Building comparison
head to head
Alien SoldiervsGhosts 'n Goblins
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Alien Soldier
Execution · Pure Mechanics
Treasure's Mega Drive boss-rush gauntlet demanding flawless execution against giant setpieces.
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Execution · Pure Mechanics
Capcom's infamously punishing arcade platformer that makes you beat it twice for the real ending.
Alien Soldier leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Ghosts 'n Goblins leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Alien SoldierGhosts 'n Goblins
Axis by axis
Execution9 vs 9
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Alien Soldier
Frame-tight dodges across thirty-plus bosses
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Committed jumps and pixel-precise throws, no mercy
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Alien Soldier
Bosses fully scripted
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Enemy spawns are scripted
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Alien Soldier
Nothing hidden after one loop
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Red Arremer movement adds slight noise
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Alien Soldier
Weapon loadout and moveset mastery solvable
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Weapon choice and route memorisation are mandatory
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.