In the games, Mewtwo is consistently noted as being one of the strongest opponents, and has been described in Pokémon Red and Blue as being “the best Pokémon in the game”,  as well as “one of the rarest — and hardest to catch”.  Because of the character’s multiple strengths and few weaknesses, it changed how players approached playing against each other, causing players to either develop strategies solely to defeat an opposing Mewtwo, or prohibit its use when battling other players.