head to head
vs
Contra: Shattered SoldiervsGhosts 'n Goblins
Contra: Shattered Soldier leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Ghosts 'n Goblins leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Contra: Shattered SoldierGhosts 'n Goblins
Axis by axis
Execution9 vs 9
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 6
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.