Sure to please horticulturists and activists alike, it was today announced that Gardening Mama has now shipped for the Nintendo DS and should be available in stores across North America soon. The latest game in the Mama series (which includes the Wii and DS Cooking Mama titles), Gardening Mama takes the titular guru out of the kitchen and lets her get her hands dirty. Using the DS stylus and touch screen, players can plant and raise close to forty different fruits, vegetables and flowers, with plenty of side activities – such as making preserves and carving pumpkins – to enjoy along the way. Also featuring a multiplayer aspect, players can compete against friends to grow the biggest garden and also trade their produce with others online. For more information on Gardening Mama for the Nintendo DS, be sure to check out the official press release below:

EDISON, N.J., March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Mama steps out of the kitchen and into the great outdoors to work her magic as Majesco Entertainment Company (Nasdaq: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced that Gardening Mama for Nintendo DS has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Developed by Cooking Mama Limited, the team that created the award-winning Cooking Mama franchise that has sold 3.7 million units domestically, Gardening Mama stars the iconic culinary cutie in the first ever gardening game and the first brand offshoot for the series.

"Gardening is a perfect fit for the Mama brand and we believe the legions of Cooking Mama fans will love Mama's new green thumb," said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. "Gardening Mama includes the same accessible gameplay mechanic as the Cooking Mama series but layers in an entirely new subject matter that all ages and genders will appreciate."

Gardening Mama transforms the stylus into a universal gardening tool that players will use to plant, nurture and harvest 37 different varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Gamers can manage their garden through the seeding, blooming and maturation phases, and then produce items from the plants they've grown. A robust multiplayer mode lets up to four friends compete to grow the biggest harvest and Treasure Box mode lets players share items they've grown with online friends. In addition, players can change Mama's outfit to their liking while customizing the screen design to their preference.

Gardening Mama for Nintendo DS is rated E for Everyone and is available now for the suggested retail price of $29.99. Gamers anxious to get growing can download a playable demo currently in approximately 10,000 Nintendo kiosks at major retailers nationwide.