head to head
vs
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsvsXenoblade Chronicles
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Xenoblade Chronicles leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsXenoblade Chronicles
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars leans harder on execution: Timed hits and blocks reward rhythm.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 8
Xenoblade Chronicles leans harder on optimization: Art rotations, gem crafting and party builds decide fights
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.