I never said Link was a hard character to play with, but he's very powerful. Mario owns him, though, because in the first SSB Link could not jump worth anything. That was fixed in SSBM and IMO makes fighting Link more interesting.

In the first game, most of the characters had something that could be abused. Link's Up B and Up A, Mario's Tornado and throw attack. Pikachu's thunder strike. These were, as you said, way toned down. Several of my SSB Mario strategies were made usless. (Mario Tornado followed by Up A is no longer Death Incarnate in the Gamecube version.)

I'm not sure where you disagree with me, though?