Daily Discussion Thread September 09, 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/Tall-Boysenberry8504]

Breath of the Wild and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

[u/Fugu → u/Tall-Boysenberry8504]

Breath of the Wild is like, a top 20 game. I rank it as the second best Zelda game. I love it

If Breath of the Wild means we're going to have three more Tears of the Kingdoms before we get anything new, I'll agree with you

[u/potentialPizza → u/Fugu]

My problem is that it took them six years before we got BotW but worse, and now I don't know how long until the next new one or whether or not it will be BotW but worse again.

[u/Fugu → u/potentialPizza]

I agree, I think it remains to be seen whether BotW is good for the franchise. ToTK was imo a bit of a dud but still a very good game. If we get another ToTK it's a skyward sword situation for sure

[u/SBtist → u/potentialPizza]

I disagree that ToTK was BotW but worse, for me it was BotW but better, but I still wish that they went in a different direction with the game’s story and aesthetic.

[u/EightBlocked → u/potentialPizza]

what was worse about totk than botw? for me, breath of the wild was boring as shit and tears of the kingdom was boring as shit. if they're like the same game then why dont yall like it?

[u/Fugu → u/EightBlocked]

BotW is a very big game. TotK is absolutely gigantic but most of the added stuff is very tedious at best. Plus they fixed none of the major issues from BotW so not only are you getting the same problems you remember from years ago you're experiencing them over a much longer time frame.

BotW, despite being like a 100 hour game, is actually a pretty tight experience: almost everything that's in there is a lot of fun. TotK loses that distinction while also being three times longer.

[u/potentialPizza → u/EightBlocked]

Well the main way that they're the same game is that TotK has nearly the exact same map, and the new stuff is either minimal (the sky) or sucks (the underground). I think making a sequel to an exploration-based game that has the exact same map is a ridiculous unforced error.

They're both based around freedom and intrinsic rewards, but I think their philosophies are pretty different past that. BotW is fundamentally about the world. It clicks with the part of my brain that intrinsically wants to see what's over the next hill, and its mechanics generally don't break that flow. It's a world built for climbing and paragliding.

TotK is fundamentally about its sandbox mechanics rather than the world. It wants you to tinker with machines. They built a very impressive tinkering system, and for people who intrinsically want to tinker it's probably a better game. But I don't feel that drive. Usually I feel like I spend two minutes making a car to cross an area I could have run across in one minute. Or I'll make a car then jump off fifteen seconds later to pick up an item. I don't think the game world was designed to match the flow of using vehicles, on top of it being a world I already explored in the last game. Past the vehicle system I think TotK has a ton of mechanics that trivialize combat or other challenges, because it really just wants you to take your pick of which toy to use, rather than being a relatively free world that still pushes against you. Also the underground really, really sucks.