Building comparison
head to head
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasvsSuper Mario 3D Land
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
A sprawling open-world crime epic with RPG-style character stats across a whole state.
Super Mario 3D Land
Execution · Practiced Mastery
A bite-sized 3D Mario that compresses Galaxy-style level design into linear handheld courses.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Super Mario 3D Land leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasSuper Mario 3D Land
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 5
Super Mario 3D Land leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Flying school and drive-bys need decent hands
Super Mario 3D Land
3D jumps and special-world remixes need clean control
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gang AI is scripted, never adaptive
Super Mario 3D Land
Scripted enemies and bosses only
Variance2 vs 1
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Territory wars and traffic add light randomness
Super Mario 3D Land
Star coin locations hidden on first pass
Optimization6 vs 5
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Stats, gym, weapon skill, and routes reward systematic play
Super Mario 3D Land
Star coin collection and power-up management are solvable
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.