The game is in fact considerably slower than melee. Movement in the air is what is really different. You don't have your fastfallers like fox/falco from melee. Now I loved melee, and do I think this is a bad thing? No way. It takes getting used to, but once you do it works just fine. Anyone who is ranting or complaining about anything in this game (other than bad online play, which is in fact bad) is a complete idiot.
Also I almost exploded today when I unlocked what I consider to be the best and ONLY song from star fox a smash game should ever need, but has never been in one THE ORIGINAL CORNERIA
I AM SO HAPPY
and I have also just begun subspace
its a blast
more on that later