Which CPU level is the best balance between 'fun' and 'challenging' to you?

[Deleted member]

This game has a much more ferocious Level 9 CPU compared to other Smash Bros. games, their air-dodging is top notch as well as their perfect countering due to reading inputs really takes the difficulty to a new level when facing them without customs.

For you personally, which level of CPU do you get the highest enjoyment while maintaining the challenging aspect? I'm going to only put the poll from 4-9 to make less options and I feel the lower CPU levels generally aren't challenging.

 

[Arcadenik]

Level 8 for me.

 

[Pazx]

No level CPU is challenging, air dodging and inhumane reaction speed isn't enough to make them good.

 

[Deleted member]

No level CPU is challenging, air dodging and inhumane reaction speed isn't enough to make them good.

How often do you play level 9 CPUs? Generally I found for Melee I could rip through the CPU, sometimes even 3 CPU vs 1 at Level 9, but this game is quite different when it's 1 on 1.

 

[Pazx]

How often do you play level 9 CPUs? Generally I found for Melee I could rip through the CPU, sometimes even 3 CPU vs 1 at Level 9, but this game is quite different when it's 1 on 1.

I could take 3 level 9s on a team in Brawl without much difficulty and I don't see them being much more powerful in this game, I play them quite frequently as I refuse to play online.. Conversely, I often struggle with a single high level CPU in Melee.

 

[Turrin]

I play level eights when I want to be guaranteed to win every time, but not have it easy. If I want an actual challenge, I just don't play CPU's. I go online.

 

[ICXCM]

I wish there was an 8.5 especially if you're learning someone new, and 8 is easy, but 9 is on the cusp of I'll go back to my mains and play online.

 

[Tino]

Beating up CPUs below Lv. 5 aren't fun at all so Lv. 9 CPUs is the best for me. When I play with my sister, it's either Lv. 6 or 7.

 

[_gold_]

I can handle lvl 9 CPU's easily, but they play a little weird for me. Almost glitchy or something. I find lvl 8 to be more suitable.

 

[Hellzsaint]

I don't seem to understand level 9s, in fact playing with them makes me worse.
It encourages me to always be in the air since for some reason they rarely punish that.
So whenever I go online I start spamming jump and get my butt kicked.
I don't really play against CPUs anymore.

 

[YoPoYo9100]

Level 6 for me, anything higher will just airdodge all of my edgegaurd attempts.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[FloatingMew]

I don't usually play against CPU characters unless I am testing something for characters, during which I play against Level 7 CPUs.

 

[PigglyJuff]

7, and even then I don't play computers that much.

 

[JimeVR46]

Its not fun unless its challenging. So... level 9, always- for me. None of them are an issue, except their reaction speed is absolutely ridiculous- but I just chalk that up as something to learn to overcome.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

That's kind of a tough question to answer. I seem to have an easier time dealing with a level 5 Bowser Jr. when I'm using Rosalina, while he's tougher to beat when I use King Dedede.

 

[_Vicious_]

i like to play 7 or 8 nut the problem with the CPU is they keep air dodging when i am trying to combo as Zss

 

[Manta]

Level 8. Level 9s air dodge 90% of all air attacks which makes characters good in the air but not the ground almost useless.

 

[visvim]

5-7 seems to be the sweet spot - they're still a far cry from human opponents, but they serve their purpose. 9s aren't difficult to beat so much as they are totally inhuman - stuff that should work on opponents doesn't and vice versa.

 

[allison]

9s aren't difficult to beat so much as they are totally inhuman - stuff that should work on opponents doesn't and vice versa.

This is why I avoid playing CPU's: they can create bad habits.

 

[LF2K]

7 for me. At that level, they're not too tough but not complete boneheads.

 

[Evello]

Level 8's and 9's aren't really hard for me, they are just super weird due to their inhuman reaction time. They're honestly pretty dumb, and jump right into obvious smash attacks a lot. But they perfectly dodge 80-90% of your aerials and get out of every non-true combo. You end up adopting bizarre strategies while ignoring techniques and combos that would work on any human opponent. Level 7's, while slightly more human in their general reaction time, are a little too easy for me. I tend to fight level 8's and just try not to pick up too many bad habits.

 

[Kikkipoptart12]

I pick 7, I can beat 8 or 9 but they are just not fun, they start to really spam at the level which is bad and boring to play against.

 

[LordKKs]

9, but they are glitchy

 

[Smoking_Hot_BBQ]

7 or 8 usually.

 

[stancosmos]

lvl 6 for me. This way they still throw out attacks and dodges but don't automatically counter or dodge when you put in an input. I find they're the best for training. I can still combo them and such and work on my own input speed. Lvl 9 perfect shielding and perfect air dodges just make me a worse player and condition me to play predictably.

 

[LunarWingCloud]

I feel like Smash 4's CPU AI is imbalanced. Level 8s aren't that smart but Level 9s are often TOO smart. Brawl I found had better scaling. That said simply because 8s aren't supercomputer cheap as **** I will say 8.

