List of flaws in artificial intelligence (SSB4)

Flaws occur in the artificial intelligence of both Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

In Smash for 3DS prior to version 1.0.5, the AI appears to be generally more proficient than that of Melee, retaining most of the improvements made to it with the transition to Brawl; these include properly extending/charging smash and special attacks, as well as using more varied options with them, shielding and dodging attacks more often, using alternate recovery moves (such as side specials) and/or aiding their recovery with them, and having better recognition of items while actively seeking out for powerful ones, generally without ceasing fighting like in previous Smash games. When not in lag, CPUs will almost always shield (usually perfect shield), roll away or sidestep against their opponents' attacks, to then take advantage of the attack lag suffered and punish them, commonly with a grab or uncharged forward smash. Like in Brawl, CPUs will also try to approach grounded foes at close ranges by using aerial attacks, rather than just using them to attack foes standing on platforms or in midair, and will air dodge attacks more prominently when going airborne; high-leveled CPUs will also actively tech on any nearby solid surface they hit when launched a high distance, and will try to escape from grabs as quick as possible, usually not letting their foes pummel them more than two or three times before being released, even at damage percentages of 100% and over. Besides shields, CPU characters with counterattack special moves are also very precise with them, using them more prominently against any direct non-grab attacks when not in lag, and those with reflectors or absorbers will hesitate to use them against any projectiles (if they are reflectable/absorbable so) shot in their vicinity. CPUs in Smash for 3DS are also slightly better at edgeguarding, as characters without projectiles will now attempt to edgeguard offstage more often (though those with projectiles will still usually attack from the edge, spamming them) by jumping a fair distance away from the edge and intercepting with an aerial or special attack (preferably those that meteor smash), while very rarely self-destructing unlike in the previous games.

As stated above, the AI also makes better use of items than in the previous games, retaining most of their behaviors from Brawl, such as trying to repel other players when going for an item, waiting to use a Final Smash until they are in close proximity to an opponent (a behavior also exhibited by CPU Little Macs using the KO Uppercut), and remaining on their revival platform until a character using a powerful item or Final Smash finishes the attack. It also seems to be more aware of opposing items; it will tend to stay away from areas where a powerful item covering a wide range (such as a Snorlax or Hocotate Bomb) is about to come down, and will avoid walking directly into set Motion-Sensor Bombs, Pitfalls or hostile Pokémon, a flaw that they commonly exhibited in Brawl. Additionally, CPUs will shield and dodge potentially dangerous items thrown at them more often.

As a side note, CPUs in free-for-alls will no longer only target human players, now targeting other CPUs and fighting against each other if a human player is out of range, like in Smash 64 and Melee, though they will still preferably target players with high damage percentages to earn KOs as soon as possible. Unlike in Brawl, CPUs will now avoid taunting opponents after they are KO'd, now doing so rarely (and usually only if they are Star KO'd), leaving them less vulnerable.

