For all intents and purposes, Brawl is a good game. It expands on the basic concepts of what made Melee so great while botching some of the deeper mechanics that made Melee better than it should have been. Brawl's biggest problem is how toned down it is. The colors are more muted, the game is slower and it just lacks a draw competitively. It's still fun to play casually but the slower pace of the game makes it a bit more of a drag compared to Melee. The expanded roster and soundtrack are nice additions but other additions like SSE don't work. Subspace Emissary is basically the worst Kirby game. The reworked Target Test is also boring and the trophy selection is less like a museum of Nintendo and more like a commercial for Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. SSBB feels less like a heartfelt love letter and more like a Hallmark card. It's shallow and without the heart but it still functions. And even a functioning Smash Bros. game is still really, really good.