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…

The North American and European Animal Crossing: CIty Folk free downloadable content famine is over! Nintendo has decided that the best way for AC:CF players to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is to dole out free Shamrock Hats to all.

It’s incredibly easy to obtain your own Shamrock Hat. First, connect your Wii to the internet. It’s a fairly easy process – just have your WiFi connection’s security code handy and start the connection wizard under the internet section of the Wii Settings menu. Then, set WiiConnect24 to on for your system. Finally, log in as your character between March 17 and 30, 2009. Pete the mailman will be waiting your character’s front door with a very special letter from Nintendo!

There’s only one Shamrock Hat per character, so don’t expect Pete to come around multiple times with a freebie. It is catalog orderable – you can pick up a spare at your local Nook’s…

Didn’t have a good Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. After all, I’m sure quite a few of us spent the day doing commonplace, unromantic things. It happens.

No Valentine means no love-gone-wrong. That’s right – it isn’t all roses, hearts and puppies. Love hurts sometimes, and relationships can go sour. To help those who didn’t have someone special this year, Gamertell’s put together a list of nine failed video game couples. It’s better being single than having an ex like this. We’re going through the failed relationships starting with somewhat unpleasant aftershocks, leading up to heinous reactions…

Dear Nintendo,

I love Animal Crossing: City Folk. Really I do. Collecting gyroids, fishing for bells, harvesting fruit for bells, selling secondhand furniture/carpet/wallpaper for bells – its good stuff.

But you’ve messed up and you need to set things right.

First of all, I’m tired of living in the Sahara…

How does Nintendo reward Japanese players and also hype up the rerelease of a beloved GameCube game? It releases free downloadable content (dlc) for Animal Crossing: City Folk players! The first ever download dlc for Animal Crossing: City Folk is a hat labeled red Pikmin. When worn, it makes the character look, well, like a red Pikmin from the Pikmin games.

If you’re looking for the hat, many users on Animal Crossing: City Folk forums are offering to sell or give away the item. According to information on Zyetendo, you can’t hack the game to get the item – you must first actually acquire the item before you hack to acquire it. Hacking isn’t necessary though. If you can get your hands on a red Pikmin hat (like I did), it is immediately added to your catalog…

Do you find the official Animal Crossing: City Folk clothing from Gracie Grace and the Able Sisters a bit lacking? Or perhaps you want an avatar who stands out in the crowd. I understand. I do.

I’ve taken quite a shine to the Pro Design system and find it entertaining to create patterns based on all kinds of different real and imaginary characters. I especially love making outfits based on video game character clothes, and, after becoming slightly obsessed with Persona 4, decided to start making some Animal Crossing: City Folk attire based on that game.

So today, Gamertell’s offering up an illustrated guide designed to not only to teach people how to make Chie Satonaka’s casual Persona 4 outfit but also to act as a sort of introductory guide to making your own clothes and patterns based on reference images…

With the recent release of Animal Crossing: City Folk, its likely that a lot of players are encountering the series for the first time. After all, the Wii may be the first gaming console for many people, and so these players may be unfamiliar with the tips and tricks Animal Crossing veterans may have developed throughout Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World to get by.

So, after exhaustive playing over the past two weeks (my house is already two stories), we’ve put together a list of five tips that might help you do better in Animal Crossing: City Folk. Hopefully, after reading, you’ll find it a bit easier to handle and manage your new virtual life…

Title: Animal Crossing: City FolkPrice: $49.99, $69.99 with WiiSpeakSystem(s): WiiRelease Date: November 16, 2008Publisher (Developer): Nintendo (Nintendo)ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Comic MischiefPros: Works with the Nintendo WiFi Connection for visitors, like Wild World, has a city area you can visit to have easy access to items and people, large town environment to explore, you can update your town with bridges and a fountain, there are special Pro outfit designs and player houses aren’t clustered together.Cons: Town visitors don’t come as often, there’s only the Wii remote/nunchuk control scheme, houses can only expand to three rooms and Gracie Grace stock only changes every season.Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 88/100; B+; ***1/2 out of 5

There are two kinds of people who are going to be buying Animal Crossing: City Folk. The first are the ones who love casual or simulation games, but have never owned an Animal Crossing title before. The second are adamant Animal Crossing fans who own every entry in the series, and are eager to build up a whole new town and life on their Wii.

These two groups of people will love City Folk, and will likely spend hours developing their perfect town. Players who don’t fit into either of these two groups will likely criticize City Folk for its minor improvements and adjustments. It is a delightful entry in the series though, and should provide hours of entertainment if you’re willing to invest the necessary time and effort into it…

Nintendo wants to see your pet. Not as your pet really is though, but as your pet could be. A big costume contest is being held in honor of Animal Crossing: City Folk from October 27 to November 16, 2008. All you have to do to enter is dress up your favorite pet and send the image off to Nintendo. (You can dress them up as Nintendo or Animal Crossing characters if you wish, but it isn’t mandatory.) The owners of the 50 winning pictures will receive a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk with Wii Speak, a Wii and special information on Animal Crossing: City Folk.

An official website for the Welcome Waggin Committee contest is also scheduled to open. However, as of 11:37pm, October 27, 2008, the website address leads to a dead end. Hopefully, this will be fixed within a day or so. This website will probably be the location for the 50 pictures of the contest winners…

It’s nice to see the DS-Wii connectivity feature being put to good use. Nintendo revealed at the E3 2008 Nintendo Developers’ Roundtable that Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk will be compatible. Players with both games will be able to transfer their characters and possessions to the Wii version of the game, if they so desire.

Nintendo Everything reports that it may be possible for Wii owners without Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to still send their characters to friends’ Animal Crossing: City Folk towns. Allegedly, people will be able to use DS units and Animal Crossing: Wild World to transfer Animal Crossing: City Folk data to a friend’s Wii.