Super Smash Bros. Melee fully decompiled: a native PC port is already playable
By Tgames · · 1 min read
After nearly six years of work, Super Smash Bros. Melee is 100% decompiled: the GameCube game's code now exists in C, and a native PC port, melee-pc, is already in beta.
What has been done
The doldecomp/melee project has transcribed the executable of the US version 1.02 (ID GALE01) into C code which, once recompiled, produces byte for byte the original file. Completion was announced in September 2026. The developers themselves warn that the code still needs a lot of cleaning up before it can serve as the basis for major projects.
melee-pc, the port
Without waiting, developer 999sian has released melee-pc, a native port built on the decompilation:
You need your own game
Like the ports of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, melee-pc contains no game data: it requires an image of your own disc of US Melee 1.02. If you own a GameCube-compatible Wii, you can dump your disc with CleanRip.
A decompilation is not emulation: it is the game itself, recompiled for another machine. Hence projects that run more smoothly, are more customisable, and survive better than those that distribute the full game. We already discussed this for Super Mario Galaxy.
Sources: Decompilation (GitHub) · melee-pc (GitHub) · EventHubs
What has been done
The doldecomp/melee project has transcribed the executable of the US version 1.02 (ID GALE01) into C code which, once recompiled, produces byte for byte the original file. Completion was announced in September 2026. The developers themselves warn that the code still needs a lot of cleaning up before it can serve as the basis for major projects.
melee-pc, the port
Without waiting, developer 999sian has released melee-pc, a native port built on the decompilation:
- Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and even the browser.
- Online play with rollback netcode, local network play, and eight-character friend codes to find each other.
- Match recording in.slp format, the one the competitive community already uses with Slippi.
You need your own game
Like the ports of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, melee-pc contains no game data: it requires an image of your own disc of US Melee 1.02. If you own a GameCube-compatible Wii, you can dump your disc with CleanRip.
A decompilation is not emulation: it is the game itself, recompiled for another machine. Hence projects that run more smoothly, are more customisable, and survive better than those that distribute the full game. We already discussed this for Super Mario Galaxy.
Sources: Decompilation (GitHub) · melee-pc (GitHub) · EventHubs
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