After Peggle for the Nintendo DS being uncovered earlier this year, PopCap firmly denied the game’s existence. Now, though, it has finally decided to come clean and make the official confirmation, announcing it is indeed bringing the game, along with two brand new ’seek-and-solve’ puzzle adventure games, to the Nintendo DS later this year.

First up, PopCap Games Inc. announced that later this year the company’s mega-hit game Peggle will be available for Nintendo DS. During his keynote presentation at CGA Seattle yesterday, PopCap CEO David Roberts provided an early glimpse of the DS version of Peggle, which is expected to hit North American retail shelves in Winter 2008 and carry a price-tag of US$29.95. In bringing Peggle to the DS, PopCap has partnered with Q Entertainment, the acclaimed Japanese development studio. Q Entertainment is already underway with the adaptation of Peggle, and will be adding features unique to the DS version that are not available in the existing PC, Mac or iPod versions of the game. Many will now Q Entertainment thanks to its best-selling franchises, such as Lumines (for PSP, PS2, XBLA, PC, mobile), Meteos (Nintendo DS), and Rez HD (XBLA).

“I have a great deal of respect for Q Entertainment as one of the industry’s preeminent game developers, with a proven reputation for creativity and innovation. Q is a great choice to partner with us — they share many of PopCap’s design and creative philosophies and are equally big believers in quality and attention to detail. These factors, combined with Q’s impressive track record of success on DS and PSP, make this a natural fit. I’m confident that Q will create an experience with Peggle for DS that will both satisfy existing fans of the game and attract a new audience of on-the-go gamers who appreciate the DS for its one-of-a-kind display format and other unique capabilities.”
- Greg Canessa, PopCap’s vice president of video game platforms.

“We at Q Entertainment are honored to be working with PopCap and view this as a fun, exciting challenge — taking a very popular casual game and bringing it to a more hardcore audience on the DS. PopCap’s games are simple but addictive, and Peggle demonstrates that even a simple game can be extremely deep. We’ve always incorporated casual game elements into our console and handheld games, and now we have an opportunity to bring our gaming sensibilities and expertise to the DS version of Peggle, and make a very novel ‘cross-over’ game for all ages.”
- Shuji Utsumi, Q’s co-founder and chief executive officer.

Precise details of the forthcoming DS version of Peggle are not yet available, but the game is expected to feature more levels than any existing version of the game - including DS-exclusive levels - and will also offer re-mastered input controls and a wealth of surprise additions sure to please die-hard fans and novice players alike.

On top of this, there is Amazing Adventures: The Forgotten Ruins and Mystery P.I. — Portrait of a Thief, which are both inspired by the original ‘hidden object’ PC game series, but feature entirely new story lines, locations, gameplay modes, and challenges. They are also slated for release in Winter 2008, but will each carry a lower price-tag of just US$19.95.

“Not only are we bringing the highly anticipated Peggle to the DS in a very customized way that will make it unique, but we are complimenting our line-up with two additional titles from the increasingly popular ’seek-and-solve’ casual phenomenon that continues to fuel mass-market interest and enthusiasm. With Amazing Adventures The Forgotten Ruins and Mystery P.I. — Portrait of a Thief, we’re cementing our commitment to the Nintendo DS with brand new adventures that have tremendously wide appeal to a rapidly expanding audience of casual players.”
- Greg Canessa, VP of video game platforms at PopCap.

Amazing Adventures The Forgotten Ruins transports players to an archeological dig, where they discover clues and follow a character-filled storyline that will lead them to a long-lost Mayan ruin. The game features eighteen missions and nine DS-only locations through which players are challenged to “find” over ninety hidden objects per scene. Players can also unlock additional gameplay modes by locating bonus items such as Jade Masks and Mayan Glyphs. The game includes four mini-games featuring unique stylus-based controls and high score leaderboards, an interactive journal and bonus content.

As for Mystery PI — Portrait of a Thief, this game challenges players to become a private investigator and track an art thief to recover missing paintings recently stolen from a private collection. This game also features eighteen missions with multiple locations in each, again including nine DS-only locations. Players can also collect awards, encounter new characters and keep track of their game in the case log while unlocking secret gameplay modes and mini-game free play. Mystery P.I. — Portrait of a Thief also provides a dual screen interface and touch-screen functionality.

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