Valentine’s Day 2008: A few tender moments between game characters (and gamers)

‘Tis the season for smootchin’ and squeezin’. Sure, that might mean you have to drop your controller for an hour or two and pay attention to your significant other, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any love and romance in videogames.

In my most recent CiN Weekly magazine column (published February 13, 2008), I point out a few of the more romantic moments in videogames, going back to a few including the arcade game Popeye. You have Mario’s eternal quest for some sweet Princess affection, as well as some sultry smootches in the Final Fantasy franchise. A little more recent, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life takes a more direct approach, while Second Life lets you meet other singles through its online interface. Finally, there’s a bit of love in Halo 3, as well as the somewhat sexy yet unnecessarily controversial scenes in Mass Effect.

There are, of course, a few other articles out there that pair love and videogames:

• GameZone has an article from 2007
• Desructoid also goes back a year with a look at love in games
• ClassicGaming goes old school with a multiparter
• There’s also Gamespot’s uber-pink romantic retrospective from who knows when (complete with improperly coded image files)

You certainly must have your own romantic gaming experiences. Do you snuggle alone with your joystick or have you found a videogame you and your loved one can play together? Do share…

Read [CiN Weekly] Also Read [GameZone] Also Read [Destructoid] Also Read [Classic Gaming] Also Read [Gamespot]