List of flaws in artificial intelligence (SSBM): Difference between revisions

2. Suboptimal play by the CPU, in general, does not constitute an AI flaw. For something to be considered an AI flaw, it has to be a repeated behavior by the AI that directly hinders a CPU's performance regardless of outside circumstances.

3. Per the previous guideline, a potential example must be behavior by the CPU that it will nearly always repeat when the circumstances leading to the example occurs.-->

| CPUs never attempt to fight off or evade edge guarders.

| CPUs only use their midair jumps and [[up special]] move to recover (or side special with Luigi) - never any alternate recovery methods such as [[side special]] moves, [[air dodge]]s, or [[wall-grapple]]s (as they never use [[grab aerial]]s on the whole). They also never use [[wall jump]]s to aid their recovery in stages where these are possible.

| CPU Luigi always uses [[Green Missile]] and never uses [[Super Jump Punch]] to recover, even when necessary. He also never charges the former move, most of the time failing to recover if the attack is not a misfire, even though he uses the move consecutive times. This leads to him self-destructing easily on stages that emphasize vertical recoveries, like [[Mushroom Kingdom II]] or [[Brinstar Depths]].

| The CPUs shown at the right always aim in the same upward diagonal trajectory when recovering with their up special, even if using such a trajectory results in them failing to make it back while a more desirable trajectory would have allowed them to recover successfully. CPU Fox and Falco, however, may aim their up special straight at a foe on occasion if they are close enough.

| CPU Sheik always aims horizontally or vertically (depending on her position from the edge) with [[Vanish]], never diagonally.

| A CPU Jigglypuff uses [[Sing]] instead of [[Pound]] or an air dodge after running out of midair jumps when recovering, guaranteeing a failed recovery if it cannot grab the ledge. Additionally, it always does so at exactly a certain distance away from the lower blast line each time.

| CPU Ness uses [[PK Thunder 2]] to recover only if he is set to level nine, and always aims it in an upward, barely horizontal trajectory. A lower level CPU Ness will fall and get KO'd if the midair jump is not enough to make it back to the stage.

|CPU Pikachu and Pichu always use both dashes of [[Quick Attack]]/[[Agility]] even if it's aiming the move towards a platform, nudging itself away from it with the second dash and self-destructing, though CPU Pikachu is less likely to SD.  

| rowspan=6 align=center|Repeated or Held Inputs

| CPUs never charge attacks that require button holding, including [[smash attack]]s (with the exception of the Ice Climbers' [[forward smash]]), [[Shield Breaker]], [[Hero's Bow]], [[Skull Bash]], [[Green Missile]], [[Rollout]] (which in particular suffers from the CPU's behavior, since it has no effect other than leaving the user vulnerable if used without being charged), and the [[Super Scope]], among others, the only exceptions being Zelda with [[Din's Fire]], Sheik with [[Needle Storm]] and Ness with [[PK Flash]].

| CPU Mario, Luigi, and Dr. Mario never move around nor rise when using their respective [[down special]]s.

| CPUs tend to heavily spam their [[neutral attack]]s and [[dash grab]]s against foes at close range, often forgoing other attacks like tilts, smashes or non-projectile specials. They also never approach foes on the ground with aerial attacks unless they were previously in midair. The difficulty of higher-leveled CPUs stems from not their more advanced fighting tactics, but the degree in which they can interrupt approaching foes with frame-perfect neutral attacks or grabs.

| CPUs tend to periodically use projectiles when walking towards the player from afar, even if they can be reflected or absorbed. They do so even when crossing pits on some stages, causing them to be left open to edge guards or self-destruct.

| CPUs cannot properly recognize the height differences that occur when standing on slopes, leading to things like a CPU flailing above an opponent with its jab when higher up on a slope.

| Upon KOing a character, CPUs usually taunt, regardless of what is occurring around them. Additionally, when KOing an enemy horizontally from the middle of the main platform, they will walk to the edge nearest to where the KO occurred before taunting. When Star KOing an opponent, they won't taunt until the animation is finished, leaving them unnecessarily vulnerable during long taunts.

| CPUs have almost nonexistent [[edgeguard]]ing abilities: they normally just stand on the edge of the stage and throw off a typical jab or grab when the foe comes near, which often has poor KO power and instead allows the foe to recover again. Only CPU Mario, Dr. Mario, and Captain Falcon jump offstage instead to edgeguard foes.

| CPUs do not recognize pits as if they were an offstage area, leading to the CPU just walking and falling into them as the CPU attempts to carelessly attack an opponent near the pit, which often results in the CPU self-destructing.

| Other than Fox and Falco using their Reflectors, CPUs always reflect projectiles with powershields only, even when some characters like Mario and Zelda have more effective [[reflect]]ors, or when these can be [[absorb]]ed for Ness and Mr. Game & Watch. In this case, they will prioritize shielding projectiles over anything else, often causing them to [[Shield break|break their shields]] when shielding many rapid-fire projectiles such as Fox's [[Blaster]] shots.

