Artificial intelligence

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Artificial intelligence (abbreviated as "AI") in the Super Smash Bros. series refers to the intelligence of any Computer Player in the single-player and Versus Modes. In Versus Mode, players can preset the AI of a computer player. In Adventure Mode, All-Star Mode, and Classic Mode, players can still set it to some degree.

Artificial intelligence levels range from between 1 and 9, with 1 being the weakest and 9 the strongest.

Criticism

There are many complaints surrounding the poor artificial intelligence of computer players in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee. YouTube features several videos depicting the glitches in this faulty AI system for all three games.

Super Smash Bros.

Examples of flawed AI in Super Smash Bros. include:

• The largest flaw with level 9 CPU players in Super Smash Bros. (SSB) is that they roll incredibly often compared to their Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl counterparts.
• Computer players having poor recovery abilities, e.g., if the player jumps into a level 9 Falcon's up special move, the Falcon will not recover. The same thing occurs if the player attacks an opponent's character out of their up special.
• Projectile/charge move spamming (such as a level 9 Pikachu consistently using Thunder Jolt or a Donkey Kong level 9 using Giant Punch cancels).
• In Hyrule Castle, a level 9 Kirby may repeatedly use Stone on the left side of the stage, causing him to slide down, resulting in an SD.
• If there is a player on the right side of the Saffron City stage, computer players will walk into the doors of the Pokémon trap.
• On Peach's Castle, if a player stands on the bottom platform, and a CPU is on one of the moving platforms, they will run into the wall repeatedly.
• When an item appears, a level 9 computer player will attempt to grab it, and will even stop fighting to get the item.
• If a throwing item appears on a platform and a Computer Player picks it up and another player is below the platform, the computer player will throw the throwing item on the ground until it disappears, even if the item is a Bob-omb, often leading to the computer player self-destructing.
• If an AI player on any level is hit while, or even after using a third jump, it will never use it again until falling to its doom, resulting in SDs.
• There is also an AI glitch where if a player is fighting Fox in Sector Z, and runs off to the edge of the stage, Fox will follow the player and aim Fire Fox off of the stage, resulting in an SD.
• A CPU Ness will always aim his recovery sideways, even if the ledge is above him.

On the other hand, compared to at least the Melee AI and possibly the Brawl AI, the SSB computers are overall better at KO'ing. Unlike Melee computers, SSB computers go for kills more often, such as Link CPUs using down aerials to kill or DK CPUs using their down smash.

Links

• [1]: Abusing Fox's AI on Dreamland
• [2]: Abusing DK's AI in training mode
• [3] The majority of TAS videos by Andtgar, show off abusing SSB AI while perfectly comboing.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

There are several examples of flawed AI in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Most Computer players will always spam their neutral attack and projectiles repeatedly (if they are at long distances between the player), and are very easily edge-hogged. Certain stages are notorious for exploiting poor AI, such as Rainbow Cruise and Final Destination. Kongo Jungle is the best known stage for exploiting poor AI as it is easy to KO computer players by simply grabbing an edge, dropping from the edge as they attack, and then re-grabbing the edge. Another example of poor AI in Jungle Japes is to face a level 9 Ness on 1 stock and not move. Ness will try to jump over to the player, but will ultimately, fall into the river. This same event also happens when the player faces a level 9 Yoshi on 1 stock on Fourside. Another example of poor AI is in Subcon, where if the player is close to the left edge of the stage, a Level 6 DK will use his down or forward aerial, then try to recover, but will ultimately SD. Yet another example can be found in Icicle Mountain when the stage begins to scroll upwards very fast. The AI will only advance one platform at a time, usually too slow to escape the lower blast line, resulting in a self-destruct.