CPUs in Smash for 3DS are not without flaws, however, which are unfortunately much more potent than in Brawl. When at long distances from foes, CPUs will spam projectiles nearly as much as in Melee, periodically using any projectiles with significant horizontal distance they have (except Final Cutter), even if these can be reflected or absorbed (though unlike in previous games, CPUs will stop using projectiles after they spot a player with an active reflector or absorber); these include regular attacks that serve as projectiles, such as Mega Man's Mega Buster attacks and the Villager's forward air. Unlike in the previous games, CPUs will also still attempt to use projectiles right after shielding or dodging an attack even when at close distances from foes, often leaving them vulnerable due to their usual lag. Characters without projectiles will also spam long ranged, straightforward special moves, even those they didn't use to spam before, such as Falcon Kick, Rollout, Spin Charge and Wario Bike, using them in the same way, and CPUs with counterattack moves also abuse them to the point they end up spamming them as well, allowing human players to bait them and respond with a grab. CPUs also have poorer defensive abilities than in Brawl, as they may hold their shield until it's close to breaking when protecting from an attack at a fair distance, or hold it up, drop it, and repeat the process over again until the player comes near, leaving them punishable. They will almost always decide to use rolls over other types of dodges, which can be easily punished when spammed; CPUs may also roll when foes get close without attacking at all, or when they do for dodging their attacks; in the latter case, CPUs will mostly roll constantly towards their foes until they stand still or attack. For punishing attacks, CPUs will almost always use a grab or forward smash after dodging, generally not using other out of shield options (the latter which gives problems to characters whose f-smash is laggy, such as Ike and Dedede), and will almost always grab when a foe is directly at their front in any other situation, causing them to be easily predictable, avoidable and punishable themselves. They also seem to ignore the landing lag from air dodges, becoming vulnerable when air dodging close to the ground, while never trying to interrupt them with other actions (features that were neither present in Brawl). Moreover, CPUs will still not attempt to evade or fight off edgeguarders (with the exception of Kirby), causing them to be easily KO'd, and will underutilise some characters' recoveries, by not trying to use some characters' faster recovery options or not using some special moves to aid recovery. They still have difficulty recognizing walls on stages like Living Room, and will commonly not consider height differences or obstacles when using projectiles or straightforward special moves, resulting in them spamming such moves even when players are higher on slopes, nearby platforms or behind walls, being nowhere near hitting them. CPUs also still exhibit weird behaviors on complex stages such as Gaur Plain, where they have difficulty pursuing players and aiming recoveries, and are prone to being hit by hazards on stages like Mute City and Boxing Ring, as well as being fairly easy to KO in scrolling stages such as 3D Land.

In general, despite some of the improvements made to it, the AI in Smash for 3DS plays generally poorer than in Brawl, being much easier to predict and KO, as well as having poorer defensive abilities; thus, it is much less efficient.

