I attended a wedding this weekend in the wilds of Scotland, and so to celebrate the happy event of Gregor's and Ally's marriage, I thought I would compile a list of the top games which feature the most romantic couples in interactive entertainment.
However, as a medium not immediately recognised for its depth of character, its emotional impact (regardless of what Bowen Research says) and its grown-up dealings with relationships, it's been a rather difficult task. There have been precedents to this post (notably, here's coverage from the Game Developers Conference 2004 session which challenged established designers to piece together a game with "love" in it), but I haven't been able to find a comprehensive list of existing (Western) games which have a love component since this excellent Valentine's Day article from GameSpot. I believe, however, that these loved-up pairings should stimulate at least a few more suggestions from your good selves:
Parappa the Rapper and Sunny Funny (Parappa the Rapper) Parappa learns to croon for the affections of his lady-love Sunny Funny. It's always nice to see a hip hop dog falling for a flower.
Mario and Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros, and all the rest) Since the rotund plumber started on his quest to save his Princess from the evil ape Donkey Kong, Mario and Peach (or Daisy, if you want to get all geek about it) have been the epitome of coupledom in the interactive era. Their relationship is understated and vague, but present nonetheless. All things equal, Peach had the chance to save her plumber in the Japan-only Nintendo DS game Super Princess Peach.
The Sims One of the objectives in this sociological experiment game is to get a partner and to get hitched. After all, one of the tomes in The Sims library is called Hot Date. Thankfully there are no limitations on who that partner is, which has made The Sims one of the most inclusive games on the market today. I've linked to it before, but here's Mia Consalvo's excellent examination of sexuality in The Sims (pdf).
CJ and Denise (GTA: San Andreas) Perhaps not an obvious choice, but main character CJ does have to work to woo his lady-friend Denise with roses and other such tokens of affection before she'll serve him up some hot coffee.
Ryo and Nozomi (Shenmue) Possibly one of the best examples of unrequited love in a video game, the sprawling "does he, doesn't he" thread between the Dreamcast game's protagonist and the love interest Nozomi kept gamers shifting crates down at the docks beyond the activity's pleasure. In the end, nothing happens. Maybe it's because Ryo's so busy looking for sailors in bars at night?
Squall and Rinoa (Final Fantasy VIII) This computerised couple always turns up on these "most romantic lists", and I still remember the first time I saw the stunning FMV that heralded the beginning of protagonist Squall Leonhart's and Rinoa Heartilly's relationship.
The Prince and Farah (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time) (from Bambino_Tostare): they fall in love during the course of the game but at the end he goes back in time to before it all happens and effectively stops it all happening. He tells her the story, which she doesn't believe of course but then he kisses her very passionately and runs off into the night, so she's left wondering. Yep, keep 'em guessing! Works every time...
