While the cards look like garbage at first glance, I personally believe that the ultra beasts have a mechanic that makes this a good thing (specifically that special energy we know nothing about)
Forest of Giant Plants was banned for the same reason Birthing Pod was in MtG, they don't want to worry about it every time they print a set.
As for Archeops, everyone and their mother (literally, Some moms took up the game) played Hex Maniac so I don't think "we banned it so people didn't have...
I feel like TPCI is modeling this new system off of the system of competitive play used by WotC for Magic the Gathering. this is not good because the MTG system seems to be bias to people who have played the game longer (most of the time)