A couple of months ago, I got an email asking me if I was interested in becoming a “Brand Enthusiast” for the Nintendo DS Lite. While I’ve never been someone who goes out of her way to play video games, when the opportunity to play things like Tetris or Sudoku come my way, I have a hard time saying no (typically I get hopelessly addicted, to the point where when I lay down to go to sleep at night, I see the game pieces or playing boards on the backs of my eyelids). I accepted the offer and signed on to be a DS Lite cheerleader for the next year.

They sent me my very own DS Lite (embellished with a heart made out of pink rhinestones) and asked me to invite 20-30 of my best girlfriends to a party, at which they’d learn how to play an assortment of DS games. This party happened about a week ago (I’ve been meaning to write about it for a while now) and was held in a gorgeous loft space on 2nd Street, right at the point where Old City starts to become Northern Liberties. There were five young women who worked for Nintendo’s marketing company at the party who knew the games intimately and helped my friends and me work our way through Brain Age 2, Nintendogs, Mario Kart and Crosswords. We were each given a bracelet and when we had played each game, we got a corresponding charm to show that we been at that station. There was also a delicious spread of food, champagne and red and white wine.

It was a really delightful evening, where friends from all areas of my life got a chance to meet each other. At the end of the night, when we’d eaten up nearly all the food and had a working knowledge of all the games, the guides who had helped us all learn the ropes of the games handed everyone a brand new DS Lite and a copy of Brain Age 2.

I took a bunch of pictures that night and you can find them here. Roz took some as well and they are here.