Love is Blind

We have been introduced to numerous incarnations of Link and Zelda over the years, but I’m mentioning them here anyway because the pair is entwined by fate and destined to find each other. The nature of their relationship is intentionally vague and varies from one game to the next, but there are a few instances where romance is hinted. Link gets a kiss from the Princess at the end of Zelda II, the girl of his dreams in Link’s Awakening looks exactly like her, and the pair hold hands as Spirit Tracks draws to a close. This might sound juvenile, but it’s age-appropriate behavior and kind of adorable. In Skyward Sword, Zelda assumes the role of Link’s childhood friend and life-long crush. Their interactions are G-rated and things are left open-ended yet again, but even a blind man could see that they are smitten with one another.

I pretty much had to recognize this couple on this list, given that Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man’s relationship was one of the first legitimate love stories in video game history. Character development wasn’t exactly a top priority for video game developers in the early 1980s, so seeing an entire courtship play out via a series brief cutscenes in Ms. Pac-Man was quite novel. The cutscenes in question depicted the pair meeting, chasing each other, falling in love, and eventually having a child. (I guess Pac-Man had a thing for beauty marks.) Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man are eternally linked to one another, and it’s virtually impossible to think of one of them without thinking of the other. The pair has appeared with each other in countless games, and were even the focus of their own animated television series.

Guybrush Treepwood aspires to be a great pirate, but he’s awkward, naive, and out of his element. Elaine Marley, on the other hand, has everything going for her. Intelligent, beautiful, and highly resourceful, Elaine is the governor of the Tri-Island Area. She’s the object of desire for an evil-ghost-pirate, but she’s proficient in combat and capable of taking care of herself. Guybrush and Elaine are polar opposites in many regards, but Elaine is drawn in by his razor-sharp wit. After marrying, Elaine relinquishes her gubernatorial responsibilities and sets sail with her hapless husband. Guybrush becomes more competent throughout his adventures while Elaine mellows somewhat, so the two balance each other out. Although Elaine is clearly the dominant partner in their relationship, she has unwavering faith in her husband’s abilities.

Mario has been in the damsel-saving game since he rescued Pauline from the clutches of Donkey Kong way back in 1981, but he’s a lot more famous for rescuing Princess Peach. He has proven that he’s willing to go to the end of the world for the Princess. Heck, in Super Mario Galaxy, he even ventures into space to save her! On the other side of the equation, Princess Peach sets out to rescue him in Super Princess Peach. Their mutual heroism doesn’t necessarily mean that there is romantic interest, but Peach kisses her hero in Super Mario World, bakes a cake for him in Super Mario 64, and their interactions are often punctuated with floating hearts. If that’s not an expression of love, then I don’t know what is. Bowser can interject himself all he wants; Mario and Peach are the First Couple of the gaming world.

Hana is a beautiful assassin who is open to relationships with both men and women. When she took Rain as a companion in Fear Effect 2, some critics argued that the pairing catered to male sensibilities. The ads were suggestive, the script read like a continuous double entendre, and one scene even saw the ladies stripping down and making out in an elevator. It would be easy to write their relationship off as cheap masturbatory fantasy, but Hana and Rain are fully-realized characters with complex personalities. The women care deeply for one another, and the sexual themes are not as overt as the marketing materials suggest. Hana doesn’t let her bisexuality define her, and the game’s writer suggested that who she chose to go to bed with wasn’t a big deal. That kind of attitude was refreshing in 2001.

The relationship between Ryu Hayabusa and Irene Lew is your typical “boy meets girl” story. Only, in this case it’s more like, “boy meets girl; girl shoots boy with a tranquilizer dart; girl entrusts boy with a mysterious artifact; boy rescues girl from a hostage situation; boy and girl kiss; boy and girl watch a temple collapse in the background; girl gets kidnapped again; girl is stabbed while boy is trying to rescue her; girl miraculously survives; girl is taken hostage again and sacrificed; boy brings girl back to life with a magical sword; boy and girl watch the sunset; girl is attacked by boy’s doppelganger and presumed dead after being thrown into the ocean; girl survives the fall; girl kills the doppelganger; boy and girl are reunited; boy and girl watch another temple collapse in the background.” How very typical.

Garnet is a princess and burdened with responsibility, while Zidane is a free-spirited thief who lives by his own rules. When Zidane hatched a plan to kidnap her, the Princess played along and used the incident to escape from her home. Garnet was actively looking for a new lease on life, but Zidane was cock-sure, carefree, and didn’t want to change. Not surprisingly, Garnet was less-than-impressed with Zidane’s arrogance and brushed off his initial advances, but their relationship evolved organically as the game progressed and they came to depend on each other. Garnet was destined to return to her kingdom and rule as queen, but it was clear that she and Zidane belonged with each other. Their playful banter keeps the game lighthearted, and it was fun to see a relationship mature without relying too heavily on melancholy themes.

To The Moon is focused on a company that offers “wish fulfilment” services to the terminally ill. Johnny’s dying wish is to visit the moon, but he is not sure why. As doctors venture into Johnny’s mind to implant memories, they witness key moments in his life and are introduced to his late wife, River. As details about his past are brought to light, his unhappy marriage and his fascination with the moon are both explained. Johnny and River were childhood sweethearts who created their own constellation while looking up at the night sky. The two had agreed to meet on the moon if they ever forgot or were lost. A tragic event made it impossible for Johnny to recall this conversation in real life, and this put strain on their relationship. His last wish wasn’t about going to the moon at all; it was about returning to a time when he and River were happy.

A professional adventuress and poster girl for the “Adventurer’s Society,” Feena wouldn’t even give Justin the time of day when they first met. As Justin grew stronger, Feena’s perception changed. Feena made several attempts to express her true feelings to the clueless moron, but Justin was oblivious to her advances. Any time their relationship was about to progress, Justin would become sidetracked with another adventure. His impulsive nature was infuriating to Feena, but it was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place. This trait ultimately rubbed off on her and helped her become a free spirit. Despite Justin’s naiveté, the two were eventually able to get on the same wavelength. The story had a happy ending and the epilogue revealed that the pair had five children together. Feena got pounded!

Celes Chere is a physically powerful, yet emotionally vulnerable woman who is haunted by her past actions as a General for the Empire. Locke also feels guilty about his past, and blames himself for the death of his girlfriend. The pair are eventually able to put their emotional baggage aside, however, and find strength in each other. There are several romantic gestures in the game – like when Locke rescues Celes from her prison cell – but it’s not clear just how much Celes needs Locke until she found herself alone after the world was nearly destroyed. Celes actually contemplated suicide, but her faith was completely restored when she found Locke’s bandana. The slightest possibility of Locke being alive was enough to completely change her entire outlook on life, and Celes became overwhelmed with optimism.