Tasty Vittles -- 'Halo 3: ODST'

Required playing from the week in games.

"Halo 3: ODST" is a prequel to the hugely popular "Halo 3" exclusively for the Xbox. But unlike previous "Halo" outings, you don't get to get play as Master Chief. Honestly though, how can you tell them apart? What if it's actually Master Chief in a different colored outfit? That would be a twist worthy of the ending of "Metroid."

Also in stores this week:
-- The multiplayer Wii brawler "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up" looks to be the most fun you'll have playing a TMNT game since "Turtles in Time."
-- If you write it, "Scribblenauts" for Nintendo DS will make it happen. Use your stylus to create any object to help little Max solve over 200 puzzles. What happens if I write in Master Chief?
-- Pinball freaks will want to grab "Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection" for the brand-new tables Medieval Madness and Tales of the Arabian Nights. Though we've never really understood the draw of playing pinball on anything but a pinball machine. How do you shake the thing? That can't be good for your Xbox.