head to head
vs
EarthBoundvsMight and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer
EarthBound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
EarthBoundMight and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
EarthBound leans harder on variance: PSI randomness, enemy attack variety, and encounter triggers add unpredictability
Optimization7 vs 8
Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer leans harder on optimization: party-build and spell-optimization depth
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.