The latest build of a popular Super Smash Bros. Melee mod, The Akaneia Build, includes a character that was featured alongside the other members of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster. The community of Melee has been a rather active one 20 years after its original release, with one of the ways it has maintained a presence being its modding and competitive scenes. The biggest of these mods is the aforementioned Akaneia Build, adding several new stages, characters, and even online play to Super Smash Bros. Melee.
The latest build, known as version 0.9, was released earlier this month and added a number of new stages and characters to the game. A Luigi's Mansion stage, a stage based on Animal Crossing, and new trophies for the modded in Melee characters like Diddy Kong are available in this version. The biggest additions however are the characters, with two also originating from Brawl. There's Mother 3 representative Lucas, but the very end of the reveal video for the build shows off Sega's iconic mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog.
The reveal for Sonic starts very similarly to his reveal from Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, where after Mario has defeated Giga Bowser, Sonic comes charging in and hits Mario with a spin dash. This version of Sonic takes inspiration from one of his most recently released games in the franchise at that point in time, Sonic Adventure, rendered in a way that pays homage to the artwork of his re-design by Yuji Uekawa.
The Sonic Adventure-inspirations don't stop at just the model, as the theme song used for this reveal is "Open Your Heart," which is that game's main theme, alongside the Light Speed Dash attack being used as Sonic's down-special move, where he can charge through his enemies after building up enough light energy. Sonic's stage is of-course Green Hill Zone, one of the most iconic Sonic stages, with it having a design that is slightly retro to fit Melee's aesthetics. His voice clips are also representative of the time he was released, with clips recycled from his original Sonic Adventure voice actor, Ryan Drummond.
Many fans were over the moon to see Sonic in Melee, with some older fans having nostalgic memories of a famous April Fools joke by Electronic Gaming Monthly that had claimed that Sonic and Tails could be unlocked by defeating 20 enemies in the game's Cruel Melee mode. This obviously ended up being false, though Sonic would end up in the roster of Brawl onwards. Some were reminded of Smash Remix 1.1.0's release last year, which added Sonic to Super Smash Bros. 64's roster. Needless to say, it's hard to imagine a Super Smash Bros. roster without Sonic being involved nowadays.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is available on the Nintendo GameCube.