Specific examples

• CPUs still retain several flaws from Brawl:
  • When launched a high distance, high-leveled CPUs will almost always air dodge after hitstun ends, very ocassionally jumping or using an aerial attack instead, which allows players to easily predict them and followup with other attacks. In this case, they will also never attempt to interrupt their air dodges (not even with another dodge), always waiting for them to be fully executed before using another action.
    • In this situation, CPUs may also air dodge continously until they land, without trying to counterattack pursuing players at all, becoming even more predictable. They will still air dodge when close to the ground as well, becoming vulnerable due to the landing lag.
  • When grabbing edges, CPUs will frequently choose to jump from them instead of using other options, ignoring players that may punish them.
  • During the period a player has respawn invincibility, CPUs will still jump into a nearby platform, and will flee to others when the player pursues them, without attempting to dodge their attacks. On stages without platforms like Final Destination, they will still roll constantly towards the nearest edge until the player's invincibility wears off, being easily counterable.
  • CPUs that launch a foe a significant distance upwards will still just wait for them on the ground to spam up tilts and up smashes, very rarely attempting aerial attacks instead.
  • When a player and a CPU with a chargeable projectile are on opposite sides of a stage, the CPU will still constantly charge and fire the projectile in place until the player comes near, allowing them to easily reflect or absorb them.
  • CPUs with a Gooey Bomb or Crash Bomber will constantly shield and dodge until they wear off or explode, ignoring nearby players in the process.
  • CPUs will still attack players near walk-off blast lines without caution, commonly causing them to self-destruct. As CPUs in Smash for 3DS use approach attacks more often, they can also be easily tricked to use them against players near walk-off blast lines, invariably self-destructing.
• CPUs exhibit poor behaviors when using several special moves:
  • They will persistently try to use certain projectiles or special moves even when only one of them can be out at a time, or when a certain period of time must pass for the special to be used again; they will just use it again with no results, causing them to become vulnerable most of the time. These moves include Clown Cannon, Mechakoopa, Wario Bike, Banana Peel, Robin's four special moves (of which Thunder and Arcfire suffer the most from this behavior), Robo Beam, Gyro, Pikmin Throw (CPUs will use it even after having thrown all possible Pikmin) and Bonus Fruit.
    • When at a long distance from a player, a CPU may even stall in place trying to spam these moves, without trying to approach the player at all until they do so.
  • CPUs will try to spam certain approaching attacks as much as projectiles, using them as the same rate and on the same situations; these include Wario Bike, Wizard's Foot, Super Speed, Straight Lunge, Rollout, Falcon Kick, Spin Charge, Burning Dropkick and Power Thrust. CPUs will also often use Headbutt, Plasma Whip, Shield Breaker (in Marth's case, though not Lucina's), Raptor Boost and Onslaught when at a close distance from the player.
  • When at a moderate distance from a foe, most CPUs will often jump before shooting projectiles, even if these are fired in a straight horizontal trajectory, such as Water Shuriken and Charge Shot, or at an otherwise more vertical angle, such as Shot Put, causing them to miss if the foe just stays on the ground. A CPU Yoshi will also exhibit the same behavior with Egg Lay.
  • CPUs will not properly measure distances required to hit with certain projectiles that only cover a specific distance, such as Explosive Flame and Shot Put, causing them to spam these moves even when their foe is out of the move's range between the CPU and the projectile.
  • CPU characters with chargeable projectiles that can be stored, such as Lucario, Wii Fit Trainer and Robin, will often spam weak projectiles after unleashing a fully charged one, even if they don't reach the foe at all.
  • A CPU Rosalina will never intentionally attempt to make Luma attack projected away from her upon using Luma Shot, only calling it back to use the move over again, causing it to be easily KO'd by foes. She will also persistently try to call Luma back even when it's stunned from an attack (period during which it cannot be called back), leaving herself open to enemy attacks.
  • CPU Diddy Kongs have a tendency to spam Peanut Popgun in an attempt to hit players who are on platforms above them, even though the gun cannot be aimed high enough to so do.
    • CPU Diddy Kongs will additionally never intentionally pick up Bananas they drop.
  • Despite CPU Little Macs waiting to be close to an opponent to use their KO Uppercut, they might still use the move at inappropiate moments, commonly when they're near an edge and a foe is either hanging on it or in midair above the CPU, resulting in them just wasting their uppercut.
  • When using PK Flash, a CPU Ness will always charge the move to nearly its maximum against grounded opponents, no matter how close they are to him, allowing them to punish him with powerful attacks like charged smashes. They will exhibit this flaw prominently even in the Wii U version.
  • CPU Wii Fit Trainers using Deep Breathing will never attempt to end the move earlier, and may use it repeatedly even though it becomes slower per use, allowing players to easily punish the CPUs with powerful attacks.
  • A CPU Villager will rarely perform Timber properly. Additionally, the CPU fails to detect where it planted the sapling or tree. It will even occasionally attack its own tree (instead of using the axe) when it grows.
  • CPU Lucinas will almost always try to combo their down throw into a Dolphin Slash, even when this often proves to be a poor attempt at doing so, being easily avoidable by DIing away and leaving the CPU vulnerable afterwards. CPU Mii Brawlers will exhibit the same behavior with Helicopter Kick.
  • CPU Mii Gunners will never fire Laser Blaze continously, always shooting once at a time.
• While the CPUs in Smash 4 appear to understand items better than those in both Melee and Brawl, they still exhibit flaws when approaching or using certain ones:
  • CPUs will use the Ore Club improperly; when holding it, they will often stand in place and use its forward tilt repeatedly as if expecting this to produce a projectile, even though a forward smash must be used to do this. This issue is not present in For Wii U, as in said game, they will always use forward smashes, and won't use the weapon in any other way unless in close proximity to foes.
  • Like in Brawl, CPUs will actively seek out any powerful items that are on the stage, while also attacking anyone who tries to get them first. However, this proves to be a fatal issue on Corneria; in this scenario, a CPU may try to grab an item that falls onto the Great Fox's laser blaster, but will often not be able to make it back onto the ship's deck, forcing them to stay put (though they will repeatedly jump in place or even jump off the gun entirely only to get back onto it) until they are inevitably blasted off screen.
  • CPUs still have a tendency to throw Deku Nuts and Smart Bombs too close to themselves and accidentally get caught in the explosions that follow. Similarly, they have a habit of attacking Cuccos and Beehives in the process of attacking other players.
  • While CPUs are overall better at avoiding dangerous items activated by anyone other than them, this can become a problem when they are confronted with certain items such as Motion-Sensor Bombs, Uniras, and Bumpers. If one is activated in the middle of the stage, CPUs that are on the opposite side of the bomb from where the thrower is will repeatedly walk up to it, only to back up at the last second (either by jumping backwards, rolling, or sidestepping) and occasionally use a random attack. Though this pattern usually lasts until the item disappears, the CPU occasionally will manage to jump over it. An exception to this flaw exists if there is more than one CPU on the opposite side of the bomb. If this is the case, then at least one of them will immediately jump over it.
  • CPUs do not recognize Franklin Badges, and will often use projectiles (including fully charged ones) on players who are wearing them, even though this may prove to be fatal.
  • CPUs still experiment most flaws from Brawl when using the Hammer.
• CPUs will still underutilise several characters' recoveries, in the same way as in Brawl for some:
  • CPU Luigis, Dr. Marios, Sheiks and Zero Suit Samuses will never aid their recoveries with their respective down specials, causing them to fail their recoveries and get KO'd if their other recovery moves do not attain enough distance to get back onto the stage.
  • High-leveled CPU Warios will almost always try to aid their recoveries with Wario Bike before using Corkscrew. When knocked out of the move's jump, however, they may persistently attempt to use the move again even if they haven't got the Bike back, initiating Wario's "searching around" animation and getting KO'd. They may also exhibit this behavior if their Bike is onstage due to a prior use of the move.
