SPOT ON! I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think associations play a HUGE role in my perceptions of videogames. For example, I think my perceptions of videogames I get for Christmas are always skewed favorably, because I associate the games with all of the other great things that come with Christmas (candy, cookies, vacations with family, etc.). I've notices that the strongest associations usually have to do with food. I associate Metroid Prime with chocolate milk, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door with jely bellies, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance with Odwalla bars, and Puyo Pop with Amy's teriaki rice bowls, among other things.
Edit - More food associations: I associate Super Mario World with Goldfish crackers, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with Piña Colada falvored candy canes.
Edited by - Hirocon on 9/10/2005 12:04:52 AM