Traditionally, video gaming has been a male-dominated activity. Characterized by a group of dorky guys playing together into the wee hours of the morning, it isn’t exactly what most women would consider “fun.”

Recent trends show the core gaming demographic swinging slightly in favor of females, as more games appeal to the once-neglected sex. Game developers are realizing the untapped audience that women represent, creating games sans the busty babes and scantily clad vixens.

With love in the air after V-day, we at Nerd Alert thought it appropriate to bring attention to games that bring couples together. While the famed “Rez Trance Vibrator” didn’t make this list, rest assured it is a great component to any healthy gaming relationship.

And now, we give you the games that make us swoon. Enjoy at your own risk — being beaten by a girl isn’t the most enjoyable activity. But we wouldn’t know anything about that.

DDR
The ultimate in party games, “Dance Dance Revolution” is one of the best games to play with a significant other. Game play involves stepping on a dance mat in synch with commands displayed onscreen.

The high level of interactivity lends itself to fast and energetic action, as well as easily accessible gaming. Girls love dancing and are fast to embrace the sometimes-coordinated fun that is DDR.

Between the always-busy machine in Memorial Union and the ubiquity of mats found in college apartments and dorm rooms, DDR is reaching almost cult status. Surely having a facebook group dedicated to DDR says something about the games’ levels of popularity.

Guys looking to fine-tune their dance moves can practice up in the confines of their own home before testing them out at the club. Then again, maybe stomping awkwardly around a dance floor isn’t the best method of showing one’s skills.

Any Mario Game
Mario has long been a ladies’ man. From his humble beginnings saving damsels from a controlling ape (something most women may be able to identify with), Mario has appealed to everyone regardless of gender.

Maybe it’s his moustache. Or could it be those saucy overalls? It certainly isn’t his career choice, as plumber/hero didn’t make any recent “power” lists.

What Mario does deliver is a constant barrage of easily accessible and overall fun gaming experiences. Utilizing user-friendly controls and effortless game play, anyone can pick up a controller and feel fairly proficient doing it.

The beauty of any Mario game is that while controls and game play seem quite simple on the surface, skilled gamers can appreciate how deep it truly goes. This means that a veteran gamer and a digital virgin can sit down together to play a game and both take away an enjoyable experience from it.

Better yet, the newbie stands a decent chance of beating the veteran a few times, which translates to none of the ridiculous arguments that can arise from gaming with a loved one.

So blame the cute-factor of the characters or the easiness of these games if you like, but the reason that anyone can enjoy a Mario game is a testament to its near-flawless game play.

Final Fantasy Series
Sometimes, there is nothing better than making a bowl of popcorn, sitting back on the couch and just spending the night in, huddled around the television. However, rather than watching what’s on the TiVo or a DVD, anyone in search of great drama and even better storytelling need look no further than Square-Enix’s masterful series known only as Final Fantasy.

With the release of its 12th iteration coming sometime later this year, Final Fantasy stands alone, providing players with some of the most epic tales ever told via a console system. The gameplay during fights is mostly strategic and easy to learn, and is usually the secondary reason for anyone playing through the game.

Why are these such great games for couples? Because you don’t really ‘play’ them as much as you watch. Each game’s story stands apart as a completely unique adventure, essentially a 40-plus hour movie with plots that’ll both excite any fan of action, while simultaneously capable of moving many a gamer to tears.

Kingdom Hearts
If there is one thing about women that I have surmised over the entire course of my life, that I could define as a nearly universal constant in the universe, it would be one simple statement: they love Disney.

Which characters are the favorites will differ from person to person, but nearly everyone has their own, personal favorite — be it a character from “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Little Mermaid,” someone likely stands out.

And, most likely, their favorite can be found in the title “Kingdom Hearts,” a collaboration between Square-Enix and Disney. Combining characters from the famed Final Fantasy series (notice any patterns here?) with virtually every famous Disney character, “Kingdom Hearts” tells the tale of the young boy Sora, voiced by Haley Joel Osment, as he seeks to discover his destiny. Finding assistance from Donald Duck and Goofy, Sora travels between the different Disney worlds seeking to save them from the Disney baddies conspiring against our heroes.

In the opinion of one girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, “Fighting along side Daffy Duck brought my respect for him up to a 10 — he still rocks my world just like he did when I was eight.”

See that guys? This game rocks their worlds.

Ryan Gauthier ([email protected]) and Zach Stern ([email protected]) are hopelessly addicted to all that encompasses video games. Zach is currently playing blah blah blah blah. Ryan finally finished up “Resident Evil 4” and is presently on the market.