Memory is a funny thing. Many people say that scent is a strong trigger for memories and I’d agree with that. For me, the smell of pine trees and oranges means Christmas time. Yes, oranges. I don’t know why but that was just something my grandma always had around the holidays, bowls full of oranges. So, I can’t smell that combination and not be instantly in the holiday spirits. Gaming can have that same effect on us. Anytime I hear a song from the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Californication album I start feeling the warm and fuzzies for Ocarina of Time. I just so happened to listen to that album on a near loop while I did my first playthrough of OoT.
Is this part of the reason we swoon over retro games? Strip away the thrill of the hunt for a game you desire, the bragging rights on obtaining a great deal and other things associated with current day retro gaming and collecting. Maybe we are looking to relive a small slice of that feeling from when we first played our Nintendo. Or maybe it brings back memories of some life event that happened around that one time you were able to beat Guts Man on MegaMan.
Personally there’s more memories tied to game and consoles than I could even begin to list here. One of the most prominent, and not particularly cheery is linked to Super Mario Bros. on the NES. It was during the summer of 1990. My step-dad and I were in my room taking turns playing Super Mario Bros. At this point in time, I was still teaching the adults how to get through games and show them “secrets” that I thought I was a genius for figuring out. It was a bit hot, we didn’t have air conditioning, but we sat there sweating like we were in a sauna so that we could hopefully, maybe, possibly beat the game. My step-dad had the controller and was working his way through a level when my mom popped in the room, rather startled and told my step-dad that it was serious and he needed to step out of the room to talk. You may have been an adorable child that wouldn’t dare listen in on adult conversations, but I certainly wasn’t.
I craned my neck as far as possible in their direction without being noticed and overheard their conversation. At the time, it didn’t mean much to me but it was my parents talking about the US going to war in the Gulf. The Gulf War had just started. Now, anytime I hear references to the Gulf War there’s a tiny place in the back of my mind that goes back to that hot and humid room where I wrangled a sweaty NES controller.
About the author:
Kyle Murphy is a 30-year old husband and father who resides in depths of retro nerdom. He’s a contributing writer for Retro Obscura, a host on Eclecnet, a streamer on Twitch and wants to grow up to be an adult one day.
Featured Image by Jonathan Noyau
2 Dudes and a NES 