Building comparison
head to head
Metal SlugvsSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Metal Slug
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Twitch dodging and shooting layered over memorised arcade stage routes.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Execution · Practiced Mastery
The famously punishing Japanese sequel to Super Mario Bros., built for players who mastered the original.
Metal Slug leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Metal SlugSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 8
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Metal Slug
Dodging dense bullet patterns and precise shots carry every credit
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Brutal precision jumps, poison mushrooms punish any input slip
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Metal Slug
Enemies follow fixed arcade scripts, never adapt
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
No adaptive opponent; everything is scripted
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Metal Slug
Spawns are nearly deterministic once a stage is learned
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Hidden blocks and warp zones until memorised
Optimization6 vs 6
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Metal Slug
One-credit clears come from memorising routes and spawn patterns
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Level memorisation and warp routing are half the battle
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.