The hunt is on in Super Smash Bros. Melee, as a group of modders has added Wolf O'Donnell from Star Fox as a playable character in the game. Wolf made his debut as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though he did appear in Melee's opening cinematic.
Wolf was meant to debut in Star Fox 2, but it was canceled, and his first appearance happened in Star Fox 64. Fans can check out Wolf's non-canonical debut on the Switch, as Star Fox 2 was added to Nintendo Switch Online service in 2019. In Super Smash Bros., Wolf is slow on his feet, but he has some viciously powerful attacks and a nasty recovery move. He retains the Blaster and Reflector of the other Star Fox characters, and his Wolf Flash side special can spike opponents at the correct angle. Wolf was cut in the transition from Brawl to Smash 3DS/Wii U, but he returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as it brought back every fighter from the series.
A new mod has been released for Melee that adds a number of new features to the game, including a playable version of Wolf. The Akaneia Build mod was developed by Team Akaneia, which is named after a Fire Emblem stage that was cut from Melee during development. The current version of Wolf from the mod is still being developed, as it retains some of Fox's moves. The Akaneia Build announcement was made in a post on the Team Akaneia Twitter page.
The Akaneia Build also adds a number of other features of the game. All of the characters in Melee now have an additional costume, though some are just new color schemes for existing outfits. Some of the stages from the original Super Smash Bros. on the N64 are back, including Peach's Castle, Hyrule Castle, Saffron City, Planet Zebes, and Mushroom Kingdom. The Metal Cavern stage from Super Smash Bros., which used to host the Metal Mario fights, is also playable. There is now a brand new Volleyball Mode, where players earn points by whacking a ball over a net with their attacks.
The Super Smash Bros. series is no stranger to mods, with characters like Deadpool added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There is even a dedicated modding scene for the original Super Smash Bros., which is why the Mad Piano from Super Mario 64 is now a fighter in one of the series' most outlandish fan creations. The version of Wolf in the Akaneia Build is still being worked on, but its exciting to consider more retro-fitted characters coming to Super Smash Bros. Melee in the future.
Source: Team Akaneia