Black sheep of the series that are great actually (and why)

[curl-6]

Lotta great calls here. Seconding Bioshock 2, Gears Judgement, Mario Bros 2; I really loved those ones too in spite of them being odd ducks relative to their peers.

I'm also gonna throw in Doom 3, (very different to the rest of the series with its slower pace and more horror-focused angle, but still very enjoyable) Splinter Cell Conviction (much more action-focused than prior entries but still great at making the player feel like a badass) and Silent Hill Shattered Memories. (brilliant atmosphere and great use of the Wii's controller)