I'd personally like to see discussion on Big Blue.
Here's the section on it from the OP:
In all honesty, the main reason Big Blue is banned is probably because it's too crazy and different for most people. There are some concrete arguments though. One is that run-away is simply too powerful here, particularly when the upper platforms are used intelligently. Another is that the track is simply too dangerous of a "hazard" and that the gameplay that revolves around it (such as the essentially instant death for missing techs or being pushed off a car while shielding) is all around degenerate. Another argument is that this stage is unfair in a variety of matchups. Another argument yet is that independent of the fairness of this stage, it's simply too much of an outlier. This goes back to the initial idea, but the argument here (as opposed to thoughtless dismissal) is that playing on Big Blue is basically playing a completely different game and that tournaments shouldn't be testing this. A small number of people think this stage wasn't given a fair chance, but the limits on advocacy for this stage are found in people who just want to explore it more. I don't think anyone is solidly convinced this stage is fair.
Essentially, here's what I got from this. Big Blue is banned because:
-Running away is too powerful.
-Track is too dangerous of a hazard.
-Unfair in a variety of matchups.
-Playing a completely different game.
So, let me critique each one of those posts.
Running away is too powerful.
In many ways, it probably promotes a bit of air camping at the least. On the first stage of the level, in which the actual "Big Blue" is on screen, you can't really run away unless you want to try and circle camp around the ship, which isn't very reliable. You could make the argument that it is indeed circle camping, but not only is it more of an oval (xD), but the bottom of the "circle" isn't a reliable ground space to just go across. Not only that, but the ship itself eventually goes away after a short period of time and circle camping is no more until it returns.
After that point, the fight takes to the cars just about the track and, eventually, the smaller platforms that hover above them. You can't really run away on the cars because the grouping they appear in isn't very large and isn't flat. You can try going by air, but because of it's short length in many ways (not including the cars that will show up farther ahead or behind in the pack), it's not like you're getting a reliable get away. You'll have to come back eventually or land on the track (which, by the way, is a good strategy to bring you rapidly back into the fight because you can jump right up through the cars).
When the platforms show up, there aren't many and they are actually quite high above the stage. Guys like Kirby, MK, Pit, D3, etc. or really anyone with good vertical recovery can make it up there, but they can do that on really any stage. And I'd personally call it stalling if an MK sat up there against someone like DK who can't really do much to approach at that point.
So, running away really isn't the best option. It's a good one for some characters, but not for the whole duration of the stage loop and certainly not a ban-worthy characteristic.
Track is too dangerous of a hazard
This needs to be tested a lot more. If anything, the track can be of real strategic value to any character, especially slow ones.
If you land on the track, it is very easy to jump back off of it and onto a part of the stage. It is in no way, shape or form a dangerous hazard. If you land on it, jump back off. Simple as that. You can get knocked onto the track from most parts of the stage and safely return to the cars.
The only areas you really can't are on the extreme left side of the stage, which is obvious. The solution is just to not put yourself in a position in which you don't have time to recover. That's
your fault for being over there. If you know you won't be able to jump back up, make sure you don't get put in that position, just as characters that can get chaingrabbed on Distant Planet's slope don't want to be on that slope. If that's a problem you have, make sure you aren't in a position to make it happen.
With that said, there is actually a lot of use for the track itself in gameplay. First off, it's speed can make approach extremely quickly and pretty viable. Landing on the stage on the right, standing in position, then bursting upwards at an opponent can be a great mix-up for any characters, especially ones that have good aerials and/or bad approaches.
Not only that, but it's a constant hazard. It's not like Brinstar in which the lava may be there to save you or not. The track is always there. But because it isn't dangerous (as I explained above), that's a good thing. It's easier to keep track of.
The only exception is the gaps that appear from the jumps in the track. If you have good timing and know when these come up, take advantage of it with a spike. That's using the stage to your advantage and that kind of strategy is just part of the game.
Unfair in a variety of match-ups
This just made me scratch my head. What match-ups? Please elaborate. You can't just say something so broad and use it as a reason. That's ridiculous.
I assume it means for characters that may be heavy or bigger or whatever (I don't know since it names no match-ups), but there is really a lot of room to go around on this stage and a lot of options to traverse it. And, of course, if it were legal, clearly it would be a counterpick and that's what counterpicking is for. If you know a character isn't that good on a stage, wouldn't you want to pick it?
Again, I'd like to see this match-ups that are shallowly referred to.
Playing a completely different game
Really? This is just laughable. I've played in Big Blue enough and I'm not playing a different game. Smash is about fighting the opponent and being aware of the stage and it always has been. Big Blue is no different. Reasoning is fail.
/end.
