Greatest Hits: Super Smash Bros., Paper Mario, F-Zero X, Pokemon Puzzle League and Mario Golf.

Hidden Gems: Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber and Sin & Punishment.

The Numbers: Although it's technically tied with the Sega Master System for percentage of must-own games (both systems have 44%), the Nintendo 64 has the edge thanks to a low number of bad reviews (only 17% "STOP" scores) and high number of "CAUTION" scores (39%, which is close to the site-wide average). Either way you slice it, the Nintendo 64 is in a healthy position on this Virtual Console list.

But here's the rub: Nintendo has only released 21 Nintendo 64 games. That's nothing compared to the 92 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the 75 Genesis releases or the TurboDuo's 63 titles. Only the Commodore 64 and Sega Master System have fewer games, coming in at nine and sixteen respectively. The N64 is currently tied with the Virtual Console Arcade, a depressing fact given that this is supposed to be one of Nintendo's flagship platforms.

Much like the Super NES, Nintendo has hand-selected only the biggest hits. As a result, you won't find a lot of controversial choices. Who in their right mind is going to give F-Zero, Smash Bros., Paper Mario or Ocarina of Time a bad review? The 39% games that scored "CAUTION" aren't bad, either. Yoshi's Story may not be Nintendo's shining moment, but when push comes to shove I say buy it. At the end of the day I am happy with Nintendo's numbers, even if I would prefer to see more N64 games on the Virtual Console.

The Single Worst Game: Cruis'n USA - In the 200 episodes of This Week in Defunct Games I've authored, only three Nintendo 64 titles have earned a "STOP" rating -- Pokemon Snap, Cruis'n USA and Bomberman Hero. While I am baffled by the single-player Bomberman experience, it's Cruis'n USA that is hands-down the worst Nintendo 64 game on the Virtual Console. This early gen racer is a little too over-the-top for its own good. The gameplay is a disaster, the stages are short and the whole experience is over in only a few minutes. Fifteen years and a steep discount isn't enough make Cruis'n USA worth owning. Compared to other ten dollar games, this early N64 release is utterly lacking in every way.

Greatest Hits: Fantasy Zone, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Phantasy Star, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Wonder Boy in Monster Land.

Hidden Gems: Alex Kidd in Shinobi World and Fantasy Zone II.

The Numbers: Much like the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Master System is a love it or hate it kind of proposition. Unlike the NES, there are only sixteen Master System games (that's 76 fewer titles, for those looking for a calculator). Of the sixteen games reviewed, seven of them earned our highest score (44%). On the other hand, six games earned the lowest score (37%). There are only three games in between (19%). Clearly there isn't a lot middle ground on the Master System.

The good news, for collectors, is that some of the Master System's best games have been made available. Phantasy Star holds up every bit as well as the original 8-bit Final Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is an exciting new entry and Fantasy Zone remains the fun/psychedelic experience you remember. It turns outs that many of the system's best games are smaller titles nobody ever talks about. When was the last time Alex Kidd in Shinobi World was brought up in conversation? Did you even know Fantasy Zone had a sequel? The Master System takes full advantage of the small part of the Virtual Console they are given.

The Single Worst Game: Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars - I'm not an Alex Kidd hater. In fact, I fully endorse both Miracle World and Shinobi World, two games that perfectly encapsulate what made this series so good. Unfortunately, The Lost Stars misses at every turn. Not only is it an incredibly dull action game, but it comes off as insanely lazy. For one thing, you will need to play each level more than once if you intend to beat the game. If this was a Super Mario Bros. game Nintendo would have designed another bunch of stages, but Sega opted for the easy way out by making you play each level over and over again. Since when did Alex Kidd because the star of Groundhog Day?

Greatest Hits: Ninja Spirit, Air Zonk, Devil's Crush, Gate of Thunder, Ys Book I & II, Bomberman '94, Bloody Wolf, Dragon's Curse and Lords of Thunder.

Hidden Gems: Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Super Air Zonk: Rockabilly Paradise, Detana!! TwinBee and Star Parodier.

The Numbers: The TurboDuo (or TurboGrafx-16, if you prefer) may be lower on this list, but it's actually a very dependable part of the Virtual Console. With 19 "Go" ratings, the NEC's faux 16-bitter is 38% positive. But that number doesn't tell the full story. The Duo only had 22% bad scores, one of the lowest. That's because 20 of the 50 reviewed games (40%) scored a "CAUTION" review. As has been noted many times already, "CAUTION" isn't always a bad thing, and fans of retro games have a lot of great titles to choose from on the TurboGrafx-16.

The real story of the TurboDuo section is the CD content, which features a number of real gems. Without the Virtual Console it would have been tough to play the original version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood or Super Air Zonk. The Wii has allowed gamers a chance to play a large library of games that has largely been ignored. There aren't a lot of TurboGrafx compilations and many of the best franchises never made it to other platforms. It may not have the biggest names, but the TurboDuo is a secret powerhouse on the Virtual Console.

The Single Worst Game: Double Dungeons - With the possible exception of Unchained Blades, you don't see this style of first-person dungeon crawler any more. And for good reason, because Double Dungeons (named for its terrible two-player mode) is a little less fun than overdosing on sleeping pills. But you don't have to take my word on it, Double Dungeons has been the been the butt of jokes all around the internet. Recently we featured a remix of the Retrogamer3's review, which didn't go well. Don't let the title lead you to think you're getting a good deal, because Double Dungeons is one of the worst games ever made.

Greatest Hits: Samurai Shodown II, The King of Fighters '97, The Last Blade, Spin Masters, Magical Drop II, Magician Lord and Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory.

