Games you like that everyone hates

[PrettyNier]

I think you are confusing "depth" with "complexity" which aren't the same thing. Brawl was designed to be simpler on purpose to allow less experienced players a chance. That's not a poor design choice.

I don't even know what the hell "bloat" is supposed to mean in that context.

you misunderstand. both games are easy to pick up and play for the inexperienced. the difference is that melee also has a meta-game that exists beyond just that: the game can be played by both the inexperienced and the experienced, the expert, looking for something deeper, and both can leave incredibly satisfied. brawl doesnt have that, and by all means the way its mechanics are treated it actually pushes against having that (most notably, as mentioned before, the tripping). which is not hard to believe if you've read sakurai's comments on brawl and melee and how he approaches game design and the smash brothers series.

melee's "complexity" isn't just complexity because it at no point must be utilized: it exists purely for those who choose to seek it out, who seek to play the game beyond just its superficial levels.