 

[Raijinken]

Honestly, I answer 8 for straight CPUs, but Amiibos are actually the most fun challenge to me. They don't have quite the same function as level 9s, aren't (at least none of my four) as likely to simply pshield and punish literally everything, etc. But they're still a challenge due to their stronger hits and higher weight at high levels (even without feeding gear). It makes them feel like a more fair challenge, to me.

 

[Pippu]

Level 9

go big or go home

 

[OmegaSorin]

I'll have to go with Level 8.

Its at that point I'm given a decent challenge, but also a not outright loss.

 

[HeavyMetalSonic]

I can beat level 9's no problem, but it's not fun. So I generally stick to level 7-8 if I ever play against them. You don't have to sit there and coax them into making mistakes and seems a little more "fair.

But... What about a level 50 amiibo? Still a CPU ;3. Jesus they can be hard. Not impossible, but hard. Even harder if you stick abilities on them. (Stick explosive shield on PIkachu, teach it to thunder a lot so when you grab it you get hit by thunder, Max attack and defence, give it increased land speed ability to nullify -speed as it's hard to max all 3 stats. Give it KO healing/vampire/autoheal ability... Cry.)

 

[OmegaSorin]

I can beat level 9's no problem, but it's not fun. So I generally stick to level 7-8 if I ever play against them. You don't have to sit there and coax them into making mistakes and seems a little more "fair.

But... What about a level 50 amiibo? Still a CPU ;3. Jesus they can be hard. Not impossible, but hard. Even harder if you stick abilities on them. (Stick explosive shield on PIkachu, teach it to thunder a lot so when you grab it you get hit by thunder, Max attack and defence, give it increased land speed ability to nullify -speed as it's hard to max all 3 stats. Give it KO healing/vampire/autoheal ability... Cry.)

I absolutely love fighting my Marth Amiibo with my Marth/Luci Main style going. It is fun and awesome, and ontop of that my Amiibo learns how to better kick my ass next time.

 

[Clint Jaguar]

I only use CPU's now to practice combos so lvl 7 is good enough.

 

[ShadowLBlue]

Level 8's and 9's aren't really hard for me, they are just super weird due to their inhuman reaction time. They're honestly pretty dumb, and jump right into obvious smash attacks a lot. But they perfectly dodge 80-90% of your aerials and get out of every non-true combo. You end up adopting bizarre strategies while ignoring techniques and combos that would work on any human opponent. Level 7's, while slightly more human in their general reaction time, are a little too easy for me. I tend to fight level 8's and just try not to pick up too many bad habits.

It is really weird how great they are at dodging aerials yet walk into obvious ground attacks. And maybe it's just me but I find it weird how the CPU rarely spams projectiles. They also don't make good use of their projectile reflectors. I can be sending a wave of thundershocks at Pit and he'll try to dodge most rather than just putting up his down-b. I also rarely ever seen CPU Villager use his B move.

 

[xroninbladex]

Definitely CPU 7. Anything beyond that is just too unrealistic for casual or competitive play.

 

[Deleted member]

I find 6s good for discovering a new character, 7s for when you want a bit more advanced play, and 8 for optimal training with a main. 9s... well, they don't really let you feel out the individual strengths of a character more than they force you to play simply to beat the algorithm of a 9, if that makes sense.

 

[Manta]

I find 6s good for discovering a new character, 7s for when you want a bit more advanced play, and 8 for optimal training with a main. 9s... well, they don't really let you feel out the individual strengths of a character more than they force you to play simply to beat the algorithm of a 9, if that makes sense.

This is EXACTLY what I do.

 

[Darklink401]

7s are a bit too easy, Id play against them when I want to practice someone I am completely new with. 8 is often the best, but I do like to play 9s for the added challenge.

 

[kirbzpuff]

I never play above level 5 cause I suck

 

[Kleric]

For lack of being able to be online at home, I've always been training against Level 9 CPU's. Can't quite take 2 teamed up against me yet, but for 1-on-1 sessions I 4-stock them quite often.
On rare occasions, (Usually against CPU's such as Dr. Mario) I'll be brought down to my last life... but I believe out of all my matches I only lost once or twice against a Level 9 CPU.

 

[Cornstalk]

I find somewhere between 5 an 7 make reasonable practice dummies and probably behave closest to what you would get in a For Glory match. They will do air attacks, they'll punish poor choices, occasionally make poor choices, and they don't feel like they're blatantly reading and responding to your button inputs like level 9's do.

4 and under don't understand air combat at all.

It also depends on the character. Jigglypuff is laughably awful no matter the AI level, while characters with counters are straight up cheaters the higher the number goes. Who needs a read when you're program to respond with a counter the moment the player pushes a button?

And just in case you don't believe the AI responds to your button inputs... go back to Melee and Wave Dash in front of a level 9 AI. The game doesn't know what a wave dash is, so it goes off the button input, which is shield. The response to shielding is to grab. You can get an AI controlled Marth to attempted a grab like this easily 4 out of 5 times.


Still, level 9's having perfect hit avoiding tendencies are still useful to see how hard a combo is to escape from without the slightly out of whack training room (slightly more damage, no rage, no stale moves... blah... some practice mode)