Super Smash Bros Melee PC port is on the way as GameCube classic gets decompiled

A six-year long Super Smash Bros. Melee decompilation project has been completed, which means the iconic GameCube brawler is set to get a PC port.

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Bowser and Captain Falcon stand atop the GameCube, while Mario, Kirby and the Ice Climbers appear among the controllers.

Kosta Andreadis

Senior Editor

Published Sep 9, 2026 2:28 AM CDT

1 minute & 30 seconds read time

What you need to know

A six-year decompilation of Super Smash Bros. Melee is complete, enabling a potential native PC port that could add higher resolutions, mods, texture packs and ray-traced lighting. The team used LLMs-including OpenAI's Astra-to finish the work; ports will still require original game assets and may take time to stabilize.

Voice: Kosta AndreadisSpeed

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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.

The GameCube fighting game's ensemble artwork brings together fighters including Mario, Kirby, Link, Pikachu and Donkey Kong.

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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.

Read more: Native PC port of GameCube classic Super Smash Bros. Melee also includes DLSS 5
Read more: Nintendo PC ports keep coming with Super Mario Galaxy and Pilotwings 64

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.

Story Q&A

From TweakTown's coverage of this story.

Will the decompiled Melee port require an original GameCube disc or ROM to supply assets and music?

Yes. The port will require a copy of the original game for things like art assets and music, according to the story. It also says this is how recompilation ports have worked in recent projects.

What resolution and graphics options are likely in the PC version of Super Smash Bros. Melee?

No exact resolution is given, but the PC version is expected to run at much higher resolutions than the original GameCube release. It is also said to support mods, texture packs, and even ray-traced lighting.

Will the Melee PC port be compatible with mods and texture packs from the start?

The story says the eventual PC version will support mods and texture packs, but it does not say that compatibility will be there from day one. It also notes there is no timeline for release and that the port still needs work to deal with bugs and other issues.

Want something else? Ask TweakBot.

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.