Smash Bros Melee gets fan-created DLC featuring Wolf, N64 stages, new game mode, and more

You won't find a more dedicated group of people in gaming than the Smash Melee enthusiasts, and Team Akaneia's announcement of The Akaneia build is living proof of that.

Fighting against the wishes of Nintendo, who have actively tried to sabotage and outright dissolve the community, a group of dedicated modders presented an incredible update that will bring a new character to the 19-year-old game: Wolf O'Donnell from the Star Fox series.

The Akaneia Build is described as "a ground-breaking Melee mod that adds new viable and authentic content to the game," as it adds Wolf, stages, costumes, and a brand-new game mode -- Volleyball.

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One of the highlights of the update is that it is compatible with Slippi, the third-party mod that adds rollback netcode to the game's online functionalities, meaning that if the community deems it viable, competitive Melee could receive several new competitive stages and a new character. Volleyball can also be played online.

Wolf added to Smash Bros Melee

(Image: Team Akaneia/Nintendo)

Smash Bros Melee getting a new fighter is a potential game-changer, as it could open the door for future fan-created downloadable content and perhaps (although highly unlikely) small balance changes in the game's near future. 

Although Wolf is still playable and available for download, Team Akaneia warns players that "the fighter is currently in development and does not accurately reflect a completed fighter."

Here's a quick clip of Wolf in action, courtesy of Melee pro Syrox:

Because we know you're curious, this is what Kirby looks like after swallowing Wolf:

(Image: Team Akaneia/Nintendo)

Smash 64 stages come to Melee

(Image: Team Akaneia/Nintendo)

Custom stages are something the Melee community has experimented with over the years. From simple solutions to annoying issues, like freezing Pokémon Stadium to keep it in its standard double platform form and going as far as completely revamping unviable ones in hopes of expanding the selection pool, Akaneia's efforts could help bring new life to the platform fighter. 

The stages that will be available from the update all stem from the first game in the series, Super Smash Bros, or more commonly known as Smash 64, here's the full list:

• Peach's Castle
• Hyrule Castle
• Saffron City
• Planet Zebes
• Mushroom Kingdom
• Metal Cavern

Volleyball added as new game mode

(Image: Team Akaneia/Nintendo)

Melee is more than just a hardcore competitive title as the game brims with content that's still fun to play even today, so it's no surprise that, in the spirit of Smash's more casual roots, Akaneia has designed a new Volleyball mode.

The objective is, well, just like volleyball-- don't let the ball touch your side of the court while aiming at your opponent's one. You can juggle up to three times in a row, but you must send the ball to your opponent on the fourth hit as it will automatically explode if you hit it a fifth time.

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As it's very fast-paced, on top of being a fun side distraction, it can be useful to practice some tech skill and build that muscle memory.

New costumes

To wrap it all up, The Akaneia Build also introduces more customization options to Smash Melee, with this first wave bringing one costume to each character.

Just like stages, custom skins are nothing new to the game, however, it's always cool to have plenty more options to chose from.

Check out the reveal trailer 

How to download

To download The Akaneia Build, check out Team Akaneia's GitHub page. 

If you want the version with Wolf, be sure to download the "Version 0.5 Experimental (v0.5e)" file.