http://www.rpgfan.com/features/Our_Favorite_RPG_Couples/index.html
+1. My favorite was Zell and Library Girl.
And I have to give it up to Tifa for being A++ girlfriend material for Cloud. Tifa kept the 24-7 vigil with Cloud while he was a vegetable in the hospital after his mako poisoning. She was probably helping feed him, bathe him, change his bedpan (or diapers), and all of that. And she did it without complaint, because she loved him. That a girl will stand by a guy during something like that shows intense dedication and Tifa's strength of character. She's not a "fair weather" girlfriend who'd run when things get tough. And that she's willing to work on a relationship with a headcase like Cloud- most women would run away screaming from a guy with that many psychological and emotional problems. Tifa didn't. That's love. That's dedication. That's strength. Sure Tifa dresses sexy and has basketball boobs, but if you look past all that, you'll find an amazing woman who's way better than what that spiky haired freak deserves.
This for sure. I actually never really liked the Aeris/Cloud pairing because I felt Tifa got him more and she was willing to face his shit with him and be there for him. I don't doubt that Cloud like Aeris more, I thought that much was obvious, but that's sort of a "dead" dream now (ooh burn). I'd like to hope for CloudFa in the future!
Estelle and Joshua were goddamn adorbz. The entire 'Finale' chapter of TitS was extremely well done and very sad.... and probably the MEANEST cliff hanger we've been stuck with given the poor state of things with that series and it's Bible-sized script that gives translators nightmares.
Estelle and Yuri, though not necessarily romantic, was one of my favorite couples. I tend to groan with how "well" Tales games handle romance -- usually in the most uninteresting "childhood friends" approach (though I did like Tear and Luke's development). Anyways, Estelle and Yuri come from opposite ends of the socio-political spectrum... she's a well-to-do princess facing tough decisions while her people need her, and he's a free-roaming peasant who helps people but gets none of the cred (that consistently goes to Flynn instead). They understood each other anyways and never judged one another but understood one another for everything else they had to offer. They never kiss, they hug, but nothing else implied.... nonetheless, I thought their relationship was effective and nicely developed.
Celes and Locke. One of the earlier gaming romances I've seen and thought was "cute" (Cecil and Rosa were too easy and too obvious). Between Locke's baggage and Celes being freed by him and finding her reason to live through him (not for love but as a sign of 'hope' that people are alive in a ruined world) was surprisingly poignant.
Fuck it...
Joel and Ellie/ Nier and Yonah (US ver. :P )
I know it's gross to put this here, but I mean it as in the parent/child dynamic is highly under-utilized and under-appreciated as a whole and probably a dynamic that makes more sense as to "how far you'd go for someone". It's not romance, but certainly a better depiction of true love on a whole other level.
Garnet and Zidane. FFIX
C'mon! Too good! It was tacked on, but it did a great job. I loved the reversals we kept seeing too. Classic thief/princess story; but i loved Zidane's pursuits for being both comical, but in the end quite honest. Despite being a flirt, he gets really bummed out when his time with Garnet is separated by her return to active Princess-duty. While Garnet really didn't react much or walked away from his passes, later on she starts asking the questions and looking up to Zidane. Nothing wrong with Zidane's loss of faith on Terra and return to reality too; I thought that was a great chance to see a more human-side of a character that's greatly dimensional than paper-thin. People get happy, people get sad. In the end, love triumphed.
Link w/ everyone
Boy is a P-I-M-P.
Every woman in those games throw Link a "do me" vibe. Fuck, even fish people.
