For decades, Nintendo has delighted players around the world with its varied cast of colorful characters. Among this pantheon of gaming, there have been numerous iconic romantic pairings, many of which have transcended gaming.
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Some of these are only ever implied in the actual games, often teasing fans with the promise of eventual romance. Others are well-established couples within the universe of the games. Some of these couples are tied together by destiny, while others have met through happenstance. Either way, these are the iconic couples that drive fans wild and have launched countless ships.
The romantic relationship between Mario and Princess Peach is a classic tale of overcoming class divides. Even though one is a working-class plumber and the other is a monarch in charge of ruling an entire kingdom, the two's relationship has become the stuff of video game legend.
Granted, players have never actually seen the two of them officially become a couple, though Princess Peach has given Mario numerous romantic gestures, usually consisting of a kiss on the nose or cheek as a reward for rescuing her. Mario has proven to be more than receptive to these gestures, to the point of even proposing to Peach at the end of Super Mario Odyssey. However, she ultimately turned him down. Despite this, it is plain as a pikestaff that the two are crazy about each other.
This one is a bit more obscure as the two characters have only ever been seen together in Mario spinoff titles. Nonetheless, the interactions that the two of them have had together make it clear that they are romantically involved. The biggest proof of this lies in Daisy Circuit in Mario Kart Wii, where Daisy has apparently commissioned a giant statue of the two of them dancing together. While players might not get to see much of it, the love between the cowardly plumber and the foreign monarch from Sarasaland appears to be strong.
One of the few examples of a Nintendo couple who start off in a relationship before the events of the game. It is clear that the two of them make an amazing team, each possessing abilities and skills that complement the other. Dixie Kong even gets to rescue Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. It is clear that the two of them share many similar interests. Nothing says romance like a night of beating the snot out of Kremings together.
One look at these two apes, and it is clear that they are absolutely bananas for each other. Compared to Dixie Kong, Candy plays a more supportive role for her man, originally operating the save barrel stations in Donkey Kong Country before then teaching the Kongs how to use various musical instruments in Donkey Kong 64. It is very common for Candy to openly flirt with DK in any game that she appears in, and it is clear that Donkey Kong reciprocates those feelings.
Link has been sought after by many women throughout the course of the Zelda series, but throughout his many lifetimes, he has always been drawn, time and time again, to the eponymous princess. Seemingly tied together by fate, Link and Zelda's relationship is the classic tale of a beautiful princess and her dashing knight errant.
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Though the two have never officially become a couple in any of the games, nearly all incarnations of the two have been heavily implied to have romantic feelings for each other. This is perhaps most prevalent in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which features plenty of romantic tension between the two.
For the most part, the couples on this list feature at least one major Nintendo character. However, the love story between Anju and Kafei, which was the subject of what is quite possibly the greatest side quest in the series' history, is so iconic that it needed to be here. Theirs is a tale of overcoming adversity at the very end of the world. After being cursed by Skullkid and turned into a child only a few days before his wedding, Kafei went into hiding, too ashamed to let his love see him.
Link must ultimately help the two of them communicate with each other, as well as help Kafei find the stolen mask that is needed for their marriage ceremony. This side quest takes place across the entire 3-day cycle of Majora's Mask, ultimately culminating with the two of them reuniting and embracing just minutes before the world is destroyed. An absolutely beautiful story that is only possible through the medium of video games.
The romantic relationship between Fox McCloud and Krystal is somewhat tempestuous, to say the least. They would first meet in Star Fox Adventures, and it was immediately clear that there existed strong romantic chemistry between the two of them. After a short stint as a pilot in Star Fox Assault, things would go sour between Fox and Krystal, resulting in her leaving and joining Star Wolf instead. Depending on the ending that players get in Star Fox Command, it is possible for the two to reconcile and end up getting married and having a son together.
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