Is Luigi actually overshadowing Mario now?

[Zero Kirby]

They made Luigi a super-confident goofball in the Paper Mario series which I really liked. Luigi's had a lot of interpretations over the years, and in Luigi's Mansion 2 it's implied he's gotten over his fear of ghosts by the end. I don't think anyone complained about his more confident portrayal in Dream Team, which may have been limited to Dreamy Luigi most of the time, but you can't deny that as goofy as Luigi is in that game, he's much less cowardly than in other interpretations.

UNLIKE Mario though, the Sonic cast have very distinct personalities. Sonic's a very laid-back but justice-driven gotta-go-fast character, Tails is his buddy who looks up to him but at the same time knows he has skills that Sonic needs him for, Knuckles has just become a bumbler (which I hate compared to his gullible but stern and immovable version from the Adventure games), Amy's the tag-along who's overbearing but at least tries to help. That's just the main four heroes, mind. While Mario can be seen doing just about anything because he is SUCH a blank slate, Sonic not nearly so much - honestly, Tails fills a blank role better than Sonic at times. He still has a personality but it's much more muted than Sonic's "gotta be cool" attitude.

And of course as both series continue they'll be continually introducing new characters, but it's always nice to see old favorites make a return as long as they aren't overused (see the Koopalings before New Super Mario Bros. Wii and then after New Super Mario Bros. 2).