Nintendo released three distinct versions of Melee in North America (1.00, 1.01, and 1.02). While the box art looks identical, the code underneath is different. Version 1.02 is the definitive edition: it fixed glitches, adjusted character physics, and became the universal standard for tournament play.

Slippi (the rollback netcode mod that saved online Melee during the pandemic) requires a verified 1.02 ISO to function. You cannot play ranked matchmaking on Fightcade or Slippi without feeding the emulator a clean (or similar naming convention).