Hidden Gems: Ironclad, World Heroes Perfect and Samurai Shodown IV.

The Numbers: Despite its relatively low standing on this list, the Neo Geo is one of the best-rounded game systems on the Virtual Console. Of the 36 games reviewed, 12 of them earned positive marks (33%), 14 earned a score of "CAUTION" (39%) and 10 were given bad reviews (28%). You get a little bit of everything, from the terrible launch games to the genre defining fighting games. Best of all, you get them for a very reasonable price.

The Neo Geo's scores are hurt by SNK's multiple compilation discs and the existence of the Xbox Live Arcade and Neo Geo Station on the PlayStation 3. The Metal Slug games, for example, were docked points because of the much more economical Metal Slug Anthology on the Wii. Some of the fighting games also suffered lower scores, thanks largely to the lack of online options (a standard feature on other systems).

Even with the score explanations, the Neo Geo is a system with a very specific style of game. You don't see a lot of lengthy role-playing games or simulation racers on the Neo Geo; instead you get four King of Fighters installments and endless Samurai Shodown sequels. The numbers don't reflect how amazing it is to be able to own these arcade-perfect games for a fraction of the original asking price.

The Single Worst Game: Ninja Combat - When it was first released, Ninja Combat was the poster boy for Neo Geo's many problems. Critics pointed to the high price tag (topping $200 then, or $375 today) and short campaign (around 20 minutes). To make matters worse, the game offered unlimited continues that made it practically impossible not to beat on the first attempt. It's easy to see why critics of the era were so outraged by Ninja Combat; the thought of paying $200 for this shallow action game would make me stabby. But these days you don't have to worry about the high price tag. Ninja Combat on the Virtual Console is a mere $9. But even at that greatly reduced price, the thought of paying money for Ninja Combat makes me want to reach for my knife again.

Greatest Hits: Boulder Dash, Tower Toppler and Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine.

Hidden Gems: All of the games are hidden gems to console gamers of a certain age.

The Numbers: In the case of the Commodore 64, I definitely appreciate the effort. Given its computer roots and woefully outdated catalog, there's no reason for the C64 to show up on the Virtual Console. But Nintendo gave it a shot, and I applaud them for it. Sadly there were only nine releases, spread out in slow drips over the course of 2009.

Objectively, the selection of Commodore 64 games is poor. Missing are many of the system's best titles, including CJ in the USA, Master of the Lamps, Impossible Mission, Exile, Myth and Defender of the Crown. Of course, even if all of the games I listed were on the Virtual Console, it wouldn't change the fact that they feel radically different from titles found on the NES, Genesis and Nintendo 64.

The nine games (including the best of the best) haven't held up well. Sometimes it's a control issue, while other times the very gameplay mechanics feel foreign. That's not to say these games are bad, but it's hard to justify spending $5 on The Last Ninja 2 instead of, say, Super Mario Bros. 3. These overpriced Commodore 64 games aren't going to win over new fans; they are merely there for nostalgia purposes.

The Single Worst Game: International Karate - Don't think Street Fighter II is one of the most influential games of all time? Then spend a few dollars and download International Karate for the Commodore 64. This 1986 fighting game has its Ryu and Ken, but that's where the similarities end. Don't expect a life bar, special moves, fluid animation, depth or quick gameplay, because that's still years away. What you can expect are levels based on real cities around the world. Oh, and bad gameplay; you can expect a lot of really bad gameplay. Still, like most of the C64 games that line the Virtual Console, International Karate is still endearing in a nostalgic sense. But don't spend real money on this game and expect a quality fighting experience.

Greatest Hits: Ghosts 'N Goblins, SonSon, Black Tiger and Super Hang-On.

Hidden Gems: Ninja Gaiden and the newly renamed Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando.

The Numbers: It's been a bumpy road for the Virtual Console Arcade. Introduced all the way back in March of 2009, the Virtual Console Arcade has only managed 21 releases. To date, only a handful of companies have introduced games on the service. As a result, we're left with a lot of 1980s arcade hits from Capcom and Sega. Even more frustrating is that games like Ghosts 'N Goblins and Altered Beast have already been uploaded to the Virtual Console on other consoles.

When it comes to numbers, the Virtual Console Arcade under-delivered. In two hundred episodes, Nintendo was only able to score five positive reviews. Even then, how many Wii owners were excited about downloading Star Force, Black Tiger and SonSon?

Most of the Virtual Console Arcade's biggest names reside in the middle ground between being good and bad. Ninja Gaiden is an interesting brawler, but it's not the kind of arcade game you'll want to go back to time after time. Games like Shinobi, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando, 1942 and Solomon's Key are part of the 43% that scored "CAUTION". The fact that the worst of the worst make up 33% is the reason why the Arcade is the Virtual Console ghetto.

The Single Worst Game: Altered Beast - No matter how starved for entertainment a man is, I guarantee that he's never so desperate as to play Altered Beast. This is one of Sega's worst arcade games, and yet the money-starved company insists on releasing it until every single person owns at least three copies. Altered Beast is a terrible game with slow moving action and no depth. Even with dead people rising from the grave, turning into dragons and killing huge bosses, nothing exciting happens in Altered Beast. How Sega was able to turn such an intriguing premise into a snorefest is beyond my comprehension. But the real crime, the one that sets Altered Beast apart from the other terrible games in the Virtual Console Arcade, is that this is a duplicate release. Instead of releasing Earthbound or one of the countless other must-own games everybody has been asking for, Nintendo decided to double up on Altered Beast. Now that's cold.