That is what I hear from a lot of people that were gamers back in the day - that Kidd felt like the budget version of Mario, not better just cheaper in many ways. Not exactly a good image to run with for the mascot. May be why Sega dropped him after only one outing on the Genesis.
I think it had something to do with the alternative method of fighting the bosses. It wasn't "action-y" enough.
RE: Alex Kidd 3 Fanmade Sequel Demo Released for Sega Master System