No, I don't think so. Though it might be "hidden" because it doesn't have it's own section, it's still in the main page and users don't really have to search high and low for it unlike for example, The Current Events section. or the Workshop. So I really doubt it not having it's own section is the cause of the low activity.
O RLY? I lurked on smashboards for like 4 months before I stumbled across the 64 section. It's obvious that if your typical new-ish melee/brawl player got on the forum and 64 had its own section, he'd be more likely to find it, more likely to read a few things, and more likely to pick it up, at least casually. I can guarantee that there would be at least a small and gradual influx of new people if we got a section, although it sadly wouldn't be enough for us to grow to a size where we could rival melee or brawl.
Come on, guys. Cheeseball, MattNF, ballin', and others have already given you reasons why the relatively low rate-of-posting doesn't mean we shouldn't have our own section.
If we want more activity, there still can't be any online discussion whatsoever since discussing ROMs is forbidden on Smashboards.
But if anyone has any suggestions on what other boards could be needed, please do make suggestions.
Are you saying that online discussion is forbidden at the moment, or that it would be forbidden if we got our own section? Because it's definitely not enforced even in the loosest way at the moment, and I fail to see how our own section would mean that we had to change our ROM policy.
My understanding of the legal situation (and it could be flawed) is that ripping your own ROM from your own cartridge is legal, and that this means we can discuss online play and etc. etc., as long as we don't direct or link people to ROMs that are available for illegal download.
edit: I just checked wikipedia, and ripping one's own ROMs is illegal in the US. Still, my first point is valid.