A long-rumored 2D Metroid handheld project, Metroid Dread was given new hope after a scanning report found in Retro's recent Metroid Prime 3--"Experiment status report update. Metroid project 'Dread' is nearing the final stages of completion."--was taken as a hint of the game's development by hopeful fans.

Not so, says Pacini.

"It's not what you think it means... it was something that was overlooked and wasn't in any way indicating anything about the handheld game," he said to MTV. "We know no information about the handheld games."

So what was the phrase doing there in the first place? Is it all just a complete and utter coincidence?

"It's a complete and utter coincidence... We actually had a fictional element of something else in the game that by a large coincidence could be read that we were giving a hint about 'Metroid Dread' which was not the case."

Prime 3 producer Bryan Walker added these final words: "We're not that clever. No conspiracy."