head to head
vs
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightvsXanadu Next
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Xanadu Next leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightXanadu Next
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
Xanadu Next leans harder on execution: Click-attack positioning needs modest precision.
Reads1 vs 0
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night leans harder on reads: Scripted bosses
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
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.