Mario - Super Mario Sunshine. Lots of awful, gimmicky stages. The game does come together well in the fun levels / shine objectives, but there aren't enough of those to put this over any other mainline Mario. New Super Mario Bros. is the runner-up, probably. Way too easy and largely bland. It's not actively obnoxious like Sunshine but lacks even that game's highs. The NSMB sequels are great for the most part, though.
(best: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan))
Metroid - Metroid: Other M. The heavy railroading, despite being the antithesis of Metroid, would be acceptable if the game at least succeeded at being a good-feeling action game (like Fusion) but the combat is absolutely paper-thin. So no real saving graces here (although at least this game nails Metroid movement in 3D better than any of the Prime games, even if that's about the only thing it gets right). The original Metroid is a heavily flawed game (grinding for health and ammo sucks, as do the repeated rooms), but even a flawed take on the Metroid fundamentals is at least more interesting than Other M.
(best: Super Metroid)
Castlevania - Castlevania 2. Miserably empty, repetitive levels completely lacking in intelligent encounter design, worthless bosses, unintuitive puzzles - there's basically nothing good about this game aside from its music. Haunted Castle sucks too. At least that game attempts to do more with its level design than CV2, even if it's a fairly incompetent action game filled with awful hitboxes and nigh-unavoidable traps.
(best: Castlevania (X68000))
Contra - Super Contra (original arcade version). A pity - the game's brisk pace and intensity are appealing, but the laggy aiming (at odds with the hordes of enemies and sudden surprise traps the game likes to spring on you) really drag it down. (The NES port tightens the game up, improving it overall, but loses the elements that made the arcade version at least somewhat interesting. I still consider the NES version superior but it's definitely a little bit disappointing.)
(best: Hard Corps: Uprising)
Fire Emblem - Fire Emblem: Gaiden. Awful, empty maps and a lineup of weak-feeling playable characters whose poor growths never let you feel like you've become powerful (unless you go out of your way to grind - an option that drags the game down by its presence, even if it wasn't encouraged by the game's poor balancing).
(best: Fire Emblem: Thracia 776)
Metal Gear - Metal Gear Solid 4. Fantastic mechanically, but the game falls apart after act 2 and basically never gives you a chance to make full use of your toolset against interesting enemies. This game (and Peace Walker, to a much lesser extent) tanked my interest in the series - thankfully MGSV came along.
(best: Metal Gear Solid V)
Devil May Cry - Devil May Cry 2. Nothing to say here, really.
(best: Devil May Cry)
