#7) Metroid Prime (GCN/Wii)
Ugh, the closer we get to the end of this list, the harder it becomes to articulate my feelings about these games. Without sounding like a total cliché, at least.
#6) Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES/SNES/GBA/Wii)
Super Mario Bros. 3 is the benchmark that all platformers should strive to meet. It is mechanically perfect, and design flaws are few and far between. It is positively rife with secrets, branching paths and power-ups. It is the physical manifestation of FUN, and it is head and shoulders above everything in its genre.