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We felt a brief jolt of excitement when we saw this graphic on the new Japanese Metroid series website. Right under the boxarts for the two New Play Control Metroid Prime remakes and Metroid Prime 3, this graphic teases "Another side story -- coming soon"! The Japanese text underneath says "Follow the history of Metroid Prime from the perspective of the Space Pirates", which would potentially be a pretty cool game.However, we don't think it's going to be a new Metroid Prime spinoff at all. For one thing, Nintendo wouldn't really tease a new game like that, and certainly not in Japan, where nobody cares about Metroid. Given that the site provides quick synopses of each game's storyline, we're guessing this is going to be some story retrospective -- as in just a thing on the site. Most likely, it's some clever way of packaging the whole backstory of the series for new players. But for us, it'll be just more incomprehensible Japanese text. It could be a new game, but it probably isn't. Whatever it is, we'll find out -soon-![Via NeoGAF]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The latest post issued from rogue Bob's Game creator Robert Pelloni's secret lair features something we were quite sure we'd never see -- no, he didn't give up, but 25 weeks after sending his application for DS development authorization, he finally got his letter from Nintendo. The text of the note is identical to that received by rejected WiiWare developer Xiotex Studios.His entire (not quite) 100-day protest was based on the fact that Nintendo had yet to respond to his application for a Nintendo DS SDK, so official communication from the company is, in one sense, vindication for Pelloni. But in another, more accurate sense, it's a rejection letter.The text of the letter offers clues as to why Pelloni was not approved: Nintendo expects "secure business facilities, sufficient equipment and staffing, financial stability and other attributes that would distinguish the developer." We assume that a sealed office that you pretend is an alien spaceship does not constitute "secure business facilities."Even more telling is the statement that Nintendo "provides Authorized Developers with highly confidential information" and thus "exercises a very high level of discretion" when choosing to whom it grants SDK access. If he really has heard back from Nintendo (and we must express a modicum of doubt in regard to anything Bob's Game-related), then Bob's constant blogging of his own wait for approval seemingly ruined his chances of receiving that approval.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

If there's one complaint we hear about the Wii more than any other, it's that the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are just too big for most hands. Seriously, who does Nintendo think they're marketing these things for? It's nearly impossible to stretch our average-size hands around the vast expanses of white plastic.If you are one of the millions whose Wii experience is ruined by the comically oversized controllers, we encourage you to seek a solution in DHRECK's "Mini-mote" mod, which uses custom shells to shrink down the controllers to fun size. It's more attractive, more useful, and less likely to attract stray Woody Harrelsons than his previous "Hemp-Mote" mod, at least!The extremely detailed guide to taking apart and rebuilding the Wiimote and Nunchuk is intended to help people get started with their own projects. The "Mini-mote" and associated Nunchuk are just a tiny proof of concept.[Via Kotaku]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments