I'm really glad that they made them functionally identical, because if either one was better than the other you just know that people would bitch about it.

"Why is it that the female characters need male counterparts? Why isn't there a female Mario? A female Donkey Kong? A female Pikachu? A female Samus? A female Zelda?"
How Would A Feminist Get Irrationally Pissed Off At This is one of my favorite games.