I'd list the games like this:
AoS: best gameplay, smooth controls
HoD: most genuine CV feeling, though the music quality could have been improved, and the whip should have changed it's appearance in accordance to the power you equipped.. Juste looked great though!
COTM: really great, but somehow, not the same feeling for me..the characters were not so cool I think compared to HoD and AoS..
the DS games: good games but the stories were..I don't know...still no Belmonts=/..and DoS was just a copy of AoS..a good game but not as good as AoS..almost like a bad remake, compared to AoS!