head to head
vs
Mark of the NinjavsMetroid Fusion
Mark of the Ninja leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Metroid Fusion leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Mark of the NinjaMetroid Fusion
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 6
Metroid Fusion leans harder on execution: demanding bosses for a 2D Metroid
Reads1 vs 0
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on reads: Guards investigate noise on scripted logic; no player profiling
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 6
Mark of the Ninja leans harder on optimization: Distraction sequencing, upgrade paths, and ghost-score routing are 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.