Mastering Super Mario Bros: How AI Dominates the Classic Game
Discover how AI is dominating the classic game Super Mario Bros, outperforming top models like GPT-4. Insights into real-time decision-making and the future of AI capabilities.
22 mars 2025

Discover how the latest AI models stack up in the ultimate gaming challenge - Super Mario Bros. This blog post unveils the surprising results of a groundbreaking study that puts top AI systems to the test, revealing insights into their real-time decision-making capabilities and their potential for handling complex, split-second challenges in the real world.
Why Super Mario Bros is a Challenging AI Benchmark
How the AI Models Performed in the Super Mario Bros Challenge
The Importance of Speed and Real-Time Decision-Making for AI
Implications for AI's Capabilities in the Real World
Conclusion
Why Super Mario Bros is a Challenging AI Benchmark
Why Super Mario Bros is a Challenging AI Benchmark
Real-time gameplay in Super Mario Bros demands instant decision-making, which poses a significant challenge for AI models. Unlike turn-based games like Pokémon, where strong reasoning-based models like GPT-4 can excel, the fast-paced nature of Super Mario Bros requires rapid response times. Even a slight delay in decision-making can lead to disastrous consequences, such as Mario falling off a cliff.
The study found that Cloud 3.7 outperformed other top AI models, including Google's Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-4, in both score achievement and smooth gameplay. This suggests that speed and agility are just as important as intelligence when it comes to navigating the complex and unpredictable environments of Super Mario Bros.
By using an emulator powered by Gaming Agent, which allows AI to control Mario in real-time through Python commands based on live screenshots, researchers have created a benchmark that more accurately reflects the demands of real-world decision-making. This new approach is reshaping our understanding of AI's true capabilities, moving beyond turn-based challenges and towards the assessment of real-time decision-making and response speeds.
How the AI Models Performed in the Super Mario Bros Challenge
How the AI Models Performed in the Super Mario Bros Challenge
The recent tests conducted by researchers on top AI models, including Cloud 3.7, Google's Gemini, and OpenAI's GPT-40, revealed some surprising results. When these models were tasked with playing Super Mario Bros through an emulator powered by the Gaming agent system, Cloud 3.7 emerged as the clear winner, achieving higher scores and smoother gameplay compared to its competitors.
The key challenge in this benchmark was the demand for real-time decision-making and response speeds, which proved to be a significant hurdle for models like GPT-40 that are typically known for their strong reasoning capabilities. The researchers found that even a slight delay in decision-making could lead to Mario falling off a cliff, highlighting the importance of speed in addition to intelligence for this type of task.
This new benchmark is reshaping our understanding of AI's true capabilities, as it moves beyond turn-based challenges like Pokémon and focuses on testing real-time decision-making and response speeds, which are crucial for handling complex, split-second decisions in the real world.
The Importance of Speed and Real-Time Decision-Making for AI
The Importance of Speed and Real-Time Decision-Making for AI
Real-time gameplay in Super Mario Brothers poses a significant challenge for AI models, as it demands instant decision-making and rapid response times. Unlike turn-based benchmarks like Pokémon, where strong reasoning models like GPT-4 can excel, the Mario challenge requires a delicate balance of speed and intelligence.
The researchers found that Cloud 3.7 outperformed other top AI models, such as Google's Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-4, in both score achievement and smooth gameplay. This is because thinking for even a second too long can result in Mario falling off a cliff, highlighting the importance of lightning-fast decision-making in real-time scenarios.
The Super Mario Brothers benchmark is reshaping our understanding of AI's true capabilities, moving beyond traditional turn-based tests and focusing on the critical skills required for handling complex, split-second decisions in the real world. This new approach provides a more accurate representation of how AI systems would perform in dynamic, real-time environments, which is crucial for their future development and deployment.
Implications for AI's Capabilities in the Real World
Implications for AI's Capabilities in the Real World
The recent experiments testing top AI models by having them play Super Mario Brothers have provided valuable insights into the true capabilities of AI systems. Unlike turn-based benchmarks like Pokémon, the real-time gameplay of Super Mario Brothers demands instant decision-making and rapid response times, which are crucial for handling complex, split-second decisions in the real world.
The results of these experiments were surprisingly clear. The Cloud 3.7 model dominated the competition, achieving higher scores and smoother gameplay compared to Google's Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-40. This suggests that speed and agility are just as important as intelligence when it comes to real-time decision-making.
The findings from this new benchmark are reshaping our understanding of AI's true capabilities. While powerful reasoning-based models like GPT-40 may excel in turn-based scenarios, they struggled with the fast-paced demands of Super Mario Brothers, highlighting the need for AI systems that can make quick, accurate decisions in dynamic, real-world environments.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The results of the AI models playing Super Mario Brothers reveal the true complexity of real-time decision-making. While models like GPT-4 excel at language-based tasks, they struggle with the split-second responses required for smooth gameplay in the classic video game. In contrast, the Cloud 3.7 model demonstrated superior performance, achieving higher scores and more seamless maneuvers.
This new benchmark highlights the importance of testing AI systems in dynamic, real-world environments, rather than relying solely on turn-based or simulated tasks. The ability to make rapid, intelligent decisions is crucial for AI to handle the complexities of the real world, and the Super Mario Brothers challenge provides a unique and insightful test of these capabilities.
As researchers continue to push the boundaries of AI, this benchmark serves as a valuable tool for understanding the true strengths and limitations of current models. By focusing on real-time decision-making, it offers a glimpse into the future of AI and its potential applications in a wide range of industries and scenarios.
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