Editing Flaws in artificial intelligence

[[File:Suicidal Bowser.gif|250px|thumb|An example of the flawed ''Melee'' AI. The computer-controlled Bowser wants to attack Luigi with his [[Fire Breath]] but ignores the physics of the spinning blocks directly in front of him. Bowser then walks toward Luigi and attacks with Fire Breath again, expecting the solid ground to still be present, and [[self destruct]]s.]]

While it is notable that the high level [[artificial intelligence]] is precise with its reflexes, such as being able to [[perfect shield]] almost any attack, reflect projectiles with little hesitation, counterattack out of [[knockback]] the instant it can act, and land or control attacks that human players would find difficult such as {{SSBB|Pikachu}}'s [[Volt Tackle]] and {{SSB4|Ryu}}'s special moves with his ''Street Fighter'' inputs, all five games are known for having CPUs that have flawed programming even when set to the highest level setting. This is due to the intelligence of CPUs being limited to the capacity of their programming and are unable to learn and adapt to new situations like a human would. CPUs almost never use techniques that are complex or otherwise require specific timing, such as [[dash dancing]], [[chaingrab]]bing and [[edge hop]]ping, nor use other such advanced techniques like [[L-cancel]]ing, [[wave dash]]ing and [[DACUS]]ing, which are crucial for achieving strong results in competitive play, in addition to never changing their playstyle, preventing players from adapting to different battle tactics. In all ''Smash'' games, CPUs also ignore when [[team attack]] is turned on in [[Team Battle]]s, causing them to inadvertently use powerful attacks near teammates at high damage and KO them, making CPUs impractical for Team Battles with tournament settings.

There are many complaints surrounding the poor artificial intelligence of computer players in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', though ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' have also received attention to their flawed AI system; in all five games, particularly noteworthy and amusing AI flaws have been uploaded to YouTube, often with the caption that the "AI is just too good".

Flaws in artificial intelligence essentially refers to poor behaviors of computer players (CPUs), such as making very predictable [[approach]] options and spamming moves like [[projectiles]] and [[approach attack]]s (such as [[Spin Dash]]) even if this can prove to be unsafe, as well as having poor recoveries and not properly recognizing stage hazards. ''SSB'' and ''Melee'' notoriously have the most flawed AI in the series: in the latter game, CPUs always approach by walking to the foe, periodically using projectiles, then spamming [[neutral attack]]s and [[grab]]s in close, while almost never [[shield]]ing or [[dodging]] attacks, and as well having poor recoveries involving use of only their [[up special]] (except for {{SSBM|Luigi}}, who only uses [[Green Missile]] for recovery regardless of circumstances). ''Brawl'' would then improve the AI in many ways, such as by making it more prominently shield and dodge attacks, choose better recovery options, and generally understand attacks better without overusing a specific one: these enhancements would then carry over to ''Smash 4''. Despite this, the latter games still have many other significant flaws in their AI.

[[File:MarioSpamFireball.gif|thumbnail|right|Example of a level 9 Mario CPU spamming his neutral special]]

[[File:YoshiDoesntNoticeTrap.gif|thumbnail|A Yoshi CPU walks into its own Motion-Sensor Bomb.]]

[[File:FoxSelfDestructing.gif|250px|thumb|One of the most notorious AI flaws in ''Melee'', where level nine Fox will [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-b3tCc3sn0 repeatedly self-destruct] on [[Jungle Japes]].]]

The AI in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is also infamous for how flawed it is. CPUs now have an even poorer [[approach]], always [[walk]]ing towards the player while periodically using projectiles, then [[spam]]ming their [[dash grab]] and jabs at close range, rarely using tilts or smashes outside specific situations. Unlike in ''SSB'', CPUs never [[dash]] at all other than for using dash grabs and [[dash attack]]s, and perform them instantly during the first frames of the initial dash, thus barely moving forward at all. They additionally never charge smash attacks (the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}' forward smash being the sole exception), and still won't attempt to attack grounded foes with aerials. CPUs also have a tendency to overuse other moves of specific characters, such as {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}'s [[Dark Dive]], {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s [[down tilt]], {{SSBM|Yoshi}}'s [[Egg Lay]] and {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s dash attack. Some characters are programmed to have bad follow-ups: {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} for example will always use a down-throw followed by a [[Raptor Boost]] which rarely hits (depending on the character, percentage, and DI) and result in a self-destruct when done near the ledge. The overuse of jabs and grabs causes CPUs in ''Melee'' to generally have poor KOing abilities, as these moves are significantly weak in comparison to the smash attacks CPUs often used in ''SSB''.

