An abundance of removal spells in Constructed, and especially bounce out of the control decks, kept it down in Standard, but probably more than they should have
Still, you shouldnt rely on just this one test
At that time, banning Seismitoad- EX would have formed a totally different format, but not banning it allowed for other interesting strategies that were good because Seismitoad- EX was present
They were a great way to bring newer players into Magic and not overwhelm them with keywords, complex mechanics or strategy
It does not scale with the number of players, so as early as turn two it effectively reads Players cant play any more lands on a one mana enchantment
If you attend local events, using a personal playmat is standard practice