The primary reason 1.8.8 is still played today is the combat. It is the final stronghold of the "spam-click" meta.

Addressed client-side glitches like flickering beacon beams and various entity-related errors. Why People Still Play 1.8.8

Playing 1.8.8 today feels like walking into a time capsule. The differences are subtle but pervasive.

: Projectile physics and knockback are widely considered more "consistent" by competitive players, making it the required version for almost all competitive PvP and BedWars networks. 2. The "Bountiful" Content Balance Version 1.8 was named the Bountiful Update

The 1.8 development cycle was the longest in Minecraft's history at the time. Version 1.8.8 was the "polishing" update that ensured these massive additions were stable: