head to head
vs
CabalvsMario Bros.
Cabal leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Mario Bros. leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
CabalMario Bros.
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 7
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization3 vs 4
Mario Bros. leans harder on optimization: POW block usage and enemy routing have known best lines
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.