  • CPU Diddy Kongs will use horizontal trajectories of Rocketbarrel Boost in most cases. While this can be effective in some situations, they will still use it even if they are close to a blast line, when a vertical trajectory would have been more optimal, causing then to be KO'd when they could have survived otherwise.
    • CPU Mii Gunners will exhibit similar behaviors with Arm Rocket, assuming the move is equipped.
  • CPU Palutenas will never aid their recoveries with Super Speed or Angelic Missile (assuming they have said moves equipped), and will never attack players when using Jump Glide until landing, grabbing a ledge or being knocked out of the move.
    • Like in Brawl, CPU R.O.B.s will exhibit the same behavior as with the latter move when using Robo Burner.
  • Regardless of their level, CPU Kirbys will often spam their forward aerial to attack edgeguarders during their recovery, which, while giving them less chances of being gimped, is a very predictable and stoppable process as the CPU will never attempt to act differently.
  • CPU Meta Knights still tend to use Dimensional Cape over their other special moves to recover, even when Shuttle Loop and Drill Rush are vastly superior options; they usually only use the former when a ledge is directly above them, and never use the latter at all.
  • CPU Foxes and Falcos will often aim their up specials against nearby onstage players during their recoveries; while they won't self-destruct less often than in Brawl, this attempt can be still easily countered due to these moves' long startup, causing the CPUs to be KO'd more easily.
    • CPU Mii Swordfighters will exhibit the same behavior with Skyward Slash Dash, assuming the move is equipped.
  • CPU Captain Falcons and Ganondorfs will never use Raptor Boost and Flame Choke (respectively) to recover alternatively. CPU Charizards will also never use Flare Blitz to recover.
    • Additionally, CPU Pac-Men will not only never use Power Pellet to recover, but, when using Pac-Jump, will never attempt to bounce on the trampoline again unless a wall in front of them forces them to do so, causing them to be KO'd if the first bounce doesn't achieve enough distance for them to recover.
  • CPU Nesses will always hit themselves with PK Thunder in the same upwards, barely horizontal trajectory when recovering, often causing them to fail to recover if the ledge or platform they are aiming at is at a more horizontal distance (as the CPU commonly won't wait to be below it to use the move either).
  • A CPU Shulk that has a ledge stolen from him will not use Air Slash as soon as possible, waiting too long to use it, missing the ledge and self-destructing. Additionally, he may sometimes choose to use Back Slash when below a ledge, even though it will not help him reach it.
  • High-leveled CPU Mega Men will usually attempt to use Crash Bomber after Rush Coil if they don't grab an edge instantly with the move, despite the fact that it does not affect recovery; in some occasions, this can cause them to miss a nearby ledge and get KO'd. Lower-leveled CPUs may even use Crash Bomber only, without using Rush Coil at all, causing them to be KO'd without trying to recover.
  • When using Soaring Axe Kick and Stone Scabbard for recovery, CPU Mii Fighters won't wait to be underneath the ledge they're aiming at, at a range the distance given by the move is more desirable for recovering, habitually using the move instantly after their midair jump and self-destructing easily because of the moves' falldown.
• When launched, CPUs will most of the time decide to tech instantly; while this wasn't problematic in Brawl since the CPUs would still air dodge afterwards if they missed, it will cause them to fail their tech in Smash for 3DS if the window for it wears off as they hit a surface late, bouncing off it and getting KO'd when they could have survived otherwise.
• When on a platform, CPUs shielding attacks from below will just hold their shields in place if attacked repeatedly, or drop them to then shield the next attack again, not trying to roll or jump away until their shield is close to breaking. This also allows them to be easily shield stabbed.
• CPUs are extremely incompetent at attacking foes hanging on ledges: when this happens, they will most of the time just stay in place and spam their usual special moves, even if they don't reach the foe at all, and will attack with a down tilt or smash only if they were previously near the ledge, rarely approaching at all. This easily allows the player to get up freely or stall the CPUs on the ledge by edge hopping and attacking them from above.
  • In this situation, a CPU Meta Knight away from the opponent will also always use Mach Tornado as the opponent grabs the ledge, and a CPU Ike will always use Quick Draw, even though these moves also prove to be ineffective.
• When a player charges a special move whose charge can be held indefinitely, such as Hero's Bow or Rollout, CPUs without projectiles (or approach special moves they spam) will behave rather eccentrically: they will recurrently jump and fall down while moving a slight distance forward, repeating the process and randomly rolling away from the player as they get closer, only attacking if the player is within close range as they jump or land. While they still attempt to dodge these attacks when released, this behavior can be easily exploited by unleashing the attack as they are falling down, invariably hitting them.
  • CPUs will also behave this way against a Wii Fit Trainer player using Deep Breathing, despite her becoming vulnerable, no matter how long the move is used.
• When Shurikens of Light are shot repeatedly against them, CPUs without reflectors will just hold their shields in place, ignoring the move's effect of gradually becoming stronger, causing their shields to be drained quickly, rolling away only when their shield is about to break, allowing the player to easily shield stab them or break their shields afterwards. They may also shield in place even if the move doesn't reach them at all, not dropping it until the player ceases fire.
• While approaching, CPU Bowsers and Warios have a tendency to use their jab even if no foes are within the move's range, causing their approach to be slower and easier to counter.
• In battles with character customization enabled, CPUs will attempt to shield against moves even if they are strengthened enough by equipment to break them in one hit, allowing for easy shield breaks and follow-up attacks.
• In the third section of Paper Mario, CPUs who are standing on the Bowser head will not pay attention to when the head rotates, and will often focus on fighting anyone else who may be on there too, rather than maintaining their footing, often resulting in them falling off and not making it back to the stage.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The AI in the Wii U version is considered much more proficient than in the 3DS version, and even more than in Brawl, having most flaws from both games fixed while keeping their positive attributes from them, such as precisely responding to any attacks thrown at them and using items more effectively. High-leveled CPUs will now use aerial attacks even more prominently, also short hopping or fast falling them when necessary, in a style closer to that of experienced players. They will also choose better follow-up options when using certain attacks, now comboing throws into aerials more often, and using varied attacks in a more effective way rather than always using the same attack in a given situation, and will also choose stronger out of shield options, now always using out of shield up smashes when possible (something they did very rarely in the 3DS version), as well as occasionally using other smashes or powerful attacks. CPUs with projectiles will also try offstage edgeguarding more often, and CPUs themselves will now finally try to evade edgeguarders, as high-leveled ones will always try to air dodge attacks thrown at them when recovering (if possible) while carrying on their recovery afterwards; they will also always footstool opponents coming near when they have the opportunity, a behavior also exhibited by Mii Fighters in Multi-Man modes, including Cruel Smash. CPUs will now also make wiser use of projectiles and special moves than in 3DS, using them less often and in more effective ways, such as by waiting before they can be executed again (rather than just trying to execute them again for naught), and not using them if the foe is on a position completely out of the moves' range. When launched in tumbling state, rather than almost always trying to air dodge as in 3DS, CPUs will now more often respond to pursuing players with aerial attacks, not air dodging until a foe directly tries to attack them, and jumping when not menaced at all. For the first time in the Super Smash Bros. series, CPUs partaking in Team Battles will automatically and immediately use any remaining stocks that other CPU teammates may have, regardless of their level, giving them better chances of success.

