head to head
vs
Ghosts 'n GoblinsvsNex Machina
Ghosts 'n Goblins leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Nex Machina leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Ghosts 'n GoblinsNex Machina
Axis by axis
Execution9 vs 8
Ghosts 'n Goblins leans harder on execution: Committed jumps and pixel-precise throws, no mercy
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 2
Nex Machina leans harder on variance: Enemy arrangement has minor randomisation between waves
Optimization6 vs 6
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.