head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsHydlide
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Hydlide leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightHydlide
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 0
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans harder on reads: Scripted bosses
Variance2 vs 3
Hydlide leans harder on variance: Progression triggers are obtuse hidden information
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.