head to head
vs
Bust a GroovevsPaRappa the Rapper
Bust a Groove leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); PaRappa the Rapper leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Bust a GroovePaRappa the Rapper
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
PaRappa the Rapper leans harder on execution: Hitting button cues on beat is the whole game
Reads2 vs 0
Bust a Groove leans harder on reads: Attack timing against the rival adds light prediction
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization4 vs 3
Bust a Groove leans harder on optimization: Learning charts and scoring rules converges
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.