Ringing out the old year and ringing in the new can be a great experience. It gives us the chance to look back over the year and fondly remember all the wonderful things that happened. However, if you're alone on New Year's Eve, it can be an incredibly lonely experience. Not to fear! We've compiled a list of our five favorite games of 2009 for you to count down with the folks on television. As the ball drops, check out some of the best casual gaming experiences of 2009.

5! Gyromancer

Gyromancer was the hybrid creation of PopCap games and RPG mogul Square-Enix. It followed the adventures of a young adventurer who uses fantastic beasts to fight for him. In order to defeat monsters and restore order to a kingdom, you had to be adept at PopCap's match 3 mechanic of Bejeweled Twist. Matching three of the same colored gem on the battlefieled allowed your pets to use their special abilities to spell defeat for your opponents. The game incorporated a stellar storyline and a number of fun traditional RPG elements, such as experience points, item usage and sidequests to extend the fun of the experience and tell a compelling story at the same time with memorable characters and exotic locations.

4! Torchlight

Torchlight is one of those unique games in that it's difficult to place whether it's casual or hardcore. The first offering from newcomer Runic Games, you play as an adventurer who journeys into the deep caverns below the city of Torchlight to defeat an ancient evil. Along the way, you earn experience points and earn fantastic weapons as you defeat a number of various enemies. Although the game sports a number of traditional RPG elements from games like Diablo II and World of Warcraft, there are five different difficulty levels. So even if you're completely new to the world of RPGs, you can still enjoy the hack and slash fun of getting an extremely powerful axe and going to town on a horde of zombies, goblins or spiders.

3! Bookworm Adventures 2

When the original Bookworm Adventures hit PCs from PopCap there was a huge hype, in part due to the mention of the game in popular gaming webcomic Penny Arcade. The sequel is every bit as good as the original, this time taking Lex the Bookworm to new literary locations of fairy tales and beloved stories. Lex battles evil creatures by using his words - literally! Players deal damage to their enemies by spelling out words from a grid, Bookworm style. The longer and more obscure the word, the more damage done to the enemy. As the game progresses, Lex gains new abilities and allies to help him on his quest to restore the great library to its former glory. Spelling was never so much fun!

2! Critter Crunch

The PS3 exclusive game Critter Crunch has a lot going for it. Not only do you explore the concepts of the food chain with a delightful fat fuzzy creature with no arms, but you get a great puzzling experience as well. A great variation on the match 3 mechanic, Critter Crunch makes you feed creatures to other creatures in order for them to explode and create gems. There are multiple modes for players to enjoy including adventure/story, puzzle and multiplayer. As levels progress, more creatures are added in the grid and the game speeds up to accommodate your proficiency. What results is one of the most addictive and cute experiences on the PS3. After all, in what other game could you eat a watermelon and then feed your young son by barfing up rainbows?

1! Plants vs. Zombies

This puzzler came out of nowhere from PopCap early in 2009 with the central concept of the zombie apocalypse. You play as a gardener who has to defend their home from the incoming hordes of shambling undead by planting dangerous horticultural heroes on your lawn. These range from the sun-generating Sunflowers to the basic Peashooters and the powerful Melonpults (That's cataputs that heave watermelons at your enemies). You'll defend your front lawn, your pool and your roof both day and night against the undead abominations. To extend the experience, PopCap added a vast number of puzzles and challenges that poke fun at their own franchises, such as Beghouled and Zombiquarium. If you're more into a zen-like experience, PopCap has also included the ability to collect flowers for your own personal in-game garden to earn more money. Even if you don't fully appreciate the concept of an epic battle between plants and zombies with only one left standing, perhaps we can put a smile on your face for the new year with this promotional video for the game.