Building comparison
head to head
New Super Mario Bros. UvsShantae and the Pirate's Curse
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Execution · Practiced Mastery
The most demanding of the New Super Mario line, with brutal optional challenges.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Execution · Practiced Mastery
A 2D platformer where pirate gear unlocks new movement abilities across interconnected islands.
New Super Mario Bros. U leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Shantae and the Pirate's Curse leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
New Super Mario Bros. UShantae and the Pirate's Curse
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 7
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Challenge modes demand tight, precise platforming
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Precise platforming and boss dodges demand clean inputs
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
New Super Mario Bros. U
All enemy behavior is scripted
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Enemies and bosses run fixed scripted patterns
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Deterministic level layouts
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Layouts and item locations are static once learned
Optimization5 vs 5
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Routing star coins and secret world shortcuts
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Item order and route knowledge matter, especially speedrunning
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.
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