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Super Smash Bros. Melee was released on GameCube almost 20 years ago. But three sequels and two decades later, the fans haven’t gone anywhere, as the game is often lauded as being the best for competitive play.
For some bizarre reason, Nintendo has never capitalized on this adoration with a re-release. It's a shame too - a port would be a great way to introduce another generation to Melee, while also giving the veterans an official way to play online multiplayer. But unsurprisingly, fans have stepped up. Fanmade online mods have been in play for some years, but now we have a whole remaster on our hands with the launch of Beyond Melee.
Beyond Melee is a mod that reworks the game in almost all areas. It rebalances low-tier characters, creates new attacks, and even adds five more fighters. Joining the cast of Nintendo all-stars is Shadow Mewtwo, Raichu, Skull Kid, Fay, and Wolf. The old characters who have received a rework were not ready in time for the release of the first demo, but from the trailer we can see we’ll be getting new versions of Pichu, Zelda and Roy.
On top of all the new ways to fight, there’s improved graphics and new stages to duke it out on. As seen in the trailer, all of these stages should be friendly to competitive play, with the same basic stricture but different aesthetics.
To use the mod you need a Smash Bros. Melee ISO file, which can be legally obtained using a physical copy of the GameCube game. You’ll also need to use the Dolphin emulator to run the game itself when modded. Additionally, it's compatible with Slippi, the app which makes online Melee viable - and even smoother than what you get on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, due to how it’s developed.
Beyond Melee’s first demo is out today. The mod is still in development with new features on the way, as the team hopes to help keep competitive Melee alive for years to come.