Image from IGN.com

I have made it no small secret here that I really love light gun games. This is one area in which the Wii can really shine, and has, with a growing library of original titles and arcade classics (and glorious trainwrecks like Target: Terror!).

However, as noted before, the Zapper peripheral itself is merely "OK," not great. It is probably best suited for games that don't allow for true light gun style shooting: in other words, games that use a targeting reticle on screen. It is also suited for certain games that use a less accuracy focues, "shotgun" style, like House of the Dead 3 (part of the House of the Dead 2 and 3 package for Wii).

However, a steady stream of alternatives arrived, culminating with the wonderful Perfect Shot from Nyko. But as good as the