In every great video game, there’s a compelling story and a love interest that drives the overall narrative further.
Love stories can last throughout the duration of an entire franchise while others change, continuing to evolve from game to game. With Valentine's day having just passed, here are my picks for the top five couples in video games.
#5 Cody and May from It Takes Two (2021)
While It Takes Two is a great co-op video game in general, it's especially good for couples to play together. The entire video game follows the story of Cody and May, a husband and his wife trying to hash out their issues in their marriage, going so far as to think about divorce.
On top of that, their daughter Rose is caught in the middle with her own feelings on the issue.
Long story short, Cody and May take on the form of their daughter’s dolls thanks to a ritual triggered by their daughter's tears.
The two must work together to reach their daughter, mend their relationship and get back to their normal human selves. As Rose says, “they have to stay together.”
It Takes Two is available for the Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox series consoles, Xbox One and PC.
The Nintendo Switch version was released later on Nov. 4, 2022, making It Takes Two available on all modern platforms.
Another plus is that anyone who owns a copy of the game can share it with their partner or friends, via the It Takes Two Friends Pass, according to the EA Games website. This way, only one person needs to buy the game to play together.
I highly recommend anyone to try out this video game and play co-op with your partner. It will take you both on a heartfelt tearjerker of a story that will entertain and bring just about any couple closer together.
#4 Juliet Starling and Nick Carlyle from Lollipop Chainsaw (2012)
She’s a zombie hunter and he’s a high school jock that no longer has a body, yup, I'm talking about Juliet Starling and Nick Carlyle from Lollipop Chainsaw.
Lollipop Chainsaw initially infected players' consoles in 2012 and is scheduled for a remake this year, according to IGN.
The video game originally came out for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It stars Juliet Starling, a highschool cheerleader who just turned 18 and is supposed to meet with her boyfriend, Nick Carlyle, on her birthday.
Out of nowhere, their school gets attacked by zombies that resulted in Nick getting bitten by one.
After a heartfelt exchange between Juliet and Nick, she performs a ritual on Nick's decapitated-head before clipping it to her skirt.
Juliet breaks the news about being descendants of zombie hunters to Nick and goes on to defend their school, as well as the city, from zombies.
Throughout the game, Nick aids Juliet in her efforts by possessing dead zombie bodies. This allows him to perform different actions, clearing pathways and solving puzzles to help Juliet succeed in the game.
While Lollipop Chainsaw isn't a great video game for couples, especially if you're a guy, it is one of the best examples of a video game love story.
Throughout the narrative, the exchanges between the couple are sincere, giving an intense sense of realism.
This is seen especially after Nick gets bitten. However, this video game is really best for the guys who may find themselves single. The frequent raunchy jokes and oversexualization of Juliet, with multiple costumes to dress her up, can really turn off a lot of women from playing it.
That said, if you're a guy and all you have is your old gaming console, Lollipop Chainsaw would be perfect to go back and dive right into.
#3 Cortana and Master Chief from the Halo Franchise (2001 - Present)
While Halo can be played as a co-op video game, it really shines in the context of the couple’s story between the main characters Master Chief and Cortana, his faithful artificial intelligence companion.
Most gamers probably wouldn’t consider Master Chief and Cortana a couple, but there are several occasions throughout the entire franchise where subtle flirtatious behavior is exchanged between the two, specifically seen from Cortana.
Cortana says things like, “Come on Chief, take a girl for a ride,” as she lovingly smiles at the Master Chief in Halo 4.
It’s times like these that give hints within the franchise that the two companions care slowly forming a connection and falling in love.
If anyone would like to see the full story unfold, gamers can buy just about any of the Halo entries at a bargain bin price.
However, for anyone who wants to immediately own most of the Halo franchise, I’d recommend that gamers buy Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One. The collection can be purchased from Gamestop both digitally and physically pre-owned for $29.99.
#2 Sonic The Hedgehog and Amy Rose from the Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise (1991-Present)
Speeding into number two on this list is Amy Rose and Sonic The Hedgehog. Amy first appeared in Sonic CD, released in 1993. She is the “self-proclaimed” lover of Sonic, according to Fandom, a website encyclopedia for different media fanbases.
Throughout several forms of Sonic media, Amy can be constantly seen crushing on him, while Sonic is seen having little to no real interest in her, other than as a good friend. After all, this relationship is truly a one-way endeavor.
However, the relatability to the couple’s situation is what made me pick these two struggling love hedgehogs for number two on this list.
I mean, come on, we’ve almost all had crushes on someone who doesn’t feel the same way, placing us in the dreaded friend zone at some point in our lives.
In fact, for many of us, this may have been our first real introduction to the concept of dating.
#1 Mario and Princess Peach from the Super Mario Bros. Franchise (1985 - Present)
I have a real classic. If you thought Sonic and Amy were the tip of the popularity iceberg, you haven't seen anything yet.
For number one on this list, I picked Mario and Princess Peach.
Come on, everyone knows this couple.
Mario and Princess Peach have a relationship that spans decades long, a pretty awesome accomplishment and strong bond for a princess who can often be found in another castle.
According to Fandom’s website, Princess Peach first appeared in Super Mario Bros. and has been known as princess of the Mushroom Kingdom ever since her first appearance in 1985.
The fact that these two have managed a relationship for so long in the Mario series goes to show that the love between the two is undeniable.
Their bond is a testament to their loyalty toward each other, even though Princess Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser just about every five minutes these days.
Oh wait, you thought Donkey Kong was the first to capture Princess Peach didn't you? Nope.
Contrary to popular belief, that isn't Mario in the very first Donkey Kong video game and the girl being taken isn't Princess Peach either.
Mario was originally called Jumpman in the Donkey Kong arcade game and that woman who most people think is Peach, is actually an entirely separate character named Pauline, according to The Gamer, a gaming news site.
The two weren't seen together like they traditionally are now, until Super Mario Bros. How’s that for a Mandela effect?
Nevertheless, these two have a love for each other that will never die and is likely to continue for many more years to come, which is why they are the very best video game couple of all time.
