head to head
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.

Execution · Practiced Mastery
Time-hopping Crash entry where relic time trials add a routing layer.

Execution · Practiced Mastery
Memorising enemy spawns then executing pixel-precise dodges for the one-credit clear.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Metal Slug X leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Precise platforming plus time-trial mastery
Metal Slug X
Dodging dense bullet patterns demands precise reflexes
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
All hazards scripted
Metal Slug X
Every enemy wave is a fixed memorisable script
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Fixed level layouts
Metal Slug X
Nothing meaningful is random once routes are learned
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Relic time-trial routing rewards optimization
Metal Slug X
One-credit clears come from memorising spawns and weapon routes
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.