head to head
vs
Metroid: Zero MissionvsPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Metroid: Zero Mission leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Metroid: Zero MissionPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Metroid: Zero Mission leans harder on execution: polished 2D movement plus a stealth finale
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 1
Metroid: Zero Mission leans harder on variance: hidden passages unknown only once
Optimization6 vs 6
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.