A is for... Assist Trophies
Brawl's mishmash of historic gaming figures stretches far beyond the playable roles. Not content with the already hugely impressive lineup, Nintendo have included various assist trophies that, when used, take the guise of different characters and lend a hand mid-bout. Figures like Mr Resetti (mwa-ha-ha) will be joined by retro heroes Little Mac, and Sin And Punishment's Saki Is-it-a-boy-or-is-it-a-girl1 Amamiya.
B is for... Bowser
Bowser's Final Smash is the most impressive move of the whole lot - transforming the monster into Giga Bowser and sending him on a rampage like he's Gamera's evil uncle just escaped from Jurassic Park. BOWSER SMASH!
C is for... Coin launcher
While dumping coins into a random dispenser is all well and good, we always wanted to do a little more to earn those trophies. Enter: coin launcher. It's a minigame that requires you to shoot the ones you want to collect. Much better.
D is for... Diddy Kong
We asked for it, Nintendo provided it. Finally. FINALLY! A chance to smash his face in once and for all. Note to all game developers: a Diddy Kong pummelling minigame in your product may entitle you to an instant 5% score bonus. Possibly more.
E is for... Excitebike
When the Excitebike racers are unleashed, the rules go out the window, and you must stay aloft unless you want to die. We're all for tactical matches, but it's impossible not to smile when a spanner like this is thrown into the works.
F is for... Fludd
Let's be honest now: while we all have fond memories of Mario wa-hooing his way across Delfino Plaza, the majority of Mario Sunshine simply couldn't hold a candle to the FLUDDless sections. So why are we looking forward to it? Because the vertically-challenged plumber will be a better fighter for it. At last, E Gadd's invention has finally found its place in the Mario universe.
G is for... Gambling
Brawl just keeps on giving. Most games have nothing to offer when your fingers have been reduced to bloody stumps, but Spectator mode allows you to watch Wi-Fi battles and gamble on the outcome. You'll even get some stickers if you lose. We just know that our fingers will crumple at some point, so during recovery we'll make a fortune by betting against Matthew.
H is for... Home-run contest
When you're tired of fighting... No, scratch that. When your eyes can no longer handle the retina-bursting speed of Brawl's primary attraction, there's plenty to fall back on, including this old favourite. You can even pretend you're playing Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games without, you know, actually having to buy it.2
