Building comparison
head to head
ShankvsSpace Harrier II
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Shank
Execution · Pure Mechanics
Combo execution and dodge timing through scripted grindhouse brawls.
Space Harrier II
Execution · Pure Mechanics
A fast arcade rail-shooter testing reflexes through surreal scrolling stages.
Shank leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Space Harrier II leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
ShankSpace Harrier II
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
Space Harrier II leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Shank
Combo juggling and dodge timing carry every brawl
Space Harrier II
reflex dodging in fast rail-shooter
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Shank
Enemies and bosses attack on fixed patterns
Space Harrier II
fixed enemy patterns, no adaptation
Variance1 vs 1
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Shank
Hand-built levels with no randomness
Space Harrier II
minimal randomness
Optimization3 vs 2
Shank leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Shank
Weapon-swap combo routing rewards some lab work
Space Harrier II
little beyond memorizing enemy waves
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.