head to head
vs
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestvsMuck
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Muck leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestMuck
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
Muck leans harder on variance: Seeds, chest rolls and item drops shape every run
Optimization7 vs 6
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans harder on optimization: Once decoded, it is pure item-and-route knowledge.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.