Getting Started: Arcade mode has recently gotten extremely optimized, and as such requires 90% luck and 10% answered prayers for a world record run. Following the strategies in the guide and responding properly to AI actions will nearly always result in a good run, but just know that world record runs are more menuing for resets than actual running. Timing begins on hitting confirm to enter a course, and ends on the last hit ("KO" coming up) on the last enemy.

General Tips: When it comes to AI difficulty, each round has a color associated with it. These signify AI difficulty like the colored squares in online matches, but the order is a bit different. For Arcade mode, from easiest to hardest, the order is: Green -> Blue -> Purple -> Red. All matches of the same color will generally be the same difficulty, but results vary due to RNG. This also means that Extreme Gravity or Hyperbolic Time Chamber's third match are much easier than Snake Way's third match. As the AI moves up in difficulty, it becomes more responsive and better at blocking/reflecting, punishing, mixups, combos and assists as well as having increasing health, ki generation and damage output. Hard mode AIs can instakill you with a level 5 super, or a decent combo into DHC so BE CAREFUL, especially around level 3s that work in midair like Vegeta. Also look out for Vegeta specifically, he likes to randomly use his level three for no reason and it is a trend to walk straight into it. To deal with most of the AI's trickery, it can be good to jump away out of reach since they normally don't follow you and superdash at them. AIs are horrible at dealing with superdash. For team composition, across normal and hard, always carry Android 16. His self destruct, if used immediately on the final opponent of a round, saves at minimum 10 seconds in normal mode. In hard mode this time save goes up to a minute plus. During the match, sparking should be used after the final blow to the first enemy, before they fall to the ground, so you have full sparking for the second enemy. Switch out to Android 16 when you can kill the second enemy with a single combo out of superdash, and try to avoid destructive finishes other than from self destruct.

Normal Mode Tips: Here your goal is to minimize the number of hits to kill an enemy since damage is minimal. 4 hit combos into a soft knockdown are generally the fastest option here, and this works across most characters. Start combos with 2M (Down medium), since AIs are worse at guarding low, as well as 2M having the best damage scaling.

Hard Mode Tips: These guys hit hard, they hit often, and they don't take kindly to being hit back. Superdash has poor damage scaling as an opener, making it slower, but its a heck of a lot safer. If they block a string, superdash. If they block that, jump away and reset. Every run is different because of how many ways the AI can react. Android 16's self destruct is thankfully easy to use in hard mode, since the AI charges at you while you use it. For consistency, dash into the enemy while using it and they almost always do an attack that you armor through.

Snake Way (Normal) Tips: This is the easiest to complete, but the hardest to get a good run on. All three fights are heavily against you in terms of RNG. For the first fight, Trunks tends to dodge self destruct using his command grab, so backdashing once before using it gets it a bit more consistent but not 100%. During the second fight, SSGSS Vegeta will continuously throw out attacks and block every other string. Its annoying. If Krillin gets the chance, he WILL level 3 you. No exceptions. Android 18 is fortunately easy, if you use self destruct on the first frame available she takes too long to respond and is an easy KO. The third fight is messy compared to the others though. Goku Black is notorious for blocking everything and then throwing out a level 3 if you don't kill him quick enough. Kid Buu is manageable as long as he does not go above you, in which case he either pulls himself away with a medium or uses a level 1 to hit you. If he techs up, superdash after him and don't let him escape. Cell is pretty easy as well, as long as you dash towards him while using self destruct he gets caught.

Snake Way (Hard) Tips: This one is mostly the same as before, but with everything turned up to 11. With faster ki generation you need to be on constant lookout for incoming supers, but the AIs patterns remain similar. Trunks's command grab comes out a lot sooner here, so it also gets hit by self destruct now making the first fight a bit easier. The second fight is almost the same, while the third fight can be trying just to stay alive now. Remember, jump away if you run out of things to throw, they still can't deal with superdashing very well.

Extreme Gravity Spaceship (Normal) Tips: The first two rounds are probably the easiest out of every course, you shouldn't have any trouble with these other than block RNG. Fight three features Cell, who really likes to use his 2H (Down heavy) to attack. This isn't done in response to superdashes, but it certainly does mess you up if you are in the middle of one. Android 18 constantly calls in 17 assist into level 1, so be careful of whiffing any attacks here. Once they are gone, Android 16 99% will go for a command grab throw (I've never seen him do differently), so self destruct right off the bat will kill him. Fight four is one of the trickiest for some people, because of Kid Buu's antics and Fat Buu's weird attacks. This stage is also where it starts to get likely that the AI will go for a Z-Change, so keep up the pressure. Be careful to not whiff attacks below Kid Buu, because he will pull himself away like in Snake Way. Goku can special attack (QCB M/Spinny kick) through self destruct, so this one is pretty RNG on whether it hits. Fight 5 isn't that bad, since Goku RNG here isn't too bad. Goku Blue can divekick you from above so do watch for that. Goku Black tends to attack right into self destruct so the final kill is generally an easy one.

Extreme Gravity Spaceship (Hard) Tips: As with Snake Way Hard, Extreme Gravity Spaceship Hard smooths out any character specific AI patterns. The only things worth noting for specific characters is aerial level 3s and Cell, who continue to like to 2H you for some reason. Other than that this course is mainly avoiding death until you can self destruct. As with all hard mode courses, remember to dash into enemies before self destruct to bait an attack.

Hyperbolic Time Chamber (Normal) Tips: This whole course is super inconsistent, sometimes more so than Hard. First fight is pretty standard, the AI barely moves here until Gotenks. Gotenks absolutely loves to either jump over or backdash from self destruct, so this first fight is reset heavy. The most consistent method I have found is to superdash into him and wait for him to land before using self destruct. Second fight is easier, since Nappa almost never dodges and Yamcha + Tien just stand there. Third fight is where the AI actually starts moving on its own, and it can be a pain. If you whiff an attack, this is the level they start punishing on so don't overextend. Once you clear Trunks and 18, eternal gatekeeper Krillin almost always jumps your self destruct. Same method as Gotenks applies here. Fight four is where it gets real, with Cell, Frieza and Kid Buu all in one place. As always, Cell and Frieza use 2H as their primary attack method so be on guard for that. Kid Buu normally just attacks into self destruct, but he can use his ball attack in midair to stall and dodge it. Fight 5 is more of what you've seen but worse. Vegeta will level 3 whenever he techs, and if he doesn't have the bars somehow for it he'll hit you with his special (QCF M) into level 1. Gohan is known for teching down into wakeup level 3 and it does a LOT of damage so be careful with him if he doesn't get caught by self destruct. Fight 6 is actually a bit better except for Frieza. Being in last slot, he likes to continue the trend of jumping out of the way of your self destruct so use the superdash strategy like before to bait him. The final fight is much more consistent than the previous two, so the only worry here is the amount of health the enemy has. If you've made it this far there's nothing you aren't already aware of, so finish strong and the run is done.

Hyperbolic Time Chamber (Hard) Tips: This combines the inconsistency of Normal with the AI cheatiness of Hard mode. You have been warned. Each round will either go perfectly in your favor or you die immediately and have to retry. Fight 5 on Hard is the most difficult to complete fight, and is likely where you die in a good run. This is also a level where barely winning can sometimes be faster than winning with a perfect. All I can say here is good luck and watch for reflect.