Building comparison
head to head
Earthworm Jim 2vsSWIV
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Earthworm Jim 2
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Sequel platformer that swaps genres per level but always tests the hands.
SWIV
Execution · Pure Mechanics
A vertical scroller testing bullet-dodging execution over memorised enemy wave patterns.
Earthworm Jim 2 leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); SWIV leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Earthworm Jim 2SWIV
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
SWIV leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Earthworm Jim 2
Varied set-piece levels demand precise control
SWIV
Weaving through dense bullet patterns is the whole vertical-shooter test
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Earthworm Jim 2
No adaptive opposition
SWIV
Enemy waves are scripted spawns, never adaptive
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Earthworm Jim 2
Deterministic levels and gimmicks
SWIV
Almost fully deterministic once patterns are memorised
Optimization5 vs 4
Earthworm Jim 2 leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Earthworm Jim 2
Learning each surreal level's fixed solution
SWIV
Learning spawn layouts and power-up routes raises the ceiling
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.