Much like Nicol Bolas, its a card that can come down early, pose a substantial mid-game threat, and then help close out the game late
The kill mechanisms were also clunky and filled with subpar cards, largely centering around Cunning Wish loops with Mirari (you could Wish for exiled cards then) or Burning Wish for Firecat Blitz
Treat them as starting points, not rules
This is why the leaves the battlefield trigger really helps because it keeps your counters in play like modular, but also counts if it is bounced, flickered, or airbent
and if something is as old as the game itself of course you can build a deck based on it in 93/94
You can buy Magic: The Gathering booster boxes and packs in the UK or from Harlequins Games, including Play Boosters, Collector Boosters and sealed products from current Magic sets.