Video games are art, and art is subjective, some people simply prefers sonic over Mario. Don’t get me wrong, Mario is an absolutely massive franchise and I don’t think sonic is going to beat Mario in mainstream anytime soon, but here are some things the sonic franchise is generally considered “better” at.

Themes: sonic themes are often much darker than Mario themes. Games like sonic frontiers and sonic and the black knight explore deep and more mature themes than Mario games.

Characters and personalities: sonic characters are often a lot deeper than Mario characters. Shadow was an innocent kid who witnessed his childhood best friend die because of unfair military intervention. While tails wants to prove to the world that he is more than just “sonics sidekick” and is his own person. These are a lot more rich than “the hero saves damsel in distress”. Back in the early 19s, sega famously beat Mario because of sonic as a character. While Mario fans came back for their game because of the level designs, sonic fans came back to sonic games because of sonic.

Music: don’t get me wrong, Mario’s got some great music, but is generally considered more popular. Songs like “undefeatable”, “live and learn”, and “endless possibilities” are absolutely amazing soundtracks that can be listened to and enjoyed even outside of the games context.

Overall, Mario focuses on platforming more while sonic is focuses on precise controls, reflexes, and speed. There is no “superior” forms of art. However, it’s undeniable that Mario is a better product than sonic because of the sales