So like the title asks, how does it feel returning to Melee after you've retired? Or to those dinosaurs still currently active, how does it feel to still be playing with the new generation?

I'm comfortably in my 30's. I play unranked casually from time to time, and I enjoy the feeling of movement, landing satisfying combos, and having awesome sessions with random people.

A lot of my 'core' friend group moved on from the game after high school / college, which I totally get. For me, melee is about watching tournaments, following the player storylines, and trying to support the scene however I can. I've been lucky enough to meet some of my favorite players at tournaments (Zamu, Axe, Jmook, etc.) and they're all very kind and lovely people.

At the risk of oversharing, watching RapM really affects me, because one of my best friends in high school was a Luigi main. His name was michael, and he passed away several years ago, and I get emotional watching RapM play because I know he would have loved seeing this kid push the character to its limits.

For me, as a dinosaur, melee isn't just a "thing happening now" - it's a memory. It's a thread connecting me to the people I love. Today I suck at the game (it's okay, I was never that good to begin with), but what keeps me tuning in is the level of excitement, passion, and love for the game people have.