head to head
vs
Gradius VvsHotline Miami
Gradius V leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Hotline Miami leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Gradius VHotline Miami
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Hotline Miami leans harder on execution: One-hit-death rooms demand flawless fast inputs
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 6
Gradius V leans harder on optimization: Options configuration, power-up sequencing, and checkpoint recovery are fully solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.