Yep, it’s that time of year again, when all the stores are decorated red and pink, florists and greeting card stores are bracing for the last second rush and others are still stressing out because they have no idea what to get their special someone for Valentine’s Day.  Now in the spirit of the holiday I’m going to tell you all some great games, retro and current, that are great to play with your significant other.  Most of these games I’ve played with my lovely girlfriend and incase both you and your partner are gamers and are looking for something to play, I got you covered.  Now of course these are only a FEW of the multiplayer games I’ve played with my lady and if you have more please share in the comments.  This also isn’t a list of greatest to weakest but some games that come to mind when we want to play with each other, or against each other.  Hey a little friendly competition doesn’t hurt.

Streets of Rage 2 (For the Sega Genesis)

There’s nothing quite like a beat-em up when you’re playing with someone else, especially if that someone else is your partner in crime.  I’ve never owned a original copy of the game but when I got it on my Genesis Mini, it was one of the first games my girlfriend and I played together.  She didn’t fall for my, “Here play as Tails for me,” when I was playing Sonic 2, she wanted to actually play a game and not just be a bystander.  Streets of Rage fit the bill perfectly.  She and I were clearing levels left and right and we even had some funny moments when we would accidentally hit each other.  Even though I’m listing Streets of Rage, there are TONS of great beat-em ups to play with your partner.  Streets of Rage is the one I’ve played with mine personally.

Cuphead (For Xbox One and Nintendo Switch)

We’ve wanted to play this game ever since it came out but didn’t own a Xbox, so when it came out on the Switch I bought it almost immediately.  Even though this game is a newer one, the style alone gives that great retro feel so it counts in my book.  For those who do not know, Cuphead is hard with a capital H.  It took us quite a while to beat that game and we had to fight bosses over and over again countless times.  So why would I put such a hard game on this little list of mine?  Well because when I was playing Cuphead, we both were looking and watching for patterns, cheering each other on when we got close to finishing off a boss, and trying new strategies on how to fight certain bosses and beat certain levels.  The thrill of getting a knockout together on a boss or level that would give us such a hard time is non other than exhilarating.  Also the victory just feels sweeter when you’re playing with someone you deeply care about.  Of course the game is not for everyone, so if you and your partner are up to the challenge I would highly suggest this title for a great co-op experience.

Pokemon (Practically all of them)

Pokemon has to be possibly the perfect game to play with your better half with your pokemon go account.  The original Game Boy games are great for those who want to catch them all and trade between themselves.  There’s a co-op feature in Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee for the Switch that actually makes the game pretty busted in your favor, all the battles are 2 V 1 in co-op and you have better chances of catching Pokemon with someone else there, but it was fun going through Kanto with my girlfriend.  We have yet to play the older games and hunt down all 150 of the original line up, but there’s also a comforting feeling when two people are playing the same game, talking to each other and seeing how far the other is in the game.

Super Smash Bros. ( All of them)

You can never go wrong with Smash Bros.  Granted it’s a party game but here is a little story for you.  When my girlfriend and I started dating, I would bring my 3DS to her house and play every now and then.  When I got Smash Bros.  for the 3DS, she wanted to play.  It got to the point where she would get mad if I didn’t bring it with me.  I would tell her she should get one so we could play together, but she was coy about it.  I finally got her a 2DS for our 1 year anniversary and our Smash Bros. journey officially began.  Now I don’t know how most couples like playing Smash but we like to change it up every now and again.  With Smash Ultimate we can play so many different ways we don’t get bored.  Also the thing about Smash Ultimate when we first got it was unlocking all the characters.  We would take turns fighting the unlockable characters and when we got them all, we went right back to making rule sets for us to play against each other and when our friends came over.

As I’ve said earlier these are only a small amount of games you can play with your partner.  Heck if they enjoy it they can watch you play single player games if they aren’t much of a gamer themselves.  There were times when my girlfriend would ask me not to play certain games until she got home so she could watch.  Even though I asked if she wanted to start her own save file, she was fine just watching me play.  Some people just like watching others play games, while others love playing games with their partners.  However you enjoy playing games with your special someone, I hope you have (or had depending on when you read this) a great holiday.