I know… I thought my achievement quest was over once I hit 25,000 Achievement points, and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" was released.
I was wrong.
I've developed the same unlocking fervor for "Smash Bros" challenges that I once had for Xbox Achievements. I didn’t see this coming, even though I knew full well that I have no problems performing arbitrary tasks to unlock virtually meaningless content. In fact, I have six months' proof in case I ever forget again.
At least I've been unlocking some fun stuff while playing through "Smash Bros." I've been rewarded with characters, levels, trophies, classic game demos, music and stickers for performing the same futile tasks that I had during my Achievements quest. For example, I received a Super Scope trophy for clearing Target Smash Level 1 with all the characters, which, in terms of "Smash Bros." is awesome, but in the grand scheme of life… it's not so much.
Here I am chasing trivial rewards all over again. I really think it's a personality flaw.
There are 128 challenges in "Smash Bros. Brawl" to unlock, and after almost two weeks I've unlocked 75. That's pretty good progress, in my opinion. But it still leaves me 53 to go. I'm certain there are some I won't ever get around to, like collecting Final Smash trophies for all characters. The Final Smash trophies are awarded for completing All-Star mode, and this means I literally need to beat every character with every other character.
It's just never going to happen, but every day I'm chipping away at the easier ones.
Much to my surprise, there are a few added features that make this challenge system superior to the Xbox's Achievements system I know and love. First of all, prior to the game's release I didn't see a list of requirements for all the challenges, so this venture is one of true exploration, discovering new challenges around every turn, and being legitimately surprised as I unlock items.
I also like the way it hints at how to complete new challenges. Once a challenge has been completed and marked in the game's Vault, you get a sneak peak at the requirements for two adjacent challenges. While they may not explicitly tell you the requirements to open that box, it gives you an idea of what you should try.
One additional added feature, which I like the best, yet I still haven't taken advantage of: Golden Hammers, which allow you to unlock items and challenges at your leisure, as long as you have one at your disposal. 
I'm now forced to decide how I want to play "Brawl" when I turn it on. Do I go for the self-satisfaction of completing the challenges, or do I compete against my friends on-line?
I fear it may be a question that I will be asking myself for a very long time, especially since my time spent in the online modes doesn't contribute to certain tasks that I need to perform in order to complete a given challenge. For example, if I need to brawl on a certain level ten times, it only counts if I do it offline, not while I am online.
I knew going into "Brawl" that there would be loads to unlock in this game, but I didn't realize that once I had all the characters and levels unlocked that I would become so consumed with these challenges. I also didn’t anticipate the sheer number of challenges that would need to be completed. Well played Sakarai, well played.
While this may not lead to a six month weekly posting spree like my last quest did, it is showing signs of having the same effects on my social life, as well as simply how I and what I choose to play when I turn on "Smash Bros. Brawl."