WHO PUSHES YOUR BUTTONS — WHAT WOULD POPULAR GAMING CHARACTERS’ DATING PROFILES LOOK LIKE?

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, people around the world are struggling to meet significant others due to restrictions, social distancing measures, and usual hotspots, such as bars and clubs, being shut.

Due to this, online dating sites and apps have seen record numbers of users, with Tinder seeing a 15% daily growth, and Hinge seeing almost 5m downloads during the first half of 2020, double the number from the previous year.

Pixels seeking partners

It’s not just us normal folk who are struggling to find love — so have those who come from far more distant lands, including the Mushroom Kingdom, Los Santos, Hyrule and the Nora Territory.

Most video game characters have been too busy to find love. Jill Valentine has been plagued by zombies for the better part of three decades, with little option for any down time. Sonic has been running tirelessly through loops, casinos and temples, without so much as stopping for a breather, let alone a candlelit meal with a potential love.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, geek culture website FandomSpot has introduced the world of internet dating to popular video game characters, to help them find love during lockdown in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, which you can view here. What type of person would pipe-hopping Italian plumber Mario seek after defeating Bowser? Who does Lara Croft want to join her in her big, empty, Surrey-based mansion? Would Aloy want to be shot by Cupid’s arrow, instead of shooting at machines?

Swipe right?

Once our unlucky in love characters have found a match, there is still the challenge of finding the best way of dating, especially with social distancing still preventing us from getting together.

Perhaps Master Chief could arrange a holographic date (whilst still not removing his helmet of course), or Link could use his Sheikah Slate to get to know a potential beau from Kakariko Village.

We all deserve a shot at love

If finding love wasn’t already hard enough, the pandemic has thrown additional obstacles to further dampen our efforts. Luckily, online dating gives us—video game characters included—an opportunity to find our perfect partner, despite the many hurdles we all currently face.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now even Master Chief has a chance of finding love.