Building comparison
head to head
New Super Mario Bros.vsSonic Advance
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
New Super Mario Bros.
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Modern 2D Mario platformer built on classic jump precision and hidden exits.
Sonic Advance
Execution · Practiced Mastery
Sonic's handheld return to classic 2D form with four playable characters on the Game Boy Advance.
New Super Mario Bros. leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Sonic Advance leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
New Super Mario Bros.Sonic Advance
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 6
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.
Jump timing and momentum control carry every level
Sonic Advance
GBA speedrunning lines demand crisp 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.
Enemies follow fixed scripted patterns
Sonic Advance
All scripted opposition
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.
Levels fully deterministic once seen
Sonic Advance
Special spring spots hidden at first
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.
Secret exits, star coins, and route knowledge
Sonic Advance
Character routes and emerald hunting are mappable
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.