So here's the currently released Smash games in the order I like them and why.
/short introduction
3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl First, this is a really great game. It's got lots of stuff in it, ranging from the large character selection to the amazing music, but this is in third place because I don't find it to be as fun as the other two games. That doesn't mean it isn't fun though. I've spent a lot of time playing Brawl. The physics in the matches tend to be slower and heavier, which is apparently for more casual players. That's fine, but I prefer the faster matches of the other games, which makes them both shorter (on Stock mode, that is) and more frantic. Also, I'm not really a huge fan of a lot of the stages in the game, and stages are a pretty major part. Y'know, because you have to play on one when you play Brawl mode. The stage builder is nice though, and it's possible to somewhat recreate stages from the previous two games. The character models in Brawl look like the characters, too. Some of them looked a little weird in the first two games.
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee Melee had a huge graphical update from 64 in the relatively short time between games that makes it look great. It seems a lot like Brawl, but it's more fast-paced, which in turn makes things more exciting. It's a little more complicated than 64, having smash attacks, but it's not hard to figure out. There's a nice assortment of characters (No third party ones!) and stages too. Having more single player modes is nice also, so there's some stuff to do if you play alone. You can also customize your matches with a bunch of options and stuff. There are quite a few stages that aren't as fun as others, but there's good ones too, so that's... good.
1. Super Smash Bros. Despite not having a huge roster, a lot of stages, or high-polygon graphics, the first in the series seems like what Smash Bros. should be. There's only one stage I don't really like (Yup, the first one), and it has happy-looking graphics. I didn't pick this as first because of nostalgia, since I didn't even have it until I downloaded it on Wii's Virtual Console. I think the stage designs in this are great, and the physics are too. Even things like being able to grab edges only if your character is facing them is something I like. Although it's simpler than its sequels, it's fun. And it's supposed to be fun.
So there are my preferences. They're all cool games. What is your order of favorites? I'm excited for SSB4 so I can play some late night matches on Wi-Fi on 3DS and see the beautifulness on Wii U!
Also here's a nice animated GIF of Peach. Thanks to a user with a six-letter username that starts with 'inSei' for the URL.
We had something like 40,000 vs. matches in Melee before the GameCube memory card went bad. At last count, the replacement card had about 20,000 matches. I'd still play many of my GameCube games (especially Eternal Darkness) if those memory cards weren't so prone to fail.
I've played 64, and remeber playing as Lucario on a stage with lava at the bottom. Other that that, don't remember the 64 version. I've played a lot of Brawl though, and it's fun. Can't wait for SSB4, it'll really get me into the series.