head to head
vs
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestvsTerraria
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Terraria leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania II: Simon's QuestTerraria
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 3
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest leans harder on variance: Deliberately false villager clues hide the real path.
Optimization7 vs 8
Terraria leans harder on optimization: Gear progression and arena prep solve every boss.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.