Super Smash Bros. Melee
The bugs that became the game
Emulator
Dolphin
Quality
Excellent
Notes
8× native resolution on M2+. Full GameCube controller adapter support.
Bring Your Own ROM
The Story
HAL Laboratory built Melee in 13 months with a small team as a GameCube launch title. Wavedashing and L-canceling — the technical artifacts that define competitive play — were not intentional features. They were bugs too complex to remove on the timeline. The competitive community discovered them, codified them into a skill ceiling, and spent the next 20 years exploring their depth. Melee is the game where the community decided the developers didn't own the game anymore.
Trivia
EVO 2013 raised money for charity to include Melee — it got the most votes in history
The GameCube controller design has remained unchanged for competitive play for 20+ years