*This also means CPUs do not reflect Poké Balls correctly, as powershielding them does not change the Pokémon's owner.

| CPU Mario and Dr. Mario often try to edgeguard with their [[forward aerial]]s, even when Dr. Mario's is not a meteor smash. More often than not, this attempt fails, sometimes leaving them unable to recover, causing SDs. Mario is more prone to SDs than Dr. Mario

| The CPU characters shown on the left often use their up specials when the player is above them; not only this makes their attack choices predictable, but they use these moves even near an edge against an offstage player, leaping off it and self-destructing.

| {{Head|Luigi|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| rowspan=2|{{Head|Peach|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| rowspan=4|{{Head|Bowser|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| When approaching, CPU Bowser periodically uses Fire Breath even if there is no opponent on screen, making his approach significantly predictable and easy to counter.

| rowspan=3|{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| rowspan=3|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| CPU Zelda uses [[Nayru's Love]] extremely rarely, not even using it for reflecting projectiles.

*When an edge guarder comes near, she will use aerial attacks or Din's Fire, causing Zelda to fail a recovery that was possible.

| {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| rowspan=2|{{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| CPU Ganondorf spams [[Dark Dive]] when an opponent is in front or above him.

| As he approaches the player, CPU Ganondorf periodically uses [[Warlock Punch]], [[Gerudo Dragon]], and [[up tilt]] like how other CPUs use projectiles while approaching. He does this despite the opponent being completely out of his range, and the very long [[lag]] of these attacks making it easy for opponents to punish him.

| {{Head|Samus|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| rowspan=3|{{Head|Kirby|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

*CPU Kirby also never moves around with swallowed foes and spits out an opponent only if it is another Kirby. In this case, he also always spit out the Kirby, even if it has a copied ability that can be stolen.

*When a CPU Kirby without an ability is swallowed by another Kirby player, he will almost always use Stone after being released from Inhale, (due to him being left above the player), allowing the human Kirby to rack up damage by repeatedly swallowing the CPU.

| CPU Pichu uses its electric attacks (especially [[Thunder Jolt]]) at the exact same rate as Pikachu, regardless of the [[recoil damage]].

| {{Head|Jigglypuff|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

*CPU Kirby with Jigglypuff absorbed does use Rollout but never charges it (as noted prior).

**CPU Kirby also uses Rollout even if near a ledge, causing him to fall down in the [[helpless]] state and self-destruct. As CPU Kirby mostly spams copied abilities, this can be easily exploited.

| rowspan=2|{{Head|Mewtwo|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| If a player semi-spikes a CPU Mewtwo close to the edge, it will never use [[Teleport]] unless it is low and underneath the stage, or is hit by another player, causing Mewtwo to fail its recovery.

*In addition, when an edge guarder comes near, it will use aerial attacks or Shadow Ball. Depending on distance and attack's duration, this often causes Mewtwo to fail a recovery that was possible.

| rowspan=4|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| If a player semi-spikes a CPU Ness close to the edge, and then edge guards him, he will use aerial attacks and never use PK Thunder 2 to recover unless he is low and underneath the stage, or is hit by another player, causing him to fail his recovery.

| CPU Ness spams [[PK Flash]] against foes above him. Often times he times the explosion badly and the attack misses, leaving him open to punishes.

| rowspan=4|{{Head|Captain Falcon|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| CPU Captain Falcon often tries to attack foes with [[Falcon Dive]] after successfully executing an [[up throw]], which is preceded by a single jump. The entire process is predictable and thus a poor attempt at comboing the opponent.

|CPU Captain Falcon often tries to edgeguard offstage with his [[down aerial]]. More often than not, this attempt fails, leaving Falcon open to edge guards himself.

*If the foe is very close to them and isn't knocked away with the first hit, they may instead only use that one, even if following up with the other hits was possible.

| rowspan=4|{{Head|Mr. Game & Watch|g=SSBM|s=20px}}

| Any || A CPU Zelda that holds a throwing item usually throws it down when close to an opponent, in an attempt to use a down tilt. Not only does this often render the item ineffectual, but she will easily self-destruct if the item is explosive.  

| [[File:HammerIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Hammer (item)]] [[File:StarmanIconSSBM.png|32px|Starman|link=Super Star]] || Picking up either a Hammer or a Starman will cause all the CPUs to run to the opposite side of the stage and stand there until the effect wears off; they will not use any defensive maneuvers whatsoever.  

