It's hard to say from a competitive perspective. All the reasons that Charizard sucked still exist, but Drought did help pull Ninetales up to the top. What's really going to make or break him is how much his stats are raised, how much Sneaky Pebbles is nerfed (if at all), and what new moves are available to him.
Design-wise, I think even nostalgia fags will like it. The change from Charizard isn't that extreme, and it's a pretty simple design overall. Doesn't really fit any of the complaints they usually have. Regardless of his competitive ability, I imagine tons of people will box their new starter in favor of jerking off over Charmander.
