head to head
vs
Blaster Master ZerovsSonic Mania
Blaster Master Zero leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Sonic Mania leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Blaster Master ZeroSonic Mania
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 7
Sonic Mania leans harder on execution: High-speed reaction platforming
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 5
Blaster Master Zero leans harder on optimization: Dual-mode upgrade routing and boss pattern study
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.