In my opinion... the only thing that made Brawl worth playing was it's soundtrack... (more on that later)
Like... DUDE!!! You're totally right... it's not just the Home Run Bat that doesn't have the awesome intensity, it's the entire physics and engine. Personally, I have come to love Melee's fast and hectic style, but still... Brawl has some stuff that really irritates me to no end... such as *cough, it's going around, cough* GAME N' WATHCHCHHCHHCHCASSSSS FIIIIIIINNALLLL SMASSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
ARRRRRRRG, THIS GUY AAAAT MYYYYYY SCHOOOOL UUUUUUSSSEEESSSSS IT ALLL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!
SO ANNOYING...
On the other hand, I also gladly will play the original N64 version, with it's slower reaction time, it's polygon-like character models, and simplistic fighting... personally if you ask me, the N64 version WAS Smash Bros... but Brawl adds a lot of new stuff.
So, that being said, Brawl simply does not use it's new features correctly, and there was room for more fairness and fun...
I still ponder why Nintendo made a Final Smash an item and not a move that perhaps charges up over time. Then an item similar to a smash ball could be broken to enable a character to counter a Final Smash...
Please don't get me into the horrible in-accuracy of Subspace Emissary's storyline. I have both the original N64 and Melee, but not Brawl. However, from what I've seen of the new adventure mode, it's simply a wanna-be platformer featuring the full Smash crew. Well, at least the cutscenes seemed cool at first until you see GANNONDORF, the Technologically Impaired Gerudo, USING A COMPUTER, and BOWSER WITH HIS KOOPA ARMY STEALING DK'S BANANAS! OHH, SOO OUT OF PLACE, IT'S JUST... IT'S... IT'S... IT'S OOOOOOOOOOOVEEEERRRRR NIIIIIIIIINEE-THOOOOOOOOOUSAAAAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!