head to head
vs
Bulb BoyvsPony Island
Bulb Boy leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); Pony Island leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Bulb BoyPony Island
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Pony Island leans harder on execution: Light arcade hopping segments with low demands
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Bulb Boy leans harder on variance: Puzzle logic hides until trial-and-error reveals it
Optimization5 vs 5
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.