9. Complete at least one character’s Target Smash challenge
Unlike Super Smash Bros. Melee, Brawl comes with three layers of difficulty in the Target Smash challenge. It’ll extend your Brawl time by at least 20 hours - 20 grueling, mind-numbingly frustrating hours - to complete all three levels for all 35 characters. So we’ll let you off easy and tell you to get through it with just one character - if nothing else, just so you can say you did it.

8. Complete the Home Run Contest with at least five characters
Brawl made this mode harder than it was in Melee by adding a shield around the platform that you’ve got to break by executing a perfect smash on the hapless sandbag. This can lead to frustration, but there’s a savage appeal in smacking that mouthless thing 900 feet out to the wild cheers of a crowd - it’ll get your through at least five characters’ worth and be one less thing you haven’t tried on your Brawl list.

7. Edit a level (no, seriously)
Everyone was going on about this feature when it was first announced - but no one really does it. Sure, you’ve opened up the menu and fumbled around a bit (maybe moaning when you found out you couldn’t completely customize the background), but have you actually sat down, decided what would be fun, made it in the level editor and then played it? We didn’t think so. Get cracking!

(Send us your levels at Wii code - 7609-2353-2917-5081, Brawl code - 5412-9513-8383; we’ll see if they’re worth posting).

6. Play a lag-free online game
Like, when Hell freezes over.
But seriously, here are some tips to minimize lag in your online Brawl.

5. Get all the bonus stuff
You heard us - every CD, every event and every trophy. It’s as close as you’ll get to Xbox Live Achievements, so enjoy it, damnit!

Check out our Brawl guide for a list of trophies, stickers and other assorted extras.

4. Play Pokemon Snap, the Brawl version
Take a picture of every pokemon in the game. So what if none of your friends give a damn. Gotta catch ‘em all!