head to head
vs
Mario Bros.vsRolling Thunder 2
Mario Bros. leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Rolling Thunder 2 leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Mario Bros.Rolling Thunder 2
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Rolling Thunder 2 leans harder on execution: Precise shooting, cover-jumping and timing carry every stage
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization4 vs 5
Rolling Thunder 2 leans harder on optimization: Learning spawn points and weapon management is the meta-game
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.