head to head
vs
Shank 2vsSuper Castlevania IV
Shank 2 leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Super Castlevania IV leans Execution (Practiced Mastery).
Shank 2Super Castlevania IV
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 7
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 0
Shank 2 leans harder on reads: Enemies telegraph fixed attacks; survival co-op stays scripted
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization4 vs 5
Super Castlevania IV leans harder on optimization: Subweapon choice and boss pattern study
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.