Though the Orange Box package released on Steam may be more fondly remembered for titles such as Portal and Team Fortress 2, I (along with many others) devoted many of my hours to Peggle Extreme.

PopCap Games have announced that the Peggle franchise will be soon moving onto the Nintendo DS. The Nintendo DS version of Peggle will be developed by Q Entertainment, who are best known for the titles Rez and Lumines.

In a recent interview, Greg Canessa, Vice President of Videogame platforms for PopCap Games also revealed that Q Entertainment would be adding new features to Peggle for the DS. When questioned as to why Canessa identified the Nintendo DS as the ideal platform for PopCap Games, he responded with the following:

... the fit with PopCap and Nintendo is a natural one. When I came on to start the videogame platforms business here at PopCap about 18 months ago, I identified right off the bat that the match between PopCap and Nintendo was the most natural fit out of all the platform providers -- given the broad, accessible nature of PopCap games, and Nintendo's nature of embracing games for everyone and making very broad and accessible games on the Wii and DS platform.

It is reported that the DS incarnation of Peggle will feature more levels than any other current version, with Canessa promising that the DS version won't just be the same old Peggle we've experienced on the PC.

We take the DS very seriously, and in keeping with the spirit of adaptations, Peggle will be an evolution of the game designed for Nintendo DS. Obviously that starts off with controls that are reinvented and optimized for the DS, taking advantage of the two screens, the things you would expect.

In addition, Peggle DS will have 'new features and functionality', which are as yet unannounced. With development handled by Q Entertainment, and plenty of creative freedom to be provided, Canessa hopes that while still fundamentally being Peggle, that Q Entertainment will transform the Nintendo DS version into something truly unique.


Screenshots from the PC based Peggle Extreme
Canessa also outlined plans to bring other PopCap titles the DS platform, with Amazing Adventures and Mystery PI in development. Outlining why the three specific PopCap titles were chosen to make their way to the DS, and why they are beginning with Peggle, Canessa remarked:

It's one of our biggest franchises, and it's one of our most successful franchises. It's also a franchise that has a great following not only in the casual space, but as well as the more hardcore space.

The other titles were chosen in order to attempt to bring about a relatively 'new' concept to the DS:

Our strategy with the other two titles is really all about bringing the popularity of the "hidden object" or "seek and find" genre of games -- which are very popular in the PC downloads space -- onto Nintendo DS.

Interest has also been expressed by Canessa to introduce and develop titles for specific platforms such as the Xbox LIVE Arcade, in addition to the PS3 and PSP. While plans for other titles are not yet set in stone, Canessa is keen to see PopCap Games everywhere they're possible, with some intent for original games to be developed for specific platforms, each exploiting the strengths of the platform.