy, Super Smash Bros. and multiple Legend of Zelda entries[3]. The tone stays deadpan, with the performers committing fully to characters like Ryo Hazuki even when passersby refuse to play along. ## How It Spread The crew did not create an official YouTube channel until February 24th, 2006, more than two years after their first web upload[5]. By July 2012 that channel had crossed 220,200 subscribers and 86.9 million lifetime views, averaging around 37,300 views per day[5]. Fans built out surrounding infrastructure including the Mega64ums forum as early as 2006, a dedicated wiki and a subreddit that cataloged the running catchphrases from the videos and podcast[3]. On September 3rd, 2006, the group launched the Mega64 Podcast as an audio companion to the video series, adding a filmed video version on December 24th, 2007[3]. The podcast pulled in guests from across the games industry, and Mega64 itself later produced skits featuring Konami's Hideo Kojima, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Valve's Gabe Newell[6]. Their material picked up distribution on GameTrailers, IGN, Cracked and Game Informer, and led to paid collaborations with Spike TV, GameTap and Adult Swim[3]. ## How to Use The Mega64 format is a video game reenactment prank: performers dress as a recognizable game character, then perform that character's exact in-game behavior in a public setting where strangers have no idea the game is being referenced. Common conventions include using the game's actual dialogue verbatim, filming the reactions of bystanders without breaking character, and framing the sketch as an in-universe test of Dr. Poque's Mega64 helmet[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Mega64? Mega64 is a San Diego sketch comedy troupe that films public reenactments of video games, wrapped in a fictional narrative about a mad scientist named Dr. Poque and his brain-download console[1]. ### Where did Mega64 come from? Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta and Shawn Chatfield launched Mega64.com in April 2003 to host clips from a public access show that never aired[1]. Their first online sketch, a Shenmue parody, went up in November 2003[4]. ### What does Mega64 mean? Mega64 is the name of the fictional VR console invented by the villain Dr. Poque, a device that downloads video games directly into a player's brain and forces them to act the games out in real life[2]. ### How do you use Mega64? The Mega64 format involves cosplaying as a video game character and performing that character's in-game actions on unsuspecting strangers in public, using the game's original dialogue without breaking character[3]. ### Is Mega64 still popular? The group built a large following through the 2000s and into the 2010s, with over 220,000 YouTube subscribers and 86.9 million lifetime views reported by July 2012, plus a long-running weekly podcast launched in 2006[5][3]. ## References 1. [https://mega64.com]() 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANzXv3sm21c]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/mega64]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TByxZMeTCw]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/user/RoccoB64]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZRzGZL6d70]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/mega64 Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library