head to head
vs
Shadow ComplexvsSonic Mania
Shadow Complex leans Execution (Practiced Mastery); Sonic Mania leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Shadow ComplexSonic Mania
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 7
Sonic Mania leans harder on execution: High-speed reaction platforming
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 5
Shadow Complex leans harder on optimization: Item routing and sequence-breaking define mastery and speedruns
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.