As far as control goes, it really depends on the series you talk about.
For instance, I prefer the Samurai Spirits controls over the King of Fighters series. They move better, and aren't quite as stiff. I find that the characters are more intuitive to use and less involved in button mashing.
Likewise, I prefer the Vampire Saviour games over the Street Fighter games. The controls are virtually the same, but the Vampire Saviour games are a bit more forgiving, and you have some mad possibilities, but doesn't go into the combo craziness that you saw in Capcom vs. Marvel and the like.
If I could choose an all time favorite, I'd have to go with Soul Calibur II for ease of control and gameplay, but since Namco isn't an option, I'm going to have to go with the Samurai Spirits system from SNK, then Vampire Saviour, and then Street Fighter, preferably the Alpha 2 system.
I haven't played SVC Chaos, so I can't vote from a non-biased position yet....