All Time Favorite Video Games 60-56

Almost done with the outer 25 entries into our prestigious list. Today features three retro titles and three entries into long standing franchises. Off we go!

60. Zach and Wiki (WII)
A wonderful puzzler that was probably overlooked by most gamers of this generation. Each stage gives you a sweeping panoramic view of the enemies and contents before you get started. Its up to you, as Zach, to figure out how to solve the stage. Sometimes you have to transform enemies into objects, such as a saw or bomb, sometimes you have to turn objects into animals such as a bat or a frog. Everything you need is always right in front of you, but figuring out how it all pieces together is usually quite a challenge. Some decent hidden items give this game a little extra push, but the old school feel, updated with wonderful graphics, earn this game a spot on the list.

59. Super Punch Out!! (SNES)
I was surprised how low this actually placed on my list. Always known as the less popular Punch Out (except with Matt Hudson), this game took the formula from the original and went a bit zany with it. Yes, you still proceed through the ranks of muscle bound humungoids who are hell bent on beating you to a pulp, but...this time they kick, spit, throw things at you, and jump around. The difficulty in this game always seemed a bit harder than the original game. The fact that it did not have someone with Mike Tyson's stature at the end might have ultimately hurt its popularity as well. Still a great game and it has aged well.

58. Mega Man II (NES)
Now, I used to love this game as a kid. My friend Justin Bredow and his dad used to be obsessed with this game. Seriously, I think they wore the cartridge out. They went so far as to tape a battery to the controller in the Metal Man stage simply to sit and collect 1-Ups! This has always been my favorite Mega Man game and probably always will be for one reason. I purchases the Mega Man anniversary collection a few years back and tried playing through Mega Man 1-7. These games annoy the hell out of me now. They are a format that doesn't translate well into today's style of playing. I sold the disc, and will probably never play another Mega Man game as long as I live.

57. Super Metroid (SNES)
Unless I'm off my mark, I might have actually gotten Super Metroid from drinking Kool-Aid as well. It might have been the Gameboy version though. Either way, critics have long lauded this game as one of the ten best ever made. It took everything that was fun from the original Metroid and went crazy with it. Powered up weapons, a larger board, and a bit more of a story all made Super Metroid an improvement over its original bretheren. Truthfully, I need to play this game again and see how well it stand up to time.

56. Resident Evil 0 (GC)
The premise for the Resident Evil series is so simple--virus outbreak in the mountains, zombies created, random group of heroes tries to save the day by battling back the menace--that it seems impossible to make the game over so many times, but Capcom is genius. Resident Evil 0 was a bold entry into the series for a few reasons. One, it let you control not one, but two characters alternately. Secondly, the game was actually a prequel (hence the 0 in the title), to the rest of the series. The unique dynamic of switching between characters really allowed the designers to created some awesome level designs. If you love the series, or survival horror in general, check this one out!

UP NEXT: Our final five entries before we get to the list's top fifty. The big time...the serious....the all time favorite video games! Tomorrow we'll see not one, not two, but three entries by Mario and a few surprises, including some battling brothers...