5. Resident Evil Revelations (Switch eShop)

This began life on the 3DS before getting ported to other platforms (including Wii U). The compartments of the cruise ship Queen Zenobia were a necessary design concession when the game ran exclusively on handheld hardware, and this gave Resident Evil Revelations something of a unique flavour in the modern RE era, recalling the contained spaces of the Spencer Mansion from the first game, although here the 'mansion' was floating.

Despite some disappointingly blobby enemies and a slightly laborious scanning mechanic, Revelations (or 'Revelaitons' as the famous box spine misprint called it) did a great job of cramming the series' tension onto Nintendo's handheld. It looked fantastic, and even scaled up on more powerful hardware, it holds up remarkably well. Its sequel edges it in a face-off, we'd say, but this is still definitely one to check out if it passed you by the first (or second) time around.

4. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (GCN)

As far as Nintendo consoles go, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis only saw release on GameCube, although we're getting the remake on Switch in Cloud Version form come 18th November. The GameCube version was a bare-bones port of the PlayStation game (as we've seen, Capcom is something of a specialist when it comes to the bare-bones port). This takes place at the same time as the events of the second game and began life as a spin-off, but it eventually garnered a number of its own and the pursuit of Jill Valentine by the eponymous villain added a delicious dollop of paranoia into a series already bubbling over with tension.

Although OG Nemesis is currently imprisoned on GameCube, we can also see the ugly brute stalk a Nintendo console via the cloud in the RE3make.

3. Resident Evil (Switch eShop)

The original, and the best. Well, up there with the best, at least. It might be tough to go back to if you're used to the modern Resident Evil games, but this one birthed a genre and if you've avoided this in the past, you owe it to yourself to give the tank controls a chance and let the dread of the Spencer Mansion really soak into your soul.

This remake — known colloquially as REmake — launched first on GameCube (it got a Wii port, too) and offered a revamped, reimagined version of the PlayStation original that transformed its look to bring it in line with the tone as established from the sequel onwards. The original deserves utmost respect as the progenitor of the series, and this version of the Spencer Mansion is built on the same foundation, but this is the optimal way to experience a survival horror classic.

2. Resident Evil 2 (N64)

Resident Evil 2 is, in a sense, where the modern series as we know it began. The first game was terrifying, but the production values of the original version — with its cheesy FMV sequences and questionable dialogue — put it in the realm of the straight-to-video horror genre. That would get retconned with REmake, but Resident Evil 2 upped the ante considerably in every way and established the look and feel that the series embraced from then on.

The Nintendo 64 version of the PlayStation classic is a technically incredible port in its own right, with the GameCube version being sharper, but arguably less interesting. There's also the critically acclaimed REmake 2 available on Switch via the cloud if you're looking to sample a brilliantly reimagined version of this iconic game.

1. Resident Evil 4 (Switch eShop)

A remarkable breath of fresh air for a franchise that was getting a little stale, Resident Evil 4 is one of the best video games of all time and put the series on an action-based path away from the fixed-camera, pre-rendered, 'staged' survival horror of the previous games.

What you lost in nail-biting tension was more than made up for by the brilliantly chunky gunplay and impeccable progression through a story that continually ups the ante and adjusts difficulty automatically to keep you on the edge of your seat without pushing you off entirely. Ditching standard zombies for the intriguing 'Ganados' and draining the colour palette helped make Leon and Ashley's story distinct from previous games, too.

The excellent Wii Edition added pointer controls which worked fantastically well, although they made things a little too easy. Still, they were optional and there really aren't any bad ways to play RE4 on Nintendo platforms; whether you choose the original GameCube option, the friendlier Wii port, or the sharper Switch edition, you won't regret this European sojourn, in spite of the less-than-friendly locals.

So, whaddayareckon stranger? Any surprises here? Think there's been a huge miscarriage of justice? Is it time to remake Resident Evil Gaiden yet? Pining for Rem4ke Cloud Version on Switch?

Our thanks to everyone who has rated the games they've played. Feel free to unleash both barrels of your thoughts below. And remember, if you haven't rated the ones you've played there's still time to affect the ranking above! Simply tap the star, assign a rating out of ten, and watch to see how the order is influenced.