head to head
vs
DeathsmilesvsF-Zero X
Deathsmiles leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); F-Zero X leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
DeathsmilesF-Zero X
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 1
F-Zero X leans harder on reads: Rival AI is non-adaptive
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 5
Deathsmiles leans harder on optimization: Item counter and rank route choices drive scoring
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.