head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsMark of the Ninja
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Mark of the Ninja leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightMark of the Ninja
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on execution: Precise ledge timing, sound-cone avoidance, and kill windows demand input
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 8
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on optimization: Distraction sequencing, upgrade paths, and ghost-score routing are solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.