If you do pay it unless it is late game or you have a Cradle you are somewhat skipping your turn
Other than basic lands, each card in your deck must have a different name
We also got to see the other two commanders from the set, and though they're boring humans (boo) they do have some fun effects
My following comments are speculation, but: The card designs could have been approved around the same time period as the first wave of 1996 cards, the contract could have enforced the release date of 1997 to stagger product hitting the market, the contract could have stipulated mew was to be withheld until approved, or indefinitely, or permission triggered by some other event such as a sales target
Cards like Archaeomancer and Panharmonicon are absolute musts with this blue card
After all, sideboarding should be about perfecting your deck, not about clumsily trying to employ two conflicting strategies at the same time