Firstly, there’s of course Princess Peach and Mario. Since Super Mario Brothers' release on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mario has devoted himself to rescuing Peach from King Bowser's tyranny. Peach's presence in most Mario games arguably makes these two the most recognisable video game couple. However, in recent years with the release of The Super Mario Bros movie (2023) and her playability within games such as Super Mario Wonder, it is evident that Peach is no longer just Mario’s damsel in distress, but a confident princess who isn’t reliant on a 'short-king' plumber to come rescue her.
Personally, one of the best video game relationships that had me connected to the characters is Arno and Elise from the game Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Their connection goes back to when they were kids and messing with the guards in a courtyard, as Elise was the heir to a wealthy fortune. What I love about the relationship though is you see these characters truly grow together with Arno working his way up through the ranks of Assassin and butting heads with Elise as she joins the Templars. But, once both characters realise their rival beliefs are both corrupted, they band together to avenge Elise’s father, tragically resulting in Elise’s passing in a harrowing and emotional death sequence.
Finally, mentioning Mario necessitates mentioning his rival, Sonic. Now most people would think of Sonic and Amy. However, I believe that the dynamic that the two other characters display is much more loving. Those characters are Blaze the Cat and Silver the Hedgehog. Both come from an alternate dystopian future tasked with stopping the end of the world, this couple seems almost inseparable within the Sonic franchise. For example, when Silver travels back in time, his first response isn’t to see if it works but rather to call out for his partner Blaze. The franchise has not yet officially confirmed this couple, but it's clear these two heroes are much more than just friends.