The AI in ''Melee'' also makes poor use of [[shield]]s and defensive maneuvers in general, even worse than in ''SSB'': it will almost never shield or dodge attacks even at level 9 (never [[sidestep]]ping intentionally to dodge at all), taking whatever attack is thrown their way, which when combined with their constant approaching, often leads to them just walking into a player's [[charge]]d attack, or even a slow and punishable but powerful attack like a [[Falcon Punch]]. The AI will only sidestep if it is on a [[soft platform]] and wants to both fall through the platform and [[shield]] an oncoming projectile at the same time (the AI only seems to do this for projectiles and not direct attacks). On the other hand, though, high leveled CPUs are very precise with [[powershield]]ing, usually succeeding with it when they do shield attacks, and while they rarely shield physical moves, they will reflect almost any oncoming projectile with their powershields when not in lag. They are also programmed to always dodge specific attacks, examples being: [[Bowser Bomb]], {{SSBM|Bowser}}'s up smash, [[Yoshi Bomb]], [[Dancing Blade]] and the uppercut of [[Raptor Boost]]. They still do this to a fault, however, as in the former case, CPUs will prioritize reflecting projectiles over anything else and stand in place shielding even if that causes them to break their shield, and in the latter case, they often make basic dodging choices with their rolls or [[air dodge]]s, sometimes even rolling towards edges or air dodging straight into the attack, getting hit anyway.

Being ironically the opposite of the AI in ''SSB'', the AI in ''Melee'' never uses items intentionally, only picking them up accidentally when attacking foes with jabs near them: it will only go for healing items, [[Cloaking Device]]s, {{b|Hammer|item}}s and [[Poké Ball]]s, and even then, CPUs cease all fighting and flee to pick up these items, which is notable on large stages. They ignore any changes made to their physique and play as if they were normal, which leads to instances where they often will self destruct simply by trying to move, such as [[giant]] CPUs inadvertently walking off stages, and [[metal]] CPUs quickly plummeting to their death as they attack an offstage player. They additionally always walk into set [[Motion-Sensor Bomb]]s, walking [[Bob-omb]]s, and hostile [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon, which often results in an otherwise avoidable SD for them. Furthermore, CPUs have poor navigation of many stages, carelessly attacking foes near pits and falling into them, especially in [[Jungle Japes]], and having difficulty traversing platforms like the clouds in [[Yoshi's Island 64]] or going up in [[Icicle Mountain]] to escape the lower blast line when the stage speeds up.

[[File:Brawl-Snake-DownThrow.gif|thumb|right|Example of a specific AI flaw in ''Brawl'', where CPUs react incorrectly to Snake's [[down throw]].]]

The AI is notably more efficient with its recoveries, using any [[side special]]s or [[tether recoveries]] their character has to aid them, and will as well punish opponents more often, always [[shield grab]]bing them when optimal, instead of just rolling or dropping their shield after being attacked. It is also much better at handling items in comparison to previous games, as it now recognizes and uses all items that appear, while also repelling any other players trying to get them, and not ceasing fighting if an item appears too far from them (exempting the [[Smash Ball]]) unless the foe goes for it. When a dangerous item or attack such as a {{b|Hammer|item}} or [[Final Smash]] is active on the field, CPUs on revival platforms will stay on them instead of reentering the fight instantly, and also attack any other stragglers while staying away from it.

