Werent the original jungle items from s4 and before better?

You don't remember S3 Lizard?

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I dont remember about too many balance issues for them other than wriggles lantern.

I don't recall much variation either. Back then, the Jungle meta was clearly Lee, Elise, and Evelinn.

SotEL so greatly favored Fast clearing damage dealers that basically no one else could compete with that. SotSW Only offered AP, making any kind of Jungle mage, Blue buff reliant. Tanks, started to take a turn in the right direction with the Quill coat and reworked SotAG. (Which was basically a precursor to Cinderhulk.)

Jungle itemization since then has allowed for a much more diverse set of Junglers. (we actually have our share of Tanks, Divers, mages in the Jungle) The only real problem was, with that level of diversity came a lot more points for things to go wrong.