*On [[Poké Floats]], while standing there until the effect wears off, a CPU will only attack if an opponent comes near very close to the camera boundaries or between a blast line and the camera's view. This can result in SD if the CPU stays on the certain float too long while attacking an opponent.  

| [[File:WarpStarIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Warpstar]] || CPUs never change the trajectory of the Warp Star's dive, resulting in them self-destructing if the default trajectory happens to propel them offstage.

| [[File:HammerIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Hammer (item)]] || When a CPU grabs a Hammer, it chases opponents until it reaches a wall and continually jumps in place even if the obstacle can be jumped over. It also jumps offstage to chase opponents that have jumped off the stage, self-destructing in the process.<ref>http://youtu.be/FQ7bCnFYpEs</ref>

| [[File:PokeBallIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Poké Ball]] || If they are next to the radius of [[Venusaur]]'s earthquake or near [[Wobbuffet]], CPUs may shield even if they are not in the Pokémon's damage radius. Unusually, they also hold their shields in place, which can result in a self-inflicted shield break. This is noticeable with the Wire Frames on the [[Event 37: Legendary Pokémon|Legendary Pokémon]] event.

*Additionally, if a CPU is knocked in the air near Venusaur or goes above it to approach a player, it often immediately air dodges, even if the Venusaur can just be jumped over. CPU Fox and Falco will attempt to reflect Venusaur's Earthquake and [[Blastoise]]'s Hydro Pump with their down specials, despite neither attack being able to be reflected.

| [[File:FoodIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Food]] [[File:MaximTomatoIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Maxim Tomato]] [[File:HeartContainerIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Heart Container]] [[File:HammerIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Hammer (item)]] [[File:PokeBallIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Poké Ball]] [[File:CloakingDeviceIconSSBM.png|32px|link=Cloaking Device]] || CPUs never pick up items intentionally, regardless of their level, with the only exceptions being: healing items, Hammers, Poké Balls, and Cloaking Devices.

| All stages with high platforms || When a player is standing on a platform that usually cannot be reached with a single jump, CPUs below it will jump only once and use their [[down aerial]], being nowhere near hitting the player - they will repeat the process until the player moves out of the platform, allowing them to counterattack the CPUs or simply stall them out<ref>http://youtu.be/watch?v=p8VOFNKLv-w</ref>. This is most notable with Bowser on Battlefield, where if a player stands on the highest point of the stage, Bowser will go into an infinite loop unless he is interrupted.

| [[File:PCastleMelee.jpg|128px|link=Princess Peach's Castle]] || On Princess Peach's Castle, CPUs will always run to the opposite side of the castle when [[Banzai Bill]] appears. During this period, they ignore opponents and don't attack nor defend themselves unless an opponent comes near. This allows the player to attack without fear of retaliation, even with normally slow or punishable attacks such as fully charged smashes. When the opponent does come near, it disrupts the CPUs' normal behavior pattern and they sometimes stay on the side of the castle where the Banzai Bill is and get KO'd by its explosion.

| [[File:SSB4_Brinstar.JPG|128px|link=Brinstar]] || On Brinstar, CPUs always go to the hovering metallic platform in the center when acid rises from the bottom. During this period, the CPU ignores opponents and doesn't attack or defend itself unless an opponent comes near.

| [[File:Mushroom Kingdom II Melee.png|128px|Mushroom Kingdom II|link=Mushroom Kingdom II]] || On Mushroom Kingdom II, when battling against a CPU Luigi set as Player 2, if the player KOs him and then goes to the right part of the stage, Luigi will jump backward from the revival platform and miss the ledge, and then use Green Missile on the wall and self-destruct<ref>http://youtu.be/k3oJLGJ3Qsk</ref>. He will continue this indefinitely until interrupted by an item, [[Pidgit]], or [[Birdo]]'s eggs.

| When the player stands still on certain locations in stages, all opposing CPUs cease all movement and action if the player is not in attack range until the player moves or one of the aforementioned desired items appears<ref>http://youtu.be/X5vjGlJv4BI</ref>. A notable example of this is the right edge of the middle right platform in {{SSBM|Battlefield}}, which can be exploited in [[Cruel Melee]]<ref>http://youtu.be/qFYGCSPKQuk</ref>.