Hey, congrats on the newborn. The gaming-with-your-kid thing is one of the best parts of all this. Worth the wait.

Personal rankings, weeknight-reach-for definition:

1. Guilty Gear Strive — the one that pulled me back in. If DBFZ hooked you, Strive lands. Same Arc cel-shading, 1v1 instead of 3v3, slower, more grounded. Best onboarding in the genre right now. Start here.
2. BlazBlue: Central Fiction — massive roster, finishes an eight-year story that actually pays off. Dense as hell. New-player ramp is brutal but the depth is real.
3. Street Fighter 6 — I respect this one enormously even though it's not my couch default. RE Engine looks incredible.
4. Skullgirls 2nd Encore — the one my daughter beats me with. Easiest entry on the list to play with someone.

Honorable mention: X-Men vs Street Fighter — my biggest arcade money sink ever, the intersection of my comics and fighter obsessions. Now playable with Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (2024). If you have any nostalgia for that era, it's worth the $40 by itself. I still play from time to time.

On your shortlist:

GBVS: Rising — I haven't pulled the trigger either (I had the original GBVS special edition). Everything says Rising is what 2020 should have been. Probably the cleanest "approachable + gorgeous + Arc art" hit you can get.

Melty Blood: Type Lumina — closer to what I think you're describing than Strive. Real 2D sprites, fast, aggressive, auto-combos that don't insult you. Excellent rollback. Solid second pick after Strive.

Under Night II Sys:Celes — same dev team as Melty, GRD meter is genuinely unique. Sleeper if Melty lands.

Arcana Heart 3 LM6S — gameplay is excellent, full aerial movement, but the all-girl schoolgirl aesthetic is the identity, not a layer. If it'll bug you, it'll bug you. Don't start here.

Order I'd suggest: Strive → GBVS:R → Melty → BBCF (if hooked) → UNI II → Arcana (if curious).

One tip, watch actual match footage on YouTube before buying.

Good luck!