I'm not sure of what I'm going to say. It may come off as really cryptic and pessimistic. And no doubt I'll spark some ugly faces, but this is all coming out...
Jeez, Meta Knight. The Entire Metagame revolves around this guy.
Top Level?
Yeah that's nice and all, but seriously, we all aren't top level, and some of us may never reach that level, now I'm not saying that the Top Level isn't relevant, it most certainly is, but when it is exclusively selected in situations like this, it's ridiculous. I though we were a community, not a row of sheep bowing before the pros, the only ones who can handle Meta Knight and not lose. So, I guess in this topic, the Top Level is the only one that matters, so a select number of people get to have it their way, and **** the rest of us, right?
Sure he have a marvel of geniuses going back and forth about it, but seriously, how much time is going to progress before people see that this son of a ***** is broken, he has so many true combos, 0 deaths up the ***. Who else has that? Sure the top level pros can handle them but it's only the top level pros who can. Call me naive, but there's something wrong with that. Not only does this not exempt him from being broken, it basically means that unless we, the small insignificants, somehow rise to top level, we will never have player viability at a tournament. I'm sorry, is that supposed to be a good thing? I don't think so. As a smash player, I don't like the fact that my viability is determined by whether or not I can overcome a character that only the best of the best can handle. It's not very encouraging to say the least. Not only that, look at how many Meta Knights enter a tournament? Melee had more diversity and the top level there for the most part were just 5 or 6 characters banging heads. Clearly, Meta Knight carries such a huge intimidation factor that people believe their chances of victory are significantly heightened just by picking him. It's like a coward holding a gun--not that I'm implying any insults to Meta Knight players, just giving, realistically, a good analogy to compare with.
Meta Knight is seriously such a powerful character, that he is his only hardest match up. We all know the game isn't balanced, but seriously? This is ridiculous! Top Level? **** Top Level, I'll care about Top Level if/when I get there. My viability is determined by whether or not I can beat a pro Meta Knight, and I hate playing the "that's not fair" card, but one character? My viability and overall assumption of skill is determined if I can beat a broken character used at the highest level of play. The sheer imbalance of Brawl is what broke me out from being a scrub, and Meta Knight, no doubt plays a huge card in the claim that Brawl has little balance between it. Now who actually can rise to top level? I'm sure everyone is optimistic, but seriously. Even counting yourself in a potential sense, who else? Apparently only the Top Level can handle Meta Knight, which is the best argument to keep him unbanned, but what about us advanced/intermediate/mediocre players? People see they weight Meta Knight pulls at a tournament scene, it's frightening. Yeah, there are some people who go one character all the way through, but do they win?
Ally, sure. Um, who else?
Some people actually stop playing their passionate mains and go Meta Knight just to stay in the fight, the worse part about it is, they don't even have to be fighting a Meta Knight for them to make that decision.
Hell, some people actually promote players stop passionately playing their mains in a tournament and pick Meta Knight, just to survive off the back.
For such a pull on the metagame, it is in no way outrageous to consider banning him. He's too good, plain and simple. Sure, the Top Level pros can handle him, and good for them! I expect no less from people who are considered the best of the best. But Top Level isn't all that matters, if that was the case, then having a community means nothing, if all we do is dickride the pros. We as a community rise to our highest potential, which realistically, is not Top Level most of the time. Only one league of players can handle Meta Knight, that's not a credible reason not to ban him, in fact it leaves more of a reason to go about banning him. Most of the community are not elitists. So a heavy percentage of us are not tourney viable and a heavy percentage of that never will be. And I know, I know, there are times when we need to stop and let the metagame develop, but as it stands, it's not developing in a way that helps us find ways around Meta Knight, sure the Top Level can do it, but they never divulge any secrets or tactics, and regardless, more and more people are going Meta Knight in tournaments. The metagame has developed enough if we already have a group of elitist within the first year, and there is not real indication that hints the metagame going in a different direction, it's all just optimistic speculation. Metagame grows like a wild plant, it comes naturally, not by sculpting and shaping with happy thoughts, the metagame went this way, because it was inevitable, if something else comes along, although unlikely, so be it. Brawl doesn't have as much depth as Melee, the digging doesn't go that deep.
Good for the Top Level Pros that they can handle a broken character who most likely eventually ends up winning the tournament anyway.