10 Games your mother (or grandmother) would love

Mother’s Day is this Sunday (May 9, 2010), and there’s just enough time to get out there and pick something special up for your mother, grandmother or wife. While cards and flowers are nice, a game is just as thoughtful – especially since it’ll last longer. So in honor of the forthcoming special occasion, I’ve put together a brief list of games which might appeal to them and work well as gifts.

Now you’re probably asking how I would know a mother, or grandmother, would love these games. Well, I have done extensive research (I asked my mother and my mother’s friends – some of whom are grandmothers) what games they love. Yes, all mothers are unique and special with their own tastes, but there’s still a good chance that yours might have similar tastes.

• Animal Crossing (GameCube, DS, Wii): There’s something about being able to live a virtual life, in a cute world, where the ultimate goal is to talk with neighbors and do little things that make you happy, that appeals to gamers. Animal Crossing has long been a known and respected “Mom Game.”
• Harvest Moon: Animal Parade (Wii): I don’t know about you, but every female member of my family over the age of 30 plays Farmville. Or Farm Town. Or one of the other farming simulations on Facebook. My mom joined Facebook just so she could play Farm Town. So take it a step further and pick up Harvest Moon for your mom or grandma. I recommend Harvest Moon: Animl Parade, because it’s the best in the series so far, but any incarnation of Harvest Moon will do. Your loved one will appreciate the fact that she won’t need neighbors to make her farm expand or have to wait days to harvest crops.
• Kingdom Hearts (PS2): Think of Kingdom Hearts as the perfect way to ease your mother or grandmother into the world of action games and RPGs. It has familiar characters, an endearing story and fairly simple controls. I mean, who doesn’t love Disney?
• Spore (Windows, Mac): Spore is a classic computer game, and the way it progresses offers variety and customization. The different stages of the species evolution follow a natural progression and will keep the gamer interested, even if she isn’t fond of certain genres. Plus, there’s loads of replay value.
• Katamari Forever (PS3): Everybody loves Katamari Damacy. It’s a given. So the most stylish and colorful incarnation would be a perfect gift!
• Rock Band (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360): Rock Band makes a perfect gift because the music library is so extensive. Your mother or grandmother will probably be able to find many of her favorite songs in the catalog to play along with. Plus, there’s always The Beatles: Rock Band.
• Mario Kart Wii (Wii): The Mario Kart series of games are always entertaining and beloved by the masses. Mario Kart Wii is a great choice due to the large character roster, substantial number of tracks and multiplayer. Make your mother’s day – let her blow up your character with a blue shell at the last second so she can take first place.
• Squishy Tank (DS): This one I’m actually adding at the insistance of my mother, who said it deserved a spot on the list once she learned I was compiling a list of games for moms. It’s a recent DS puzzle release, where you must eliminate certain quotas of colored boxes in groups of three or more. When you see a group, you tap it to eliminate it. There are multiple game modes, plus cute story segments starring adorable, squish-able, cartoon tanks.
• Fighting games where button mashers can win: I don’t know if there’s some kind of special programming embedded into fighting games, but over and over again I have seen competent players fall victim to button-mashing matriarchs. I recommend Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) and

Soul Calibur IV (PS3, Xbox 360).

• Hidden Object Games: Almost any female gamer, over the age of 30, would appreciate a well-made hidden object game. Trust me. (Those under 30 might too!) And, the older the woman, the more likely she is to appreciate it. I have no idea why it is, but it just works that way.