Austin Powers in Mass Effect is yeah, baby, yeah!

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World-class playboy, part-time secret agent, here to save the galaxy.

"Is this the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?"

"That's the only kind of person who can protect the galaxy."

So begins one of the best and most unexpected gaming mashups I've ever seen. It's been years since I've watched them and your mileage may vary, but the Austin Powers films were mostly hilarious. Youtuber and memester eli_handle_b (nice Half-Life reference) had a simple idea: what if, instead of Captain Shephard, Mass Effect featured international man of mystery and part-time secret agent from the 1960s, Austin Powers?

Austin Powers dancing in Mass Effect.

(Image credit: eli_handle_b)

There's so much to love here, from the short Mako tribute to the absolutely brilliant catalyst scene, and what's funny is how well Powers can fit into Mass Effect's often rather silly universe. The character's unique approach to sexuality is supposed to be cringeworthy and, frankly, a bunch of the Mass Effect romance dialogue (as demonstrated here) is also quite cringey. Things like the dancing are almost made-to-measure, and the fact that eli_handle_b manages to get a decent approximation of Mass Effect's arc into 85 seconds is totally groovy.

If nothing else, you have to see the reporter scene.

The creator's done a few other gaming videos so, if you also want to see Patrick Bateman in Fallout 4, you're covered. And if seeing Austin Powers in Mass Effect got you horny, why not invest in a Garrus body pillow.

Rich Stanton
Rich Stanton
Senior Editor

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."