Building comparison
head to head
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestvsNew Super Mario Bros. U
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Execution · Practiced Mastery
The fan-favourite sequel with harder levels and deeper secrets.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Execution · Practiced Mastery
The most demanding of the New Super Mario line, with brutal optional challenges.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); New Super Mario Bros. U leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestNew Super Mario Bros. U
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 7
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Demanding jump chains and animal-buddy control
New Super Mario Bros. U
Challenge modes demand tight, precise platforming
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Fixed enemy patterns, no adaptation
New Super Mario Bros. U
All enemy behavior is scripted
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Secret Lost World entrances hidden until found
New Super Mario Bros. U
Deterministic level layouts
Optimization5 vs 5
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Routes, DK coins, and bonuses fully mappable
New Super Mario Bros. U
Routing star coins and secret world shortcuts
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.
Related comparisons
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest vs Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto V vs New Super Mario Bros. UDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest vs The Witcher 3: Wild HuntNew Super Mario Bros. U vs The Witcher 3: Wild HuntDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest vs Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas vs New Super Mario Bros. U