Do Pro Smashers Struggle With Single Player Challenges?

[mario15]

Not too long ago, I took on the daunting challenge of completing intensity 9.0 in classic mode without losing a life, and after about ten miserable failures, I emerged victorious. Now I am by no means a professional Smash Brothers player, but I was able to overcome what I consider the most difficult challenge in any of the Smash Brothers games to date, so with that said, I've been wondering, do the pro Smashers in the competitive scene struggle with challenges like this one? I only raise the question because I know that these guys are the best of the best, but I imagine that ordeals such as intensity 9.0 could cause even the most seasoned of Smashers to falter, or maybe not, maybe the pros scoff at these challenges that make amateurs cower in fear, so what do you guys think?

 

[FieryRebirth]

I had a similar dilemma after playing Brawl online so much that I got rekt on SSE when I decided to finish getting the rest of the hidden items. I think I had similar problems when just playing Classic too.

The CPU in Smash 4 seem to adopt traits based on your online encounters. They do use player tactics, but ultimately the hardest price you have to pay is how unpredictable they are.

 

[FamilyTeam]

Classic is based on luck, a lot. And Zero played Classic Mode 9.0 during a stream a few days ago, and honestly, if anything, he did worse than most of us tend to do. He couldn't even get to Master Fortress.
Your skill is kind of N/A in Classic. To me, it was always more about your ability to abuse the stage, the enemy's AI, and managing your luck with items than any sort of actually knowledge of the game that might come in useful in competitive battles.

 

[Windwraith]

I find that they require entirely different mind-sets. Player-versus-player, your success is based heavily upon psychology, as well as your knowledge of individual character and stage mechanics. Utilizing reads, conditioning your foes, riding the emotional roller-coaster- these are the things that I've found those on a higher level succeed at.

The single-player campaign? As FamilyTeam suggested, it can be heavily reliant on luck, exploiting the stage's gimmicks, and the items that appear. If it's an 8-player Smash and a hammer or Smash Ball drops out of your reach, you're probably going to have a bad time. And if you're not good at manipulating AI? Oi. Some hilarious things can come out of that though, like Mewtwo killing himself with a poorly-placed Teleport or Ganondorf letting out a Warlock Punch, only for a Bob-omb to spawn right in front of him right as he releases.

 

[FamilyTeam]

You must also remember the entire game seems to go against you when you play Classic 9.0.
Some people defend the AI in these games by saying they don't read your inputs. And indeed they don't! They just act almost exactly as if they did, so isn't the same result in the end?
Speaking of AI, yeah, 2v2 is a pain when them CPUs gang up on your buddy that's as capable of playing the game as your grandma is.

 

[mario15]

Classic is based on luck, a lot. And Zero played Classic Mode 9.0 during a stream a few days ago, and honestly, if anything, he did worse than most of us tend to do. He couldn't even get to Master Fortress.
Your skill is kind of N/A in Classic. To me, it was always more about your ability to abuse the stage, the enemy's AI, and managing your luck with items than any sort of actually knowledge of the game that might come in useful in competitive battles.

Really? That's interesting, I thought the only time you would hear the phrase "Zero lost" in a sentence was if the phrase "Everyone who fought" came before it. I suspect that the main problem competitive Smashers like Zero face when going up against the cpu are their reliance on mind games. Zero and players like him are able to trick their opponents based on what they observe on the screen, the computer is not susceptible to this simply because they don't need to observe the onscreen action or even be limited by the need to physically press a button on a controller. The computer uses a convoluted set of algorithms for just about every variable combat situation (When player performs x action, I will counter with y reaction.), this negates the effectiveness of mind games because the computer doesn't watch your character, they read your button inputs, how else could they pull off frame perfect shielding and dodges? Combine that with the luck factor of classic with the items and stages (75m, ugh...) like you said, and you have a mode that relies on about 40% skill, and 60% dumb luck, in fact, I would go as far to say that the only part of classic that is entirely skill based is the Master Hand battle, because there are no items, and the stage is final destination (No Fox only, and no Johns.)

 

[FamilyTeam]

in fact, I would go as far to say that the only part of classic that is entirely skill based is the Master Hand battle, because there are no items, and the stage is final destination (No Fox only, and no Johns.)

Until you get to the swords transformation.
My Captain Falcon once got 0 to death'd by that thing.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Classic mode and All-Star mode are heavily rigged against you on the higher difficulty levels. It doesn't matter how good you are in the competitive scene when you play those game modes, as the CPUs are inhuman, you have to contend with item attacks, AND you've got Master Core to deal with as well.

All-Star mode can also be cruel in the sense that you've got as many as 3 CPUs ganging up on you, and they can't hurt each other at all. Even if their direct attacks are weaker than normal, all of that damage will eventually get you slaughtered if you can't avoid those gang attacks. And the worst part is that you're not allowed to use ANY customizations, because of the recovery restrictions that are present in that game mode; some equipment bonus effects can bypass the recovery restrictions.

 

[MarMarTheGreat]

Classic Mode and the CPU in general are nothing compared to Online or Competitive play

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Classic Mode and the CPU in general are nothing compared to Online or Competitive play

You do have to contend with lag for online play. Also, a human player doesn't have the reflexes that a CPU has, which makes it so that even an awful character can end up annihilating you in a matter of seconds.

 

[MarMarTheGreat]

You do have to contend with lag for online play. Also, a human player doesn't have the reflexes that a CPU has, which makes it so that even an awful character can end up annihilating you in a matter of seconds.

Yes the lag cripples certain characters and we dont have the reflexes of the CPU but we also dont play as predictable as the CPU...

Local Play is the best I guess..

 

[Harmonious]

If a level 9 computer isn't already in an animation, it will respond perfectly to your inputs every time. This can make them a bit more predictable in the sense that you know you have to wait for them to do something to hit them, but it makes them incredibly difficult to approach. Compared to a 1v1 match against Zero, challenges like these are easy, but compared to a fight against your 1v1 vs Average Joe these challenges are almost Kaizo-worthy.