head to head
vs
FIFA Soccer 06vsNHL 96
FIFA Soccer 06 leans Execution (Competitive PvP); NHL 96 leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
FIFA Soccer 06NHL 96
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads4 vs 4
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization4 vs 5
NHL 96 leans harder on optimization: Line management and exploit plays beat the AI reliably
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.