PC publisher Ascaron is moving into the handheld market for the first time, with a range of new DS releases this Q4. The firm told MCV it will follow its two pre-Christmas DS titles, with two further games slated for early 2009.

The Berlin headquartered publisher had previously stuck to its PC roots, but following the changing dynamics of the German market, where console gaming is beginning to catch up with PC gaming, the firm has broken with tradition by attacking the increasingly lucrative DS market.

Point-and-click DS title Runaway: Dream of the Turtle joins the critically praised TrackMania DS, which is releasing this Friday (November 21st).

Two more DS titles will head up Ascaron’s 2009 release schedule, including Last King of Africa on DS, and Moto Racer DS, the first handheld iteration of the popular franchise.

“Diversifying our business model to connect with the Nintendo DS market is a natural evolution,” Ascaron MD Roger Swindells told MCV. “We have been successful in the PC market and are not abandoning that platform, however it would be foolish to ignore other opportunities.

“Even with a highly competitive DS market, the quality of these games will differentiate them from other titles and we are expecting significant interest from retail.”