I guess I should clarify that I quite enjoy SRS Tetris games as well and think of them as a mechanically distinct game from classic Tetris. Center 4-wide is kind of the culmination of the complaints I have about it in a competitive format though -- since it's so powerful, lots of top level matches basically only comes down to who can execute the 4-wide better, which to me isn't really competitively interesting. I think Puyo is the superior versus-style puzzle game, since there's a lot more thought that needs to go into stacking Puyos, sending harassments, timing attacks and managing your resources than in Tetris, where you basically just need to out-DPS your opponent with TSD/TST/combo setups as fast as possible.
I definitely have more traditional tastes when it comes to fighting games, though. As far as Street Fighter games go, I don't think anything has surpassed HF or ST, nor do I think anything ever will with Capcom's current fighting game direction. I do love me some Guilty Gear and Marvel 2/3, though. DBFZ was fun for a week and I LOVE the polish that it received from ASW, but the game itself is sort of bland and repetitive due to its simple universal mechanics.
The modern Tetris games include these versus modes, but they don't really translate well to a truly competitive playing experience IMO. It basically boils down to pure mechanical skill (who can send damage to the opponent faster) without much nuance beyond that -- there are no mechanisms to out-plan your opponent to a victory. Luck plays a huge factor as well -- if you send a bunch of damage to your opponent, you might give them a free Tetris just because of how the garbage randomly forms.
I think the NES Tetris score attack ruleset is better suited for pure competition. Both players receive the same pieces with the same RNG seed and it comes down to who can balance the management of their stack and maximizing the score the best.
Not sure what your friend is doing, since weapons are extremely plentiful and disposable. You're also encouraged to find other ways of killing enemies, usually by using your Sheikah Slate powers to manipulate the environment to kill monsters. Think of the weapons as an analogue to ammo in a shooter.
I definitely have more traditional tastes when it comes to fighting games, though. As far as Street Fighter games go, I don't think anything has surpassed HF or ST, nor do I think anything ever will with Capcom's current fighting game direction. I do love me some Guilty Gear and Marvel 2/3, though. DBFZ was fun for a week and I LOVE the polish that it received from ASW, but the game itself is sort of bland and repetitive due to its simple universal mechanics.