head to head
vs
Pac-Man 256vsSuper Mario Maker
Pac-Man 256 leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Super Mario Maker leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Pac-Man 256Super Mario Maker
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Super Mario Maker leans harder on execution: Community kaizo levels push platforming precision to extremes
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization3 vs 4
Super Mario Maker leans harder on optimization: Mastering tool tech and level conventions is learnable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.