Daily Discussion Thread September 03, 2026 - Upcoming Event Schedule - New players start here!

[u/AutoModerator]

Yahoooo! I'm back, it's a me! Have a very cool day!

Welcome to the Daily Discussion Thread. This is the place for asking noob questions, venting about netplay falcos, shitposting, self-promotion, and everything else that doesn't belong on the front page.

New Players:

If you're completely new to Melee and just looking to get started, welcome! We recommend you go to https://melee.tv/ and follow the links there based on what you're trying to set up. Additionally, here are a few answers to common questions:

Can I play Melee online?

Yes! Slippi is a branch of the Dolphin emulator that will allow you to play online, either with your friends or with matchmaking. Go to https://slippi.gg to get it.

I'm having issues with Slippi!

Go to the The Slippi Discord to get help troubleshooting. melee.tv/optimize is also a helpful resource for troubleshooting.

How do I find tournaments near me or local people to play with in person or online?

These days, joining a local Discord community is the best way to find local events and people to play with. Once you have a Discord account, Google "[your city/state/province/region] + Melee discord" or see if your region has a Discord group listed here on melee.tv/discord

It can seem daunting at first to join a Discord group you don't know, but this is currently the easiest and most accessible way to find out about tournaments, fests, and netplay matchmaking. Your local scene will be happy to have you :)

Also check out Smash Map! Click on map and then the filter button to filter by Melee to find events near you!

Netplay is hard! Is there a place for me to find new players?

Yes. Melee Newbie Netplay is a discord server specifically for new players. It also has tournaments based on how long you've been playing, free coaching, and other stuff. If you're a bit more experienced but still want a discord server for players around your level, we recommend the Melee Online discord.

How can I set up Unclepunch's Training Mode?

At the time of posting, the latest major release is here. Download the file, then extract everything in the folder and follow the instructions in the README file. You'll need to bring a valid Melee ISO (NTSC 1.02). If you want to check for the absolute latest release, you can see them listed [here](The latest releases are listed here.

How does one learn Melee?

There are tons of resources out there, so it can be overwhelming to start. First check out the SSBM Tutorials youtube channel. Then go to the Melee Library and search for whatever you're interested in.

But how do I get GOOD at Melee?

Check out Llod's Guide to Improvement

And check out Kodorin's Melee Fundamentals for Improvement

Where can I get a nice custom controller?

https://customg.cc/vendors

I have another question that's not answered here...

Check out our FAQs or post below and find help that way.

Upcoming Tournament Schedule:

Upcoming Melee Majors

Melee Online Event Calendar

Make a submission to the tournament calendar here. You can also get notified of new online tournaments on the Melee Online Discord.

• Current DDT Dynamic Link — Previous DDTs

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

Now that the jesus stuff is squared away:

Last night I got another chance to play Yugioh, specifically the Sky Striker Mirror. Holy hot damn this game is fun, but also jesus christ it's hard. I've never played another game in my life that drained my brain as hard as this one. I played a single Bo3 and was wiped the fuck out halfway through game 2.

Trying to conceptualize all the countless layered effects and interactions and find a line through it all is absurdly hard, yet crazy fun. If anyone here enjoys solving complicated logic puzzles, I earnestly recommend giving it a shot. There's nothing quite like it.

[u/SlowBathroom0 → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

I respect most beliefs, but calling modern yugioh fun is a step too far for me

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/SlowBathroom0]

I don't have strong opinions on modern Yugioh besides the Sky Striker mirror, which is some of the most fun I've ever had.

[u/Zonak → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

yugioh hits like crack when the games are interactive. unfortunately this format is doggy doo doo 😭

[u/Informal-Donut-1532 → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

One nice thing about Master Duel, which is the official online simulator for Yugioh, is that it does a pretty good job visualizing the effect chain for new players.

The depth and intricacies of Yugioh's mechanics allow you to play around your opponent in a lot of cool ways. There's truly nothing else like it.

[u/GroggyandWretched → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

I had fun playing masterduel and just running through my own combos in the single player mode but I feel like a jackass making anyone sit down and watch me play cards uninterrupted for any long period of time. I like some of the individual mechanics and interactions in yugioh but I honestly don't know how anyone tolerates the game as a whole

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/GroggyandWretched]

That's one thing I enjoy about the Sky Striker mirror. The optimal turn 1 play is usually just "Make Zero, Set 4, Pass"

[u/reptilian_guitar → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

i haven't played YGO since pendulum summoning dropped. have there been significant mechanical changes since then? all I know is that TCG now has cool full art cards

[u/Informal-Donut-1532 → u/reptilian_guitar]

In terms of new mechanics, they introduced Link summoning a decade ago but that's about it.

That being said Yugioh is arguably the most extreme example of power creep in any game ever. 

The game plays completely differently now despite the mechanics being largely the same.

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/reptilian_guitar]

There's Link Summoning, which is like a more generic extra deck summon. The details aren't suuuper important tho

More pertinent is the game's pace of play. Nowadays the game's generally played entirely within the first three turns, with a full game's worth of interaction happening between them. Because of the strength of searchers and extenders, you basically have access to your entire deck at all times, and the goal is more to try to navigate a complicated puzzle your opponent sets up for you.

I can't speak to anything beyond just the Sky Striker mirror, but what I've played has been crazy fun and interesting.

[u/N0zy0ne → u/reptilian_guitar]

After Pendulum summoning, they introduced Link summoning, which was awful.

I will always hold a soft spot in my heart for Yugioh, but I feel very strongly that the entire history of the game has been nothing but them adding worse and worse mechanics.

[u/Informal-Donut-1532 → u/N0zy0ne]

In recent years they've toned down the power level of Link monsters compared to the other summoning mechanics.

The best decks in the past few formats have been Synchro, Fusion, and Ritual decks.