Let's Go Bowling

“	Niko, it's Roman! Let's go bowling!	”
Call by Roman telling Niko to play bowling.

Let's Go Bowling
Two pictures showing Roman calling Niko.
Historical
Date Created	April 29, 2008
Creator	Rockstar Games
Associated Event	YouTube
Associated Game	Grand Theft Auto IV
General
Type	Catchphrase
Status	Dead

Description

"Let's Go Bowling" is a popular phrase said by the Grand Theft Auto IV character Roman Bellic upon calling the main protagonist Niko Bellic and inviting him to for a game of bowling. The phrase gained recognition from the player base due to how often Roman seemed to invite Niko to bowling, often doing so at awkward times. The phrase has since been one of the most recognized memes associated with the game and has been used in memes and referenced online. It is also similar to Dutch constantly calling the island Tahiti on Red Dead Redemption 2, another Rockstar's video game.

History

On April 29, 2008, action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto IV was released. In the game, character Roman Bellic, the cousin of the main protagonist Niko Bellic, is introduced. Roman is a friend character who the player can spend time together engaging in various optional activities, such as dining, drinking or playing various mini-games. At times, Roman will call Niko and invite him to spend time together, with bowling being one of the options.

Web usage

With Roman being the earliest friend character Niko encounters, and the high frequency of hangout calls, Grand Theft Auto IV players had a high chance to experience being invited to bowling by Roman multiple times throughout their playthrough, with the catchphrase "Let's go bowling" proceeding to turn into a meme within the gaming community.

On September 27, 2008, YouTube user little mac posted one of the earliest videos reflecting the trend in which Roman calls Niko while he stands atop an factory pipe. The video received over 119,000 views in twelve years. On November 1, 2008, Newgrounds user and YouTuber Oney (OneyNG) uploaded a GTA parody animation which included the joke. The video received over 16 million views on YouTube in twelve years.

The catchphrase has since become one of the most recognizable memes associated with the game and has been referenced in numerous videos and memes, also being used as a soundbite for various poops.