Building comparison
head to head
Pokémon Diamond VersionvsPortal
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Pokémon Diamond Version demands more variance; Portal demands more execution.
Pokémon Diamond Version
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Solvable team-building progression through Sinnoh's fixed trainers.
Portal
Optimization · Pure Optimization
The portal-gun puzzle game whose solutions are everything.
Pokémon Diamond Version leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Portal leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pokémon Diamond VersionPortal
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 4
Portal leans clearly harder on execution.
Pokémon Diamond Version
Menu battles need no dexterity
Portal
Portal placement timing modest.
Reads1 vs 0
Pokémon Diamond Version leans a little harder on reads, though the gap is small.
Pokémon Diamond Version
Scripted trainers never adapt; online battles are optional
Portal
No adversary modeling player.
Variance3 vs 0
Pokémon Diamond Version leans clearly harder on variance.
Pokémon Diamond Version
Encounter and crit rolls are bounded, mappable randomness
Portal
Deterministic chambers; no randomness.
Optimization8 vs 8
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Pokémon Diamond Version
Physical-special split deepens solvable team building
Portal
Pure puzzle-solving optimization.
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.