head to head
vs
Mortal Kombat XvsStreet Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Mortal Kombat X leans Execution (Grand Arena); Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike leans Reads (Competitive PvP).
Mortal Kombat XStreet Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 9
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike leans harder on execution: SA combo links and precise parry timing set an extreme execution ceiling
Reads8 vs 10
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike leans harder on reads: Parry is a pure real-time read against an adapting human - the defining mechanic
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
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.