head to head
vs
eXceed 2nd: Vampire REXvsGhosts 'n Goblins
eXceed 2nd: Vampire REX leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Ghosts 'n Goblins leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
eXceed 2nd: Vampire REXGhosts 'n Goblins
Axis by axis
Execution9 vs 9
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 1
eXceed 2nd: Vampire REX leans harder on variance: Patterns are deterministic and memorisable, little true randomness
Optimization5 vs 6
Ghosts 'n Goblins leans harder on optimization: Weapon choice and route memorisation are mandatory
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.