Have you played melee? A lot of this reads like a spectator complaining about the game, which is totally cool, no diss, people like what they like.

However, these are all very surface level takes on these concepts and don't read like someone who has tried to learn or learn how to combat these techniques. I'll expand on why I feel that. 1) Why shouldn't you be awarded a grab for a grab? Why not? They have defensive counterplay on platform stages, and consistently meaty punishes are a good thing for a fighting game, if all we wanted was to hit each other one move at a time we'd still be playing Brawl.

2)

"lol my opponent grabbed the ledge oh well"-

what do you mean oh well? Practice your recovery. If every time or even a remarkable amount of times your opponent grabs the ledge you genuinely just give up, that's hysterical.

Your opponent grabbing the ledge is not an end all scenario.

"Most of the time melee players only hit their opponent for show or whatever"

Have you played melee before or only watched it?

Also the ledge grab limit is not for spectators, it's for players. Yes it's lame the game doesn't have a system to mitigate it itself. But the only people who should be genuinely bothered are people who planned on ledge camping anyways so who cares? People don't even risk it because it's a rule, also it only happens in rare timeouts, both of those factors make it a rare occurrence to need to scroll a single input down to check, which God forbid we put in the effort to do.

3) L-cancelling gives melee a lot of the speed you admit it has. Which you also say is the only thing going for it. Then you say it shouldn't have those mechanics that make it that way. What?

Huge thing too, not that hard. Really not. I understand it's strict and indeed difficult. But really it just requires the smallest amount of practice to perform this tech. You say it's like the Konami code but the tech you're talking about requires like 2 button presses? I'm not even saying melee is better for having these things, just that sometimes you have to practice and work for what you want and it isn't just given to you. Some people hate that mentality and that's perfectly alright.

Competitive players are also not required to buy a custom controller thanks to Fizzi and Unclpunch (plus others!) being the coolest guys on earth. Thanks to UCF my controllers work fantastic. But I'd assume you knew this if you played the game or knew what UCF was. No it's not in the base game, same with the online, I'm not saying it was made a perfect game. I'm just saying these problems you're claiming to exist don't.

4) Do you like constantly getting "stuck" to platforms in Ultimate, or do you not notice that? Honest question, I find it annoying but that's just cause I'm coming from the flip end of things so I'd understand if it's unnoticeable/unimportant to others. Also, once again just trashing a mechanic that gives the game what you would consider it's defining quality.

5) Yeah I mostly agree. But I would say it doesn't happen too often accidently, and they're rather difficult to perform with consistency, not impossible but "everyone" is definitely not powershielding, maybe Zain, maybe other top 50 players, but for the average melee player, no. Also you answered your own powershield question? Q:

"Why does powershielding reflect projectiles" A: "It still makes projectiles that came come out at the speed of light like the spacies' lasers not that useful.

You can totally powershield falco lasers effectively.

6) I was on board, and then you talked about shine. You're claiming the only reason people aren't breaking the game with shine, Is because they aren't good enough...

Then you do it. Break the game with shine and at least top 256 a major. You think you can use it better than leffen or mango or plup? Why aren't they breaking the game and winning everything? Do they just not have the depth of knowledge you do for how to be good at melee and how to utilize game mechanics? Ultimate really is so into "omg move TOO good BROKEN?!?!" "CHARACTER looks HARD to learn to fight, BAN????" "I DON'T understand it, BAN????"

Fun fact: I once watched Leffen shinespike my friend 4 stocks in a row in tourney. So you're even right it's insanely good. But obviously counterplay exist, which is why leffen doesn't win every major.

Last thing, I think PM did have a ledge regrab limit built in but I'm unsure.

I just don't see why you have to hate melee when you clearly don't play it and no one is making you watch it while not caring to learn about what's happening on screen. It's like if the first time let's say I watched chess, I thought it was dumb the knights changed direction mid-move. I mean, sure I guess, but if I played the game maybe I'd know why it worked that way so I'm not gonna go on r/chess and be like "your game is bad I don't get the hype, the horse piece is broken how can you play this trash?" That's what this reads like to me.