You may know your way around the Super Mario Galaxy 2 cosmos and consider yourself an old hand at galactic gallivanting, but read on for secrets, unlocks and super snazzy tricks that will help you squeeze every last ounce of fun from your trek through the firmament.

Saving Star Bits

As time goes on Starship Mario becomes a bustling place full of friends, one of whom is a banker - he's the little green chum on the left side of the deck near the main helm.

Depositing tasty Star Bits with the Banktoad has many advantages: not only is the balance of your account available across save files but you also accrue interest. Furthermore, as your balance grows your friendly local Banktoad will change outfit. Depositing 1000 Star Bits gets him spectacles, 2000 acquires a rather fetching spear and shield, 4000 will have him carrying a pickaxe, 6000 sees him donning scuba gear and 8000 will get a miner's flashlight for his giant head.

Should you need Star Bits, make a bee-line for Melty Monster Galaxy in World 6 and select the level called 'A Stroll Down Rolling Lane'; you'll have tons in no time.

Oh Luigi, where art thou?

Fairly soon you'll come across Luigi and from that point on you may spy him hanging around at the start of some levels. Talking to him gives you the option of playing through the level with him - if you finish, something good will happen! You might unlock a time trial where you can take on a ghost rival, or perhaps Luigi might appear in a level subtly pointing the way to some goodies and secrets! Pay attention when you see him loitering with intent, even if he's snoozing.

When you finish the game (don't worry, there's still plenty to do afterwards) you'll unlock Luigi for play in any level, just enter the door marked with an 'L' on Starship Mario (near the helm) to play as Luigi for a bit.

Shrooms, glorious shrooms

Regardless of how many you get in a play session, when you return to the game you'll always start off with a mere handful of 1-Ups. Here are some quick and generally jammy ways to easily increase how many times you can fall off things before the great big GAME OVER.

Seek out Star Bits: every 100 you collect gives an extra 1-Up.

Search Starship Mario! As the game goes on more and more 1-Ups will be freely available on your personal planetoid. For example: get Yoshi from the schnozz and use his licky tongue to reach a platform with 10 fruit on it, eat them all to earn a 1-Up. Warp to the Starshroom for a freebie from the Toad Brigade or grab the Cloud Flower and ascend to the conspicuous cloud high in the sky to collect the 1-Up there.

In the later stages of the story, if you want to be really sneaky, you can get 99 lives in two shakes of a Yoshi's tail. To do this, proceed to the first star challenge of Supermassive Galaxy in World 4, work through the level until you reach the flat, round planet with 3 ginormous green Koopas on it and... avoid picking up the drill! (Take a hit to lose it if you accidentally grab it.)

Instead, long jump onto a Koopa's back from behind by tapping the Z Button while running followed by the A Button to jump. Once you're on the Koopa hold the Control Stick in the direction that Koopa is moving (i.e. to the right) and keep holding the A Button to repeatedly bounce on the shell while he trundles along. After a few boings you'll start earning a 1-Up per bounce, all the way up to a maximum of 99. Why not stop by here at the start of every play session to stock up on 1-Ups before you start falling off things into space?

Smooth moves with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk

It's not all shake, rattle and Wii Remote roll, there are plenty of spiffy things you can do with buttons, motions and a bit of skilful timing:

In Co-Star Mode, the second player can press buttons on their Wii Remote to play crazy sound effects from their (or the other player's) Wii Remote. Have an explore and see for yourself!

Press the Z Button when facing the Boomerang Bros. to crouch, ducking beneath your hat and under their whirling blades. Walk close to them while crouched then shake the Wii Remote to spin attack, taking them out with minimum fuss.

While skating on ice press the Z Button to go backwards for some super cool ice capades.

When standing high above deep water you can perform a flip dive with finesse: go somewhere suitable, (e.g. near the start of Starshine Beach in World 4 there's a slope with a perfect wooden plank on the left hand side) stand on the edge of the platform and turn around to face away from the water. Hold down the Z Button, press the A Button to jump and... splish!