Aside from being flawed as stated above, in [[free-for-all]]s, CPUs will all target the human player even if they aren't [[Team Battle|teamed]]. They will also target the character that has the highest damage to earn a KO, and in doing so will not attack other CPUs, which results in the CPUs following each other in lockstep. This mechanic has been severely hated by many fans to where FFAs are considered to actually be a 1-vs-3 (player vs. computers).

[[File:SmashUAIShieldbreak.gif|thumb|right|250px|Example of a level nine CPU in ''Smash for Wii U'' (version 1.0.2) using its shield improperly, causing it to break.]]

===In early ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''===

The AI in ''Smash 3DS'' has also gained some other flaws, however, which are unfortunately more potent than in ''Brawl''. When at long distances from foes, CPUs [[spam]] projectiles nearly as much as in ''Melee'', even if these can be easily reflected or absorbed (though unlike in the previous games, they will stop using them when they spot a player with an active reflector/absorber): these include regular attacks that serve as projectiles, such as {{SSB4|Mega Man}}'s Mega Buster attacks and the {{SSB4|Villager}}'s [[forward air]]. Certain characters also overuse other special moves (generally long-ranged approaching ones), even those they didn't before, such as [[Falcon Kick]], [[Rollout]] and [[Wario Bike]], and CPUs with counterattack moves also abuse them to the point they end up spamming them as well.

In general, despite some of the improvements made to it, the AI in early ''Smash 3DS'' plays generally poorer than in ''Brawl'', being notably easier to predict and KO, as well as having poorer defensive abilities; thus, it is much less efficient. The AI was later changed in subsequent [[version]]s of the game and the Wii U version, though (more information can be seen below).

For the first time in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, CPUs in ''Smash U'' partaking in Team Battles will automatically and immediately [[Share stock|use any remaining stocks]] that other teammates have (as long as they are all CPUs as well), regardless of their level, increasing their chances of success.

One of the most drastic improvements involve their efficiency: CPUs now perform far better even at lower difficulty levels, with added aggression and reaction times even at as low as level 2. They are especially notorious for their [[edgeguarding]] abilities near ledges due to these improvements: against recovering opponents, they will go off ledges to edgeguard with attacks instead of waiting on-stage. While recovering, they are programmed to attack back while in the air, throwing out aerials against opponents standing near ledges, and reducing their own vulnerability to edgeguarding. This makes attacking recovering CPUs extremely risky, as it can mean getting hit by a stray aerial, or even being reverse-edgeguarded; it is common to go offstage to edgeguard a vulnerable CPU, only to get meteor smashed or back aired to the player's death. In contrast to the previous games, CPUs will even act in anticipation of attacks at higher levels, compared to the reaction-based responses of previous CPUs; this includes shielding or [[spotdodging]] early to dodge potential attacks, using ledge attacks or rolls to avoid players using neutral infinites at a ledge, and waiting out [[counterattack]]s to punish their endlag. Due to the extended tech windows of ''Ultimate'', attempting a [[stage spike]] or [[jab reset]] will usually result in the CPU successfully teching, as they only do so when they were already using a dodge to avoid an attack that happened to be within teching distance. As a result, CPU players are less predictable and harder to fend off in general, especially in conjunction with their fast response times.

CPUs have also been programmed to take advantage of the new game mechanics: for example, the changes to [[perfect shield]] mechanic do not affect their ability to perfect shield extremely often. CPUs playing fighters with character-specific advantages will now actively take advantage of them (for example, {{SSBU|Snake}} using his [[C4]] to extend his recovery). Characters with new abilities, such as {{SSBU|Link}} with his [[Remote Bomb Rune]], now have new attack patterns associated with them as well. Infamously, CPUs with strong attacks that have a difficult-to-hit sweetspot (such as {{SSBU|Luigi}}, {{SSBU|Mega Man}} and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} with [[Super Jump Punch]], up tilt and uncrouching attack, respectively) will actively respond to close-range encounters by using those attacks, allowing them to land difficult moves to an inhuman degree.

