Apparently, early 2010 is going to be the year of ancient Greek culture, whether its the puzzler Heroes of Hellas, the much-anticipated God of War 3, or Nintendo’s new history inspired RPG, Glory of Heracles, available this week on the DS.

In Glory of Heracles, you play a young hero who washes ashore on ancient Crete. Is the legendary hero Heracles, missing his memories? Travel through Greece, including the city states of Athens and Sparta, obtaining powers from the gods and uncovering clues about your past, while battling villains and their monstrous hordes. Maybe one of the clues is whether Heracles and Hercules are the same person, and why he has two names.

There’s a nice throwback feel to this game, to the classic Japanese RPGs of the 80s and 90s, mixed with 3D graphics and a bevy of legendary characters, making this Japanese import an intriguing prospect. Better yet, you have your choice of stylus based play, or traditional buttons and d-pad, which is always a welcome option.

“There are many gamers who view role-playing games as the ultimate genre,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “And in Glory of Heracles, they’re going to find a new world, a mix of memorable characters, imaginative storytelling and epic battles. New gamers will also find that this title is a great way to get acquainted with RPGs.”

Glory of Heracles is rated E10+ and is available now for the DS and DSi, and look for a review coming soon from GamerPops.