With the November 16 release of Animal Crossing: City Folk right around the corner, fans of catching butterflies and decorating their homes are gearing up for the fun. How's Nintendo celebrating? By asking you to humiliate your pet on the Internet. 

Nintendo is giving fans the chance to become part of the exclusive "Welcome Waggin' Committee," of which all members will receive a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak microphone, and access to "exclusive" information about the game. To win, you'll simply have to put your pet in a costume -- your dog can be ballerina, your cat can become Link, your hedgehog can like Mario -- and submit it at www.WelcomeWagginContest.com. (Note: The Web site doesn't currently seem to be live.)

50 photos will be chosen and posted online, so while not everyone can win, at least the rest of us can blow our lunch breaks "awwwing" and "ooohing" over pictures of dogs dressed like Blackula.

Nintendo News: Animal Crossing Costume Contest Gives Fans a Chance to Win Prizes, Exclusive Info

Fans of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing^™ franchise are some of the most loyal in the world. To reward them for their devotion to these community-building games and to get players fired up for the Nov. 16 release of Animal Crossing^™: City Folk for Nintendo’s Wii^™ console, Nintendo is hosting an outrageous animal costume contest.

Critter lovers can show their creativity by submitting the most original images of animals dressed in costumes or even as characters from the hit video game franchise Animal Crossing. The entrants of the top 50 photos in the “Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest” will win membership to the exclusive Welcome Waggin’ Committee. All committee members will receive a Wii video game system, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak™ microphone, access to exclusive information about the game and more.

Expanding on the popularity of the Animal Crossing series, Animal Crossing: City Folk lets every member of the household partake in the fun of a unique animal-filled town. Players use the simple controls of the wireless Wii Remote^™ controller to customize their own characters and surroundings. And for the first time, players can take their adventure to the city, complete with shopping and theater excursions. It’s also the first game to make use of the Wii Speak microphone, a new accessory that enables players to use voice chat over a broadband Internet connection. The Wii Speak microphone is sold separately.

Daily photo picks and details about the “Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest” will be posted at www.WelcomeWagginContest.com. Entries will be accepted Oct. 27 - Nov. 16. For more information about Animal Crossing: City Folk, please visit www.Animal-Crossing.com or contact: