Super Smash Bros Melee has a legacy that’s stretched on far past its initial release on the GameCube. It’s just reached another new horizon this week with the launch of a popular piece of emulation software on Steam. If you’ve been waiting for Melee on Steam before you jumped in, you might finally be free to experience one of the best fighting games just a few decades after its release.
The Dolphin Emulator has built up a reputation as one of the best PC emulators. This week, plans have been unveiled for a whole new platform for Dolphin, Steam. This potentially opens the doors for some players to play loads of classics including one of the top fighting games of all time, Super Smash Bros Melee.
Dolphin Emulator on Steam
Source: Dolphin
The Dolphin Emulator has announced that they’ll be listing on Steam later this year. Dolphin isn’t a game. Instead, it’s a piece of emulation software which can recreate hardware.
Emulation software is always a bit of a thorny area. As far as Dolphin is concerned though, nothing being listed for download on Steam is against their rules. You’re not downloading a ROM of a game. Just a very polished way to potentially play software for a different console on PC.
Can You Play Melee Through Steam with This?
ROMs are on shaky ground legally. It’s something Nintendo is quick to remind those who host them. However, they are actually legal for anyone who already owns a physical copy of a game. For those with an old reliable hard copy of the title on GameCube, this Dolphin emulator on Steam means that you’re within your rights to boot up Melee on Steam.
While many hope for a Melee remake to one day preserve all the now-loved unintentional mechanics while polishing the title, it’s unlikely. Nintendo seems content to let Melee remain on the GameCube. However, pros are increasingly having to debate the meaning of the word mod to justify their “original” hardware. With Melee remaining a mainstay of fighting game competitions, ways to play the game without the old hardware are becoming increasingly useful. The Dolphin emulator hitting Steam should help to keep fans’ efforts to preserve games going. It’ll even make it a little bit easier to grind some Melee.
Slippi and Dolphin… or Why This Isn’t Ideal Melee on Steam
The Slippi build Is often thought of as the gold standard for Melee emulation. It isn’t currently compatible with the vanilla form of Dolphin. This poses a problem for actually using Dolphin for Melee on Steam! Although, the Slippi team has said they’re working on improvements and making it more widely available, despite setbacks from Nintendo. It might take a bit longer, but even idealized Melee on Steam might be possible soon.
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