I love both games and prefer Melee.
Thing is, Brawl easily has the superior character cast, and that's really what matters most in a fighting game. Brawl is also more versatile due to characters like Snake, R.O.B., Mr. Game and Watch, Zero Suit Samus, yadda yadda yadda. I simply find Melee to be more fun and more satisfying due to its faster pace, better stages, and greater feeling of inspiration.
In regards to personal tastes, I'd regard Melee to be a "top tier" game, while Brawl is "close to top tier but no cigar".
Then again my favorite Metroid game is Super Metroid even though I finished all three Metroid Primes, Fusion, and Zero Mission before my first playthrough and have only been a fan of that series for 3.5 years, so I'm somehow a great deal different from the "majority" when it comes to most video game franchises and my opinions.
I know Leonhart technically told me not to ask stuff like this, but I couldn't resist: is there anyone else on the board who prefers both Super Mario Galaxies to Super Mario 64, prefers Twilight Princess to both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, AND prefers Melee to Brawl?
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Currently Playing - StarCraft
Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Xenogears