For the first time in the series, CPUs will perform advanced techniques at higher difficulty levels. CPUs using fighters with excellent [[dash dance]]s (such as {{SSBU|Little Mac}}) will begin performing them as an approach option, while those with powerful aerial combo abilities will begin throwing out short-hop aerials at high speeds to pressure shields and initiate combos (such as {{SSBU|Pichu}}, {{SSBU|Ryu}} and {{SSBU|Ken}}). [[B-reverse]]s and [[reverse aerial rush]]es also become fairly common. At Level 9, these habits will become extremely frequent and often becomes the main tactic they do against human players.

In spite of all the improvements made to the AI, CPU-controlled players are still flawed in many ways. Despite the improvements to their abilities, CPUs are still limited to their programming: as a result, they retain many habits that can easily be exploited. For example, several CPUs are not programmed to recover optimally and never use certain recovery moves unless in extremely specific situations: Little Mac never use his [[Jolt Haymaker]] despite it no longer causing helplessness, {{SSBU|Bayonetta}} never uses [[After Burner Kick]] nor a second [[Witch Twist]], and {{SSBU|Incineroar}} will only use [[Alolan Whip]] after a [[Cross Chop]], making them notoriously easy to edgeguard. Those with specific KO throws will still depend on their [[back throw]] to KO at high percentages, regardless of positioning or effectiveness of the throw compared to others, and CPUs will still [[pummel]] extremely slowly despite the increase to [[pummel]] speeds.

CPUs can be baited to react in certain ways due to their programming. Projectile-using CPUs will prioritize using them at a certain distance, making it very easy to anticipate: for example, a CPU {{SSBU|Cloud}} will still launch a [[Blade Beam]] and expend a charged [[Limit Break|Limit Gauge]] even if he is offstage and needs it to recover, while a CPU {{SSBU|Snake}} will always detonate his [[C4]] if a player is standing on it, which can be used to the player's advantage to KO him if he is nearby. This behavior is shared with shielding, as CPUs will put up their shield when a player is approaching from around three character lengths away, which can be exploited with shield-breaking moves. CPUs also have a habit of constantly jumping, using the universal 3-frame jumpsquat to jump out of grounded attacks, and then landing with an aerial repeatedly; this can be predicted and capitalized on by burning the CPU's jumps or perfect shielding their attacks.

As with previous games, higher-leveled CPUs can be baited to use laggy moves or dodges to put them in an instant disadvantage, as they are programmed to react based on distance, player proximity, and an attack being thrown out. Approaching an airborne CPU (especially with an aerial) can make them waste their [[air dodge]], which can no longer be spammed in ''Ultimate''. They will attempt get-up attacks when others are near them and will always get up after a fixed time, allowing for an easy punish. They usually punish shielded hits with a [[shield grab]], which can be exploited against CPU characters with laggy or short grabs, and they will always attempt a shield grab when an opponent attacks their shield with a neutral attack, allowing fighters who have a [[flurry attack]] to simply continue the move and cause the CPU to get hit once they are pushed back enough. CPUs will also actively attempt to grab onto player-generated items such as [[Metal Blade]] or [[Rear Egg]] so long as it is within range, which can be used as a way to frame-trap them into a punish. CPU {{SSBU|Simon}}s and {{SSBU|Richter}}s, who have a [[tether recovery]] tied to their aerials, will only use them if an opponent is near a ledge, as the tether recovery happens as a result of the CPU attempting to hit the player with an aerial; they will not attempt a tether recovery if the player isn't standing in range of their attacks, allowing them to be gimped simply by staying away from the ledge.

Like in previous games, CPU players prioritize human players instead of other CPU players, even if they are closer; this commonly turns single-player Free-For-Alls into a human versus CPU standoff, as the CPUs will aggressively target the human player. Conversely, CPUs will not have the same quick reaction times if pit against other CPUs, with the exception of while edgeguarding, and act comparatively sluggish. This is most problematic during team battles: in a 2v2 situation with one human player, the CPU team will actively ignore the enemy CPU player and focus entirely on the human, while the CPU teammate will respond very slowly against the enemy CPUs, making it an unfair situation. This behavior can easily be seen by having a Free-For-All on a very large stage with one player and many CPUs; if the player actively avoids combat, the CPUs will constantly move towards the player location, even while brawling against each other.