While Valentine’s Day may bring dinners at fancy restaurants, romantic movies, sappy cards and other forms of lovin’, why shouldn’t your games get some action? They spend all year making you happy; why not give them something special for the lovingest day of the year? Unfortunately, feeding your Gamecube champagne and strawberries will, at the very least, void your warranty, so what can you do?

Make the most of the day and play a game that you and your significant other will enjoy! You’ll get to enjoy your games and enjoy the company of your special someone. These also eliminate the need to get reservations at restaurants and endure other couples’ tongue wrestling at the movies.

In no particular order, here are some of the best games to play with your loved one.

Guitar Hero (PS2), Donkey Konga (Gamecube), or Karaoke Revolution (PS2 or Xbox): What better way to celebrate togetherness than play a game that allows applause? Guitar Hero and Donkey Konga both provide ample opportunities to wow your better half and are accessible to all players. Karaoke Revolution is also very playable and has some good love songs with which to serenade that certain someone. Avoid Dance Dance Revolution for the sheer fact that all the jumping and movement could tire both of you out, leaving little chance for physical stuff later on.

Super Mario Bros 3 (NES): A classic in its own right, it gets even more fun with two players. Team up to beat the Koopa clan and beat levels your valentine can’t. Plus the budding romance of Mario and Princess Toadstool will surely warm both of your hearts.

The Sims 2 (PC): This game is especially good for people who want to avoid doing the nasty on Valentine’s Day. Make your digital clones (that’s still legal), have them fall in love and do the horizontal bop. Watch your Sim counterparts age together and eventually kick the bucket together. It’s also a good way to see if your current love is worth keeping.

The Adventures of Cookie and Cream (PS2): A simple game, but a great cooperative experience. You have to work together to clear obstacles and complete levels. The characters are also cute, but not in the disgusting way of that “I wuv you beary beary much” card you got last year.

You Don’t Know Jack (PS or PC): A trivia game that will show you how much useless information your special someone knows. It’s incredibly entertaining and filled with numerous sexual innuendos, including the always popular “Screw Your Neighbor” option. I don’t think I need to explain what idea that could give.

Fatal Frame 1 or 2 (PS2 or Xbox): The scariest games ever made guarantee your loved one will be snuggling against you the entire time. In fact, they’re so scary, you’re guaranteed to have an entire night together, if just for safety’s sake. Actually, make that a week.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 (PS2 or Xbox): The couple who slays together, stays together. Kill numerous fantastic creatures, collect treasures, and maybe even buy things for each other. Nothing says “I love you” like a new sword or sexy suit of armor.

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (Xbox or PC): Probably the dirtiest game yet released on consoles, this game will surely get you thinking about doing unspeakable things to your sweetie. From spanking to shooting lewd pictures, this game is filled to the brim with sexual ideas. It’s also amazingly funny, which nicely complements its dirty aspects.

MLB Slugfest 2004 (PS2 or Xbox) or Hot Shots Golf: Fore! (PS2): Competitive sports games are almost guaranteed to piss someone off and thus ruin your happy day, but these two avoid that problem. Both are simple to play and throw most realism out the window. Plus Hot Shots Golf has a mini-golf course, in case you can’t get to one where you live (MSU students, this means you).

LEGO Star Wars (Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube): Yet another game that is simple and entertaining. It’s action packed, encourages cooperation, and gives you unlimited lives, eliminating the anger of getting shot by a LEGO-built Battle Droid. The pantomiming of the LEGO characters is also better than listening to the love scenes in Episodes II and III.

Best of luck to all of you controller-wielding Casanovas out there!