Building comparison
head to head
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestvsDave the Diver
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Optimization · Pure Optimization
An infamously cryptic NES adventure where lying villagers obscure how to break Dracula's curse.
Dave the Diver
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Day-job hybrid of relaxed spearfishing dives and nightly sushi-bar management.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Dave the Diver leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestDave the Diver
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Modest whip combat; day-night enemies.
Dave the Diver
harpoon aiming and sushi-service minigames
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
No adaptive opposition.
Dave the Diver
no adaptive opponent
Variance4 vs 4
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Deliberately false villager clues hide the real path.
Dave the Diver
daily fish spawns and sea changes vary
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Once decoded, it is pure item-and-route knowledge.
Dave the Diver
restaurant economy and gear upgrades drive progress
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.