Editing Cruel mode

'''Cruel Melee''', '''Cruel Brawl''' and '''Cruel Smash''' are [[Multi-Man Melee and Brawl|Multi-Man]] modes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', respectively. Like [[Endless mode]], this mode challenges the player to defeat as many opponents as possible ([[Fighting Wire Frames]] in ''Melee'', [[Fighting Alloy Team]] in ''Brawl'', and [[Fighting Mii Team]] in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''), with no [[KO]] limit or time limit before the mode ends; high scores in this mode are recorded by the number of opponents defeated.

However, Cruel mode features a complete reversal of what is normally encountered in other Multi-Man modes. While all other modes give the opponents a low [[AI]] level and cause them to take high [[knockback]], making them very easy to KO in one hit, Cruel mode instead gives all of the opponents a high AI level (making them very aggressive), boosts their attack damage and applies the high knockback modifier to the player, making them the one who is very easy to KO in one hit. In addition, no [[item]]s will spawn at all in the mode.

With up to five opponents on-screen at once, all ganging up on the player and with any single one of their attacks being an easy [[OHKO]], while the player must try to fight up to five aggressive high-AI opponents while only dealing regular knockback with their own attacks and without items to assist, attaining high scores in this mode is considered one of the toughest accomplishments in the game. Due to the relentless difficulty, players often have to resort to exploiting the AI; for example, in Cruel Melee, scores in the thousands can be obtained by exploiting an AI standstill bug, performed by standing absolutely still on the rightmost edge of the small right platform. This causes any CPUs, including the Wire Frames, to cease all movement and stand indefinitely unless the player is within attack range. In both Cruel Melee and Cruel Brawl, [[planking]] can be an effective strategy; stalling under the stage will often cause the Wire Frames or Alloys to [[self-destruct]] when attempting to [[edge-guard]] the player (as they still do not have any [[recovery]] special moves). In ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', most possible exploits have been fixed as enemies will no longer follow the player if they jump far off the ledge, and will instead wait until the player gets back on stage. There are still some exploits that can help, a common one including using a fighter with large, horizontal hitboxes in their [[up special]]. Grabbing the ledge, dropping, double-jumping, then using the up special to grab the edge causing minor damage to the fighters on stage and occasionally tricks them into jumping off the stage and SD'ing. The most common fighter for this strategy is [[Lucina]], as she specifically is able to complete two challenges at once in {{forwiiu}}. Without AI exploitation, getting scores even higher than single-digit numbers is considered extremely difficult.

*The ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' incarnation of this mode is infamous for its involvement in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (universe)#Sonic and Tails hoax|Sonic and Tails rumor]] spread by ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' magazine as an April Fools' joke. The rumor suggested that after defeating 20 Fighting Wire Frames in a single round, the player would be challenged to defeat [[Sonic]] and [[Tails]] of the {{uv|Sonic the Hedgehog}}, where victory would result in [[unlockable character|unlocking]] the characters.  

*In ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', the track ''{{SSBBMusicLink|Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Cruel Brawl}}'' that plays during Cruel Brawl cannot be played from ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Sound Test]], and it cannot be selected as music for [[custom stage]]s. It would later become available in ''Smash 4''{{'}}s Sound Test.

**Said track is renamed "Cruel Smash", likely due to being re-used for ''Smash 4''{{'}}s Cruel mode, which is called Cruel Smash. It retains this changed name in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s Sound Test.

[[Category:Single-player modes]]