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Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong Country Returns dev working on Wii 2 game?

Online report has Retro Studios already crafting new title for Nintendo's upcoming console.

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Source: Freelance games writer Paul Gale's website.

What we heard: Since rumors about the Wii 2 first broke last week, the Internet has been abuzz with speculation about the HD-enabled device. Besides a growing consensus that the console will be shown off at--or before--the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo, there have been unconfirmed reports that it is code-named Project Cafe. Additional reports have it boasting controllers with tablet-like touch screens capable of streaming games from the console itself.

Could Donkey Kong Country Returns return on the Wii 2?
Could Donkey Kong Country Returns return on the Wii 2?

This week came another rumor that Nintendo was courting Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption developer Rockstar Games to craft a launch title for the Wii's successor. Today comes an unconfirmed report of another high-profile developer reportedly confirming that it already has a software development kit for the console--and that it's working on a title that will likely please Nintendo fans.

Citing several sources within the developer, Gale reports that Austin, Texas-based Retro Studios was one of the first companies to receive an SDK for the Wii 2. While that should not be particularly surprising, given the fact the shop is a first-party studio wholly owned by Nintendo, one source did offer a delicate tease about what it was working on. "[It's] a project everyone wants us to do," said the source.

The official story: "Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation." -- A Nintendo of America representative.

Bogus or not bogus?: If there are Wii 2 SDKs already in circulation, it's likely not bogus that Retro, being a part of Nintendo, already has one. The more intriguing question is what is the studio working on? Given the fact it saw critical and commercial success with the Metroid Prime trilogy, a new Metroid is a top suspect. However, the developer's most recent title, Donkey Kong Country Returns, has sold over 2 million units since its release last November, making a sequel likely as well.

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