If you didn’t get enough of Brian Basco and Gina Timmins in last month’s Runaway: A Road Adventure the couple is back in today’s new release Runaway: Dream Of The Turtle (RDOTT). The story picks up with the couple vacationing in Hawaii just after the events of it’s predecessor, events that are cleverly summed in RDOTT’s options menu with a cut-scene that recaps the previous game. Needless to say things don’t go according to plan and adventure gaming ensues. Looks like we have an issue with the size of the game displaying properly but just so you know it clocks in at around 5.5GB.

Our free game of the week is Rogue Trooper, a third-person shooter based on the 2000AD comic of the same name. While not particularly innovative for its time, Rogue Trooper is still a very solid shooter with lots of character. You can download and play from today until 07.08.09.

Play Rogue Trooper On GameTap

Are you ready to realize your lifelong dream of designing and managing your very own hotel? Yes? Well you had better put on an adult diaper and some staples in your socks because on July 9th Hotel Giant 2 (AKA Hotel Empire 2) is coming to GameTap. If you’re hesitant to check it out due to all of the broken promises made by those other hotel-sims that claim to offer true customization (who isn’t?) then let me put your mind at ease. In Hotel Giant 2 you’ll control every, and I mean every, detail of your hotel. It’s all up to you! Maybe you want the carpet to match the drapes, or maybe your restaurant only serves organic vegetable dishes, or perhaps you want cameras installed in every bathroom, it’s all under your control (I’m not sure about that cameras in the bathroom part). I guess what I’m trying to say is, if the lack of Hotel Sims in your life has you considering suicide, perhaps you should hold off until you’ve tried out Hotel Giant 2 next week on GameTap.

Just a couple small updates this week. Tomorrow we’ve got Runaway 2: Dream Of The Turtle headed to Premium users and Rogue Trooper as our free game of the week. Hit the jump for the full coming soon list.

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Starting today the Myst series will be taking a hiatus from GameTap due to an external conflict between Cyan Worlds and Ubisoft. Ideally we like to give you, the user, plenty of advance notice when a game is leaving the service but this news was just as much a surprise to us. When the issue is settled between these parties we will do everything we can to get these games back on the service.

Update: realMYST is still available

A fascianating look into the world of Shiny Entertainment and Earthworm Jim circa 1994. I got a particular kick out of the soundtrack, it reminded me of industrial music’s brush with the mainstream in the early 90s, I’m pretty sure I heard some Machines Of Loving Grace, Nine Inch Nails, and Lard in there.

[Originally posted at Bitmob]

This episode of HTBVG covers a real hidden gem from the Atari 2600 era called Asteroids. Asteroids, despite it being virtually unknown by the gaming community, is a pretty solid classic arcade title. At GameTap we have available 3 variants; the arcade release, the Atari 2600 port, and the improved pseudo-sequel Asteroids Deluxe. Retro gamers should check out this obscure game in case you missed it when it was release in the arcade or in its very limited at home release on Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit Computers, Atari ST, Atari Lynx, MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Xbox Live Arcade, and Sony Playstation.

Peanut butter and chocolate, Hall and Oates, Kirk and Spock, coffee and cigarettes, classic combinations that mutually bring out the best qualities of each part. Rise of Nations is the result of just such a duo, part man, part machine, all cop… “no that’s Robocop“, “Oh yeah, thanks voice in my head”,  “No problem“, “Okay lets get back to the blog”, “Hail Satan!“.

Part RTS, part 4X strategy game, Rise of Nations is the love child of Age of Empires and Civilization. Leading your humble civilization to victory will require more than military might or the twitch reflexes of your typical RTS. Expanding your empires borders, diplomacy, researching new technology, and maintaining civil unrest are all challenges you’ll face on the path to world domination. Rise Of Nations also sets the stage for some epic multiplayer matches and fortunately the servers are still up and running thanks to matchmaking service from GameSpy.

Play Rise Of Nations On GameTap

I have a trailer here to whet your appetite for next week’s new release, Runaway 2: Dream Of The Turtle. If you haven’t had a chance to play the original, Runaway: A Road Adventure, you have exactly one week to get through it before the sequel drops. If you’re not too proud to ask for some help, UHS-Hints has a great spoiler-free walkthrough available here.

Our featured free game this week is the classic dungeon crawl Sacred: Gold. Laying waste to the inhabitants of Sacred’s fantasy world you deal death with same level of ease as opening a spreading sheet, point-click-kill, loot and repeat as needed. It’s a perfect game for whiling away the hours on these hot summer days. If you enjoy Sacred: Gold be sure to also check out Titan Quest, available as part of Premium Pack subscription.

Play Sacred: Gold on GameTap