head to head
vs
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestvsLost Kingdoms
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Lost Kingdoms leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestLost Kingdoms
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 5
Lost Kingdoms leans harder on variance: Random card draws mid-combat force adaptation.
Optimization7 vs 7
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.