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Super Legendaries

First, I'd like to state that in my opinion, Pokémon of different types and different stats and different moves should NEVER be grouped together. Thus has happened to the "super legendaries", so they need to be broken apart to analyze them effectively. It should be noted right away my point is to prove the only super legendary that is worth being banned is Mewtwo, and that the others have enough weaknesses (or lack of strengths, if you prefer to think of it that way) to warrant playability.

    Mewtwo

Ever since RBY, Mewtwo has menaced the game of Pokémon with its overpowering tendencies. Offensively, Mewtwo is a monster, boasting the highest SpclAtk in the game with STAB on it. Its variety of moves in Special range all basic elements, making a universal counter impossible. Well, of course, the next logical arguement is "hey, if its SpclAtk is so high, just block it with a Pokémon like Blissey". Well, that would work, except Mewtwo can easily adapt around that. Its Attack matches that of a Snorlax, putting it high in the ranks and easily making it adaptable as a physical fighter. Its Speed should also be noted before continuing; boasting one of the highest in the game, it almost always will get first strike, whether using an offensive move to finish the enemy or a defensive move to keep itself alive (like Recover, which has a very high PP count). Mewtwo boasts high defensive stats in both areas, with HP figured in beating out almost anything not specialized. Its type only affords 2 weaknesses, neither with any high base damage attacks nor with any Pokémon with STAB that can truly stand up to Mewtwo consistantly. Status effects? Mewtwo can use Safeguard/Rest. Cursing? Mewtwo can learn Psych Up. This guy just is too universal a Pokémon, there's really never a reason NOT to use him on a team if allowed. Mewtwo by far outclasses any other Pokémon, its Speed complimenting all of its other stats and its learnset so complete, there's really no point in playing him since every sensible team would play him if allowed.

    Mew

Unlike Mewtwo, Mew doesn't really have the power stats. Its Speed is high, but not enough to be a reliable trump card. Mew does not learn Safeguard, so paralysis can also play a factor. Mew's stats are all above average, yes, but not high. It's defensive stats are nice, but its offensive stats are nothing to brag about. Without a Mewtwoish SpclAtk, Mew's Psychic doesn't pack enough punch to really sweep, much less its elemental attacks without STAB. Softboiled doesn't have enough PP as a recovery move to "stall forever". Mew is all-around a good counter or reliable "wildcard" player, but not a sweeper or a dominator. Swords Dance gives it a nice edge in physical offensive, but Curse provides an easy remedy most of the time. A varied Mew will fare well against a team with all direct elemental type weaknesses or no physical defenses, but against a truly well-rounded team with specialty moves like Curse and recovery and status effects, Mew isn't really anything special.

    Lugia

Lugia to me is the most clearly not-cheap super legendary. Lugia's type, stats, and moves just don't line up at all. It can hold out a long time with Safeguard and Recover, but it has a lot of type problems that go along with it. Its Flying type gives it a multitude of common weaknesses, and its offensive stats aren't anything "legendary". Aeroblast is its only truly "powerful" move thanks to STAB and a high CH rate, but it only has 90% accuracy and 8 PP. This make Aeroblast easy to stall out with any form of evasion, Substitute/recovery, Curse/recovery, etc. True, Lugia does learn a good variety of moves, but it needs type advantage to do any serious damage, which its opponent can take advantage of. Mattering on the moveset, a Zapdos, Skarmory, Tyranitar, Steelix, Skarmory, Raikou, Jolteon, or multitudes of others can usually match it fairly well. The two easy ways to defeat Lugia are simple: pound him offensively faster than he can recover with type advantage (you have plenty of choices: Thunder/bolt with STAB, Ice Beam/Blizzard with STAB, Rock Slide with STAB, Shadow Ball/Curse, Crunch with the SpclDef drop, etc.), or force a death with something like Perish Trapping or OHKOs.

    Ho-Oh

Ho-Oh is one of the nastiest of the super legendaries, and can be pretty hard to deal with due to how well-rounded his stats are. However, let's look give him a full look-over. Ho-Oh's Defense equals that of Mewtwo, and his SpclDef well exceeds it. His SpclAtk is fairly high, but his Attack is his high offensive stat. It's a shame that Ho-Oh can't utilize STAB on his Attack, if he could, he'd be a real menace. Sacred Fire is by far his nastiest move. However, it seems some people have forgotten the most primitive ways of toning down Fire attacks: RAIN DANCE! This move is so universally availible, and in fact it helps Waters deal with Ho-Oh too, unless Ho-Oh happens to have Thunder (virtually never in reality) it will be screwed. Rock types usually have little trouble as well; resistance with the 4x weakness back makes Ho-Oh almost hopeless against them if they act quickly. One may argue that the standard Sacred Fire/Solarbeam/Sunny Day/Recover Ho-Oh will cream Rocks, but what of Rain Dance?

Really, the only problem I see with him is that people have abandoned the strategies that used to keep him checked and they don't want to go back to the basics. There are plenty of Rock moves around, from Hidden Power Rock to Ancientpower to Rock Slide, on a wide variety of Pokémon. Use them; Rock is technically the best offensive type in the game as far as advantages/disadvantages go! Charizard or another Ho-Oh with Rock Slide work nicely against the standards and make good all-around Pokémon as well. Waters are the easiest way in general; a Rain Dancing Starmie or Suicune or *especially* Kingdra (4x Fire resistance) can make easy work of it, and a fast Electric can do the job if it goes all offensive as well, especially with something like Rain Dance/Thunder. Ho-Oh does well in general, but there are plenty of easy and effective ways to take him down without much commitment that simply involve Pokémon/moves not common anymore because of their banning. It all comes down to combining good team elements with good tactics and a little prediction maybe, which is what Pokémon is all about. Don't be too scared about considering playing unusual Pokémon like Kingdra, Lanturn, Magcargo, etc.; they have purposes, the "underrated" can be used extremely effectively against the "overrated" if you give them a chance! Besides, if you never play against Ho-Oh, you'll never learn how to counter it.

    Celebi

As far as I can see, Celebi's a Mew without Swords Dance or the variety in general. Leech Seed is nice, but nothing killer; same with Perish Song without a trap move. Duel STAB is okay, though its SpclAtk isn't so thrillingly high that it would be anything above "good", especially considering the lower base damage on both of those attacks. Ancientpower/Baton Pass is nasty, but that relies on a lot of luck and time. Celebi has a plethora of handy weaknesses to exploit from Fire to Ice to Ghost to Dark and many in between. This guy doesn't have the offensive nastiness of a sweeper, doesn't have any status effect advantages of a specialist, it has a good selection of type disadvantages to exploit; really, what's so spectacular about this Pokémon that people would label it unfairly good?