head to head
vs
Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary EditionvsPokémon Emerald
Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary Edition leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Pokémon Emerald leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary EditionPokémon Emerald
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 0
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary Edition leans harder on variance: random encounters and stat growth
Optimization7 vs 8
Pokémon Emerald leans harder on optimization: EVs, movesets, and Frontier strategy run deep
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.