The holiday travel season doesn’t mean you have to bring along bulky games to keep yourself entertained. The Tumi Travel Charades features 56 suggestions on plastic sticks for acting out songs, movies, books and more. The entire games is housed in a compact leather, tubular case with a zip top making it easily packable.

I’m thinking of a website. Two words. Hint: the definitive resource for men.

Cost: $98

Also See: Retro Space | Tumi Packing Cubes | Beijing Taxi Cards | Victorinox Swiss Army Travel Sentry Cable Lock

No Device Left Un-Oranged

Gear Patrol Custom ColorWare Xbox 360

I hope that I’m not being too presumptuous, but it’s likely that you, the Gear Patrol reader, take some measure of pride in having the latest and greatest bits of consumer technology. It goes without saying that we do, too. After all, why do you think that we dutifully craft these daily digital digests? Sadly, keeping up with the Joneses sometimes conflicts with one of our core Gear Patrol Values: Individuality. These days, camping out to get a new smart phone, personal media device, or video game console simply doesn’t ensure even a modicum of uniqueness or personal expression.

That’s where the good people at ColorWare come in. (See our custom Xbox 360 after the jump)

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There Are Fewer Better Ways To Celebrate Veterans Day

So, by now your gaming budget has probably been crushed to a bloody pulp by the relentless parade of A+ titles that have been released over the past few weeks. Prepare to part with another sixty bucks, as today marks D-Day for the latest in the highly revered Call of Duty series. This fifth iteration subtitled World at War takes players back into the fray of the WWII era previously featured in COD 2 and 3.

Expect more of what has delighted players and critics alike in the CODs of yesterday such as sublime battlefield graphics and sound, an engrossing single player campaign, and a robust multiplayer experience. You’ll be asked to survive missions from both the European and Pacific theaters, playing as troops from each Allied nation. Simply put, Call of Duty: World of War is the latest and greatest way to get your boots on the ground and slog through the much vaunted fog of war.

Just remember two things:

• The “Potato Masher” isn’t a kitchen utensil.
• This is Call of Duty, not Call of Dusty, as noted to my editors.

Cost: $60

It’s Easier To Pick The Leader Of The Free World

The only choice able to rival the consternation facing undecided civic duty-doers today might be taking a stand for one of this week’s blockbuster new releases. Fear not, for unlike your singular opportunity to pull that hallowed lever, nothing but your budget can prevent you from taking both these bad boys home.

Some similarities exist between GOW 2 and Resistance 2, not the least of which is that they are unabashedly awesome. Both are exclusive to their consoles, both offer near endless multiplayer appeal to supplement the single player and co-op campaign modes, and both ask you to repel an inhuman scourge threatening the Earth’s very existence. Speaking of, did anyone ask the Presidential hopefuls where they stand on the issue of inhuman scourges?

My hope for you, dear reader, is that you needn’t make any more tough choices this week. Both of these gems look to fulfill their promises to the gaming public. If you were to press me on a choice though, I’d give the edge to Gears of War 2; after all, it’s still got a chainsaw rifle to help you reach across the aisle.

Gears of War 2 ($60) emerges Friday | Resistance 2 ($60) out today

Let’s Play Global Thermonuclear War

Image Courtesy: Bethesda Softworks

If there are two things that you should know about me (resident GP Game Guru and father extraordinaire), they are as follows:

• I never miss a chance to insert a WarGames reference.
• I’ve been really, really looking forward to playing Fallout 3 for a really, really long time.

The implication is that you should be equally excited about the latest offering in the Fallout series from Bethesda Softworks, out today. Some have basically called it Oblivion with a fresh coat of post-apocalyptic paint. It’s not that such a description would denigrate an ordinary game, but Fallout 3 is so much more.

It’s a classic boy meets world scenario (minus Ben Savage), only this world is irradiated and populated by hordes of mutant creatures. You emerge from the Vault 101, an underground shelter that has been your lifelong home, to search the wasteland of a nuked Washington D.C. for your father and that ever elusive “truth.” Aside from the vast world and stunning visuals that you’d expect from the Bethesda team, Fallout 3’s game play features keen AI and an immersive story that evolves with your choices. Much better than an elementary game of chess… against Professor Falken.
Cost: Xbox ($59) | PS3 ($59)

Also See: Fable II | Retro Space Home Arcade Machine

Apparently, Choices Do Have Consequences

Fable II’s exclusive Xbox 360 release represents yet another blockbuster offering in this season’s video game line up. As the sequel to one of the flagship games of the original Xbox era, Fable II takes the original’s formula and improves on it in nearly every way.

In case you don’t know, it goes something like this. You control a character wandering about in a lush open-world environment. As your avatar ages and matures, he becomes good and benevolent if you make positive choices. Make shady ones and watch as your character devolves into a maniacal sociopath. Not unsimilar to your own choices in life. Mix in an immersive story and revamped combat system and you’ve got yourself a barrel full of fun.

Evil fun, perhaps, but fun nonetheless.

Cost: $60