The computer players in Melee also make poor use of their shields, and use grab attacks far more often than normal attacks. The best example is Dr. Mario. They also have a tendency to overuse one move, such as Captain Falcon constantly overusing Falcon Dive and Raptor Boost after forward throw, often in a self destruct when near the edge as well as Ganondorf overusing Dark Dive. Also, a computer controlled Luigi will never use his up special to recover, even if he is directly below a ledge - instead he will always use his side special, which gains little vertical distance. Also, a computer controlled Zelda will constantly use the strong down attack. Many computer players, especially while metal, will also self-destruct while attempting to meteor smash an opponent. Some CPUs in Melee will pick up a Hammer on Jungle Japes. When a character with the hammer comes to a part where the player must jump over the openings they will fall and not recover and be KO'd. Sometimes they jump constantly swinging the hammer.

When an item appears, the computer players never pick them up (except healing items, Poké Balls, Cloaking Devices, or Hammers), instead they only pick them up when the player or CPU are next to the items.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

While the AI has been significantly improved, there remain some examples of AI limitations in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In Brawl, certain characters (most prominently Ness) know how to use their recovery more. Higher level Luigis will be resourceful. If a character gets an item like a Starman, rather than just trying to avoid that character, they'll also use the opportunity to attack any stragglers. When a Smash Ball appears, opponents will aggressively attack it at opportune times, while repelling anyone who tries to get it as well. One change from Melee is that computer players focus more on attacking human players rather than other computer players.

Another new feature is that the computer's level in Training Mode can now be selected. The AI is also improved greatly, as opponents set to Attack will actively fight the player, rather than walking towards them and rarely throwing an attack like in previous installments.

There are some examples of AI limitations in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The CPUs seem to be somewhat easier to KO than the average human player, even when set at level 9, but not significantly (though, this was also present in the two previous games). They sometimes have hard time to avoid certain stage hazards, and sometimes self-destruct quite easily in certain situations in scrolling stages, such as Rainbow Cruise and Big Blue. They also have generally poor edgeguarding abilities, though, self-destructing while attempting to edgeguard isn't very common, unlike in the two previous titles. The flaws in Brawl's artificial intelligence are few, but potent. For example, when a player constantly grabs a ledge, the level 9 computer players tend to stand still until the player goes back on the stage and will sometimes self-destruct when attempting to attack the player. When a CPU Luigi uses Negative Zone, he will almost always spam his Fireballs over and over again, even on level 9, the same way that a Pit CPU using Palutena's Army will spam his Palutena's Arrow (though these were supposedly fixed for the PAL release of the game). When fighting against a level 9 Pikachu on Delfino Plaza, if one jumps in and out of the water while the Pikachu is on the land, the Pikachu will constantly use Thunder. Some computer players may also play strangely in very complex Custom Stages. In the underground versions of Mushroomy Kingdom, even a level 9 will sometimes repeatedly attack the blocks, ignoring the player even if items aren't on. They also have a habit of rolling into an edge when Snake uses his Down throw near an edge.

There has also been speculation that the AI at level 9 reads button commands and reacts accordingly, which has sparked anger among some smashers who feel that the AI should be made better rather than do what they term as 'cheating'. Some inconclusive experiments were performed by the SLAPAHO crew to see if this allegation is true, and though no definitive results were obtained, their findings justify future experimentation and research. However, many smashers (mostly experienced) conclude that regardless, the AI at level 9 is still easy to beat because of their flaws (and they even go as far as joking about their "difficulty" by recording occasions where they perform feats otherwise impossible for the AI to do, like in this video and the comments on this video.)

A CPU player (regardless of level) will always aim for solid platforms that can be sweetspotted when recovering, even when there are "soft" platforms off the stage.

There also appears to be a system in place which enables the AI to learn, as demonstrated in this video and this video. These videos are courtesy of YouTube user ChurroEmiliano. More details about these videos can be found on his blog post.

Aside from some advanced techniques and play-styles, the AI have also been reported to "learn" to taunt a KO by crouch-spamming (as shown here), and to overuse Falcon Punches after humans play several Falcon Punch free-for-alls (as shown here.)