Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube is one of the most seminal fighting games ever released. Created by Masahiro Sakurai, the Nintendo mascot and character brawler began on the Nintendo 64 and was last seen on the original Switch with the acclaimed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, it's the GameCube's Melee that turned the series into a fighting and competitive gaming staple.
In fact, Melee is the reason why Nintendo and third parties still create GameCube controllers. For Smash Bros. fans, Melee's blend of accessible gameplay and deep mechanics has made it a go-to game that's still played today. So yeah, the idea that Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube is on track to get an unofficial PC port is pretty big news.
Although there's no timeline for when it's set to arrive, it's now on the cards because a complex six-year Super Smash Bros Melee decompilation project has finally been completed. With Super Smash Bros Melee decompiled, its code can now be converted to C to create a faithful, native PC port of the original.
In recent years, several decompilation projects have produced native PC ports of classic games, removing the need for retro console hardware or emulation. With the decompilation of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the eventual PC version will run the game at much higher resolutions and support mods, texture packs, and even features like ray-traced lighting.
The team behind the decompilation project notes that porting the code to PC means dealing with bugs and other issues, so it could take a while. Interestingly, the team mostly used LLMs, and to get the Super Smash Bros Melee decompilation project over the line, they used OpenAI's new and impressive Astra model.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Will the decompiled Melee port require an original GameCube disc or ROM to supply assets and music?
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As for the project's legality, it's a grey area, but one that is somewhat litigation-immune. Because recompiled source code doesn't infringe copyright, any Super Smash Bros Melee PC port will require a copy of the original game for things like art assets and music. This has been the case with all recompilation ports and projects of late, including the recently debuted Donkey Kong 64 PC port.
