head to head
vs
NHL 96vsWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
NHL 96 leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 leans Execution (Competitive PvP).
NHL 96WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads4 vs 4
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 4
NHL 96 leans harder on optimization: Line management and exploit plays beat the AI reliably
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.