Despite all these improvements being made to the AI, though, it still posseses some minor flaws. CPUs will still use projectiles more frequently than regular attacks when at far distances, which, despite their better use of them, still leads to them being predictable and counterable; similar to in Smash for 3DS, CPUs will also sometimes use projectiles at close range from foes, even when direct attacks are more preferable, and some CPUs like Wario and Captain Falcon will still use approach special moves as much as in 3DS. They still seem to ignore character differences with regular attacks, as for example, they might still use aerial attacks with Little Mac, and will still fight with their usual "playstyle" in free-for-alls, causing them to use grabs or other attacks that can only hit one opponent at a time, instead of others that can hit multiple foes more frequently, giving them several problems especially in 8-Player Smashes (hilariously, a Level 9 CPU can lose against seven Level 1 ones in a Team Battle because of this). Aside from this, CPUs still behave rather eccentrically in complex or custom stages, where they can have difficulty recognizing walls and hazards or jumping across platforms, as well as aiming recoveries, and can still ocassionally self-destruct on scrolling stages like Pac-Land, where they'll remain attacking foes and usually won't escape fast enough from the blast lines. Additionally, while CPUs will now always evade edgeguarders when possible, they still do this to a fault, as they may prioritize air dodging over actual recovering, which, when attacked repeatedly, can make them miss the ledge or platform they were aiming at (if their recovery move doesn't grant enough vertical distance), failing a recovery that was possible and getting KO'd.

