HISTORY Great Empires: Rome DS takes us back in time

Anyone who suffers a spontaneous bout of narcolepsy whenever great historical events and battles are mentioned might want to click away now, because the latest game from publisher Black Bean isn't for those who prefer spending their time in Hyrule or Hogwarts over delving into the details of ancient Rome.

Called HISTORY Great Empires: Rome, this just-announced title will be released on DS in the summer.

The game is a strategy title in which the player is responsible for building up the biggest empire in the world. Just like a real emperor of Rome, players will be able to direct armies, manage resources, forge alliances and go into battle. Unlike a real emperor of Rome, they'll also play a series of mini-games en-route. This is a DS game after all and what sort of DS game would it be without mini-games?

We have to confess to being a bit surprised by a tidbit of information released by Black Bean alongside the announcement though, which is that this game's predecessor - which was called The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome and released last year on PSP, PS2 and PC - achieved "significant chart success at launch, including top five and ten positions throughout Europe". Surprise mainly because we didn't know PSP owners were such a history-loving and discerning bunch, and also because we've never heard of the game.

Anyways, back to the DS and we're promised it will draw from the resources of the TV network HISTORY - now available in 135 countries in more than 235 million TV households - to ensure it's exceptionally accurate.

We're guessing that means no Roman rocket launchers or thunder spells then. Oh well, we're sure it'll be good even without them, and we'll hopefully be able to bring you more as the release date approaches.