# Retsupurae Retsupurae is a YouTube riff series where Something Awful goons layer MST3K-style commentary over bad Let's Play videos. It started in 2008 when slowbeef and Sinix mocked a rough Super Mario Bros. 3 walkthrough for laughs, and grew into a long-running channel with dozens of contributors and a distinct in-joke vocabulary. ## Origin Retsupurae was started in 2008 by slowbeef, a Something Awful moderator credited with releasing some of the earliest video-format Let's Plays[2]. That year he came across a Super Mario All-Stars: Super Mario Bros. 3 walkthrough posted to the SA forums and, with fellow goon Sinix, recorded a Mystery Science Theater 3000 style track over it as a joke thread response[1]. The first channel was originally spelled "Retsupray" and hosted the early collaborations before being suspended by YouTube, at which point slowbeef opened the current "Retsupurae" account on February 28, 2008[2]. The Super Mario Bros. 3 riff and slowbeef's follow-up uploads set the template that later contributors followed[3]. - **Platform:** Something Awful (source) / YouTube (viral spread) - **Creator:** slowbeef and Sinix - **Date:** 2008 ## Overview Retsupurae is a YouTube riff project that pastes fresh audio commentary over other people's Let's Play videos, targeting walkthroughs that are poorly recorded, badly narrated, or full of unearned bravado[1]. The channel name is an Engrish spelling of "Let's Play," and its logo uses the Chinese character for failure, which sets the tone before the first joke lands[2]. Most episodes follow a two-mic format built by co-hosts slowbeef and Diabetus, who trade dry asides while the source LP plays underneath[1]. Recurring targets include singing along to game music, screaming reactions, tutorial-level gameplay from someone claiming expertise, and shoehorned meme references[2]. Guest riffers pulled from Something Awful's Let's Play subforum, including proteus4994, Dave_O, Psychedelic Eyeball, Cherrydoom, and Voidburger, rotate through as second voices[2]. The series also expanded beyond gaming videos into what fans call "Wow!s," riffs on old shovelware ads, public-access shows, and archival game journalism such as the Flights of Fantasy Mega Man 8 review circulated on the NAVGTR channel[3]. ## How It Spread The first uploads were shared inside Something Awful's Let's Play subforum, where slowbeef already had a reputation, and the reception there pushed him to open a public YouTube channel[2]. Once outside SA, the response split sharply: fans of the riffed uploaders left angry comments, some sent hollow death threats, and the original "Retsupray" account was suspended before the current channel went up on February 28, 2008[2]. By April 2014 the main channel listed more than 92,000 subscribers and over 50.4 million total views, with parallel accounts on Facebook (10,400+ likes) and Twitter (15,200+ followers) feeding the audience[2]. slowbeef and Diabetus also ran Formspring accounts for Q&A, and a Tumblr fan blog collected favorite clips[2]. Reactions from targeted uploaders varied. Some flamed the riffs in comments, but Let's Players including SSoHPKC and John CandyFortyFive publicly said they enjoyed being featured[2]. slowbeef has said the videos are made in fun and has pulled riffs down when an original uploader asked politely, and both hosts pushed back on fans who brigaded the source videos[2]. ## How to Use The Retsupurae format is straightforward: pick a Let's Play with an obvious flaw, whether it's mumbling, empty hype, or the uploader failing at a tutorial, and record a second audio track that reacts in real time[1]. Riffers typically avoid heckling the person directly and instead pick apart the video's craft, quoting lines back at each other and letting silence do work when the source video is embarrassing on its own[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Retsupurae? A YouTube series where Something Awful goons dub MST3K-style commentary over badly made Let's Play videos and other cringeworthy gaming clips[1]. ### Where did Retsupurae come from? It started in 2008 when Something Awful moderator slowbeef teamed with user Sinix to riff a rough Super Mario Bros. 3 walkthrough posted on the SA forums[2]. ### What does Retsupurae mean? The name is an Engrish spelling of "Let's Play," and the channel logo uses the Chinese character for failure[2]. ### How do you use Retsupurae? The format is a riff track: two hosts, usually slowbeef and Diabetus, layer live commentary over another creator's Let's Play, mocking bad audio, fake enthusiasm, or clueless play[1]. ### Is Retsupurae still popular? It is a classic of early YouTube gaming culture; by April 2014 the main channel had over 92,000 subscribers and 50.4 million views, with an active co-host in Diabetus[2]. ## References 1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPATKepPlSg]() 2. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/retsupurae]() 3. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWeJN5P7skA]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxlXDh84Ww0]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZun-SUu0M]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/retsupurae Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library