Specific examples

While most of the specific flaws from the 3DS version's AI have been fixed or are less likely to happen in Smash for Wii U, some exclusive to this version are still present:

• On Windy Hill Zone, CPUs that are knocked off the edges will often not attempt recovery until it is too late, resulting in them hitting the rotating springs; an act that can very likely cause them to self-destruct. Their tendency to do this does not change even if they manage to bounce to the side instead, as they will once again not recover soon enough, which effectively KOs them seeing how low the springs are positioned.
• On large stages such as Temple, CPUs will often not pursue players who are a great distance away from them, and instead focus on fighting any other CPUs or players who are nearby, sometimes even for prolonged amounts of time, unless they have only one opponent.
• On The Great Cave Offensive, CPUs will still jump to use aerials or try to reach higher-placed foes even if below a low ceiling with Danger Zones, receiving avoidable damage and eventually self-destructing.
• On Delfino Plaza and stages with a similar layout, CPUs will usually aim their recoveries below the main platform instead of aiming for the ledges (thus requiring less height to recover), causing them to get KO'd if their recovery moves do not grant enough distance to propel them above the platform, when they could have given enough distance for them to grab the ledges instead.
• If a CPU is cornered near the edge of a stage by a human player, and the player is facing away from them while wearing a Back Shield, the CPU may continuously attack the shield or tech backwards rather than trying another option such as jumping over the player.
• When at a distance, CPU Wii Fit Trainers have a minor tendency to charge their Sun Salutation for a fraction of a second, before shielding for an equally long amount of time, and rapidly switching between the two, leaving themselves open to punishes.

See also

• Flaws in artificial intelligence