10 favorite Time Wasters from 2009 to kick off your 2010 gaming!

Peel yourself off the floor (like Flickr user B. Rosen above), Download Squad readers! It's time to usher in 2010!

Over the past twelve months we've shown you plenty of great tools to improve your productivity. We like to keep things in balance, though, so there were also plenty of awesome Time Wasters posted to keep your stress levels in check. Although in hindsight there were several which probably stressed some of you out even more... so... sorry about that.

Still, there's no better way to kick off the new year than with a big ol' helping of button-mashing, bad guy-blasting, puzzle-solving fun. Without further ado, it's time to take the jump and enjoy ten of our favorite Time Wasters from 2009!
Effing Hail [Go Play!]
As a guy who gets his share of nasty, horribly-cold weather during the Winter months I get a little added enjoyment out of harnessing the power of hail to smash stuff. Buildings, planes...It's all fair game in Effing Hail.

Hammertime in 60 Seconds [Go Play!]
I just couldn't put this list together without including Jay's awesome discovery. Play your way through loads of minigames featuring -- who else -- MC Hammer. Awesome sequined blazer not included.

Infectonator [Go Play!] [Go Play Christmas Edition!]
Zombies are awesome. Time Wasters are awesome. The two combined? Fuhgettaboutit! Choose the original or the holiday remix - either way, the goal is the same. Power up your zombies, turn the townspeople, and destroy stuff. Mmmm, brains!

Little Wheel [Go Play!]
Jay found Little Wheel's levels a bit on the simple side, but the game's visuals and soundtrack make it highly enjoyable distraction. Help the little robot fix all the broken stuff and restore power to the city!

Minim [Go Play!]
This interesting little puzzle game will have you banging your head occasionally - but some of our favorite Time Wasters have been incredibly frustrating. Connect the molecules, clear the board. Sounds simple enough, right?

Monster Evolution [Go Play!]
I had a great time playing this, and my son had an even better time watching. Grow your monster from a minor annoyance to a humanity-destroying beast of epic proportions. 25 different monsters to play and three difficulty settings make for soldier-eating, tank-smashing fun!
Rayhound [Go Play!]
Battling enemies using a ship with no guns whatsoever might seem like a pretty stupid idea, but who needs guns when you have a crazy gravity field at your disposal? Just blow your enemies up by redirecting their own fire.

This is the Only Level [Go Play!]
Sometimes the best games are the simplest ones - or at least the ones which appear to be simple. Every level is the same in this game, or so it looks. There's something different about each one, and it's up to you to figure it out.

Tuper Tario Tros. [Go Play!]
This was one of our more recent selections, and you've really got to play it to understand why it's cool. Take the original Super Mario Bros. and throw it into a blender with Tetris, and this is what you get.

Have another favorite I missed? Share it in the comments!

Tags: games, gaming, time waster, TimeWaster, timewasters