Valentine’s Day is so often about romantic love that sometimes we forget about the other kinds of love. Friendship and familial love are among them, but perhaps the most important is brotherly love — the type of male bonding that we all know and love. That’s right, the “”bromance”” rules the roost of close bonds, and even video games respect them. So, I proudly present to you the Best Virtual Bromances of All Time.
Master Chief and the Arbiter (Halo)
While considered a fierce enemy in the first game of the Halo trilogy, the Arbiter and his Elites eventually join forces with Master Chief and the Marines to combat a greater evil. For much of the last game in the trilogy, Master Chief and the Arbiter are teammates, and the interrelationship between the two is one of the most compelling stories of the series. These guys make my list simply because when you join forces to wage an epic interstellar war against an extremely powerful enemy, you know you’ve looked past your egos and made a friendship for the common good.
Dom and Marcus (Gears of War)
When an unknown race burrows up from beneath your planet’s crust to destroy all humanity, look no further than your best friend for hope. Marcus starts the series forgotten and left to rot in prison before Dom shows up to give him a second chance. As the two games progress, the player learns about the deep bond these two men share. Hundreds of bloody headshots and disgusting chainsaw kills only serve to strengthen the relationship between the macho men. They may be gruff, but when your wife is kidnapped by the Locust, there couldn’t be a better pair around to help you out.
Mario and Luigi (Super Mario Bros.)?
These classic guys win the award for originality because it takes a special kind of friendship to convince your brother to plumb toilets with you. This ‘shroom-enhanced world filled with Goombas, fire flowers and a princess in distress makes it that much more trying. However, Mario and Luigi never complain because they know that as long as they have each other, they can save Peach every time without fail. Now that’s true dedication.
Ken and Ryu (Street Fighter)?
When you take the world’s two best martial artists and have them fight hundreds of thousands of player-chosen matchups, what kind of relationship would you expect them to have? Rather than be mortal enemies forever locked in combat, these two have wisely chosen to form a compelling friendship based on mutual respect. You’ll never miss the grin on their faces when they’re chosen to fight one another in versus mode, and this remains one huge reason to keep players coming back to this classic fight again and again. Hadoken!
Niko Bellic and Cousin Roman (Grand Theft Auto IV)?
This estranged family relationship gets even worse when Roman, an immigrant to America, promises Niko riches and women beyond his wildest dreams if he moves to Liberty City and stays with him. Upon Niko’s arrival, he discovers that not only is Roman not rich, but he is in trouble with crime and gambling. What follows is a true 30-hour crime epic the likes of which we haven’t seen since “”The Godfather.”” It takes extreme compassion to forgive family for getting you into so much trouble, but Niko and Roman defy the odds on their way to discovering how a life of crime can cost you your soul.
Valentine’s Day looms ahead, and it is important to remember that even if you don’t have the traditional “”special someone,”” there is likely someone else waiting to love you. Whether it be someone with whom you share mutual respect, family or your best friend who steals your head shots, there’s a good chance someone out there is waiting for your phone call on this Feb. 14. If these distraught characters can find time for people they love, so can you — even if the human race faces inevitable destruction.
