lots of people complaining about the competitive scene in these reviews. i'll chime in and say that in my experience the space the community has created is one of the most welcoming, friendly, and progressive spaces in all of gaming. not say to say there aren't still issues, just that from what i've seen it tends to attract good people.

and as for the game itself, it is imo one of the most expressive and deepest fighting games ever created. it's a cliche at this point but the experience of playing melee is almost always "erghh this feels clunky compared to ultimate" -> learn some movement tech, practice your short hops and wavedashes, etc. -> "i have never felt more in control of my character than in this game". it's fast, it's fun, the skill ceiling is up in the stratosphere, it's everything i want out of a competitive game and i'll be playing it for many years to come.