Argitoth Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Hey people, Just wanted to ask, is it just me or is there a certain scent that triggers Nintendo childhood memories? Does the NES give off a certain scent? It goes like this for me: I smell that certain scent which cannot be named nor described nor does it smell like anything in particular, and then I think "Woah... I was playing Mario Bros years ago at someone's house with someone I used to know." Am I unique or are there others like me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 You like sniffing dusty old electronics. There's no shame in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirby Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of rubbing alcohol. Every single time, memories of cleaning out those cartridges come flooding back without fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalvania Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Am I unique or are there others like me? You are not alone! The exact same thing happens to me sometimes! I think the scent doesn't come from the NES itself, at least not in my case. Maybe it has something to do with bacteria in my mouth, i dunno. That's funny, I was thinking about to start a threat like yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Yeah, I get that. The NES had a certain plastic smell, and you were almost always exposed to it because you were sticking your nose in cartridges or the console itself to blow shit out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROTO·DOME Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Sort of relevant. There's this kind of dusty smell that reminds me of Windows 95. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argitoth Posted March 17, 2013 Author Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of rubbing alcohol.Every single time, memories of cleaning out those cartridges come flooding back without fail. At least you knew to use alchohol. I had no such knowledge back then!Yeah, I get that. The NES had a certain plastic smell, and you were almost always exposed to it because you were sticking your nose in cartridges or the console itself to blow shit out of it.Actually, if I remember correctly, the NES would heat up and give off a plastic smell. That's probably what triggers memories for me, but I think there was also a certain smell of the room I played in that also triggers those memories.Sort of relevant. There's this kind of dusty smell that reminds me of Windows 95.very relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sphexic Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I was just thinking about this the other day. When I was about five, I went up to a window to smell the fresh summer air. I still do that once in a while, and something about the combination of smells of fresh air and window screens brings me back to Super Mario RPG. Also the smell from certain types of books remind me of this player's guide I had for Super Mario World. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binjovi Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of baking bread reminds me of the Christmas my brother and I got Pokémon. When unboxing a brand new electronic device and catching a whiff, I recall opening my GameCube for the first time (the first console I bought entirely on my own.) The scent of a new house brings back memories of playing Final Fantasy XI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ectogemia Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Actually, if I remember correctly, the NES would heat up and give off a plastic smell. I forgot about this entirely until just now, and I know *exactly* what you are talking about. Too bad my top-loader NES doesn't emit that wonderful plastic-y odor :'( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Not really Nintendo related but if I see or smell anything that looks like Blue Nickelodeon Gak i am right back in elementary school playing Sonic the Hedgehog on saturday mornings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Felis Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of old wood paneling and the crap adhesive that glues it to the walls, because that's what my grandparents had in their place when I was more or less stuck inside and unable to ride bikes/swim/climb trees/use swings/play alone when I was epileptic and thus banned from doing fun things in summer. That was the year that I got my NES, so an awful lot of Zelda happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Briggs Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 smell is strongly linked to memory for example I used to have hot chocolate every morning while watching the pokemon anime so now every time I smell or drink hot chocolate I have pokemon flashbacks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drachefly Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 It's not so much that smell is linked to memory, it's that if you associate something to a smell you encounter infrequently, that could well be the only association that smell has, so if you smell it again that thing will be a prominent association. A particular mixture of must and cedar -> The Empire Strikes Back (atari). Take that and mix in freshly cut grass and the feeling of bright sunlight -> Rampage (NES). Dust, candles -> Pole Position II (atari) Also, some other odd associations: Aquariums -> Zelda 2 Benjamin Britten War Requiem, Sanctus, 2:00 mark -> FF1 - the swamps west of Melmond. The Stan Freberg parody of The Whole Wide World is Waiting For the Sunrise -> Mega Man 2 boss rush level The feel of cold linoleum on my skin -> collecting a truly ridiculous number of shells in Jaws (and cutting paper doilies with childrens' safety scissors) There being a huge number of people arguing in a tiny room -> Combat and Enduro (atari) A particularly gloomy brightness of cloudy twilight -> Snoopy and The Red Baron (atari) (along with 3-2-1 Contact) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 It's not so much that smell is linked to memory, it's that if you associate something to a smell you encounter infrequently, that could well be the only association that smell has, so if you smell it again that thing will be a prominent association. Here is something really stupid, I used to play games next to a fireplace. Really really close to a fireplace when I was kid. So close you could taste it you know? So now, since i don't have a fireplace, before a nostalgic gaming binge I get some split pea and ham soup and load it with liquid smoke. Just for the nostalgia. It's hell on your colon but it's heaven to the soul you know what i mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halc Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 yeah. there is a very particular scent that reminds me of playing pokemon blue for the first time, but I have not a clue how to describe it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modus Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of a musty garage, when it's just right, reminds me of Road Rash for the Game Gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binjovi Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 In a similar vein, my brother and I often associate games with the snacks or foods we eat or ate while playing. Super Smash Brothers: Melee and Jack in the Box, Metal Gear Solid and Chex cereal; Metal Slug and Steak 'n' Shake with sparkling grape juice. My sister associates Resident Evil with Peanut Butter M&M's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melbu Frahma Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 The smell of rubbing alcohol.Every single time, memories of cleaning out those cartridges come flooding back without fail. Yep. That, or it makes me think of my Gameboy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modus Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Aw crap, you said Nintendo, so I guess Sega smells don't count. SEGA do smell pretty weird tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirby Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 smell is strongly linked to memoryfor example I used to have hot chocolate every morning while watching the pokemon anime so now every time I smell or drink hot chocolate I have pokemon flashbacks that sounds rough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.