head to head
vs
Soulcalibur IVvsThe King of Fighters '98
Soulcalibur IV leans Execution (Competitive PvP); The King of Fighters '98 leans Execution (Competitive PvP).
Soulcalibur IVThe King of Fighters '98
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 8
The King of Fighters '98 leans harder on execution: Strict inputs, short hops, tight punishes
Reads7 vs 8
The King of Fighters '98 leans harder on reads: Human opponents constantly adapt and condition you
Variance1 vs 1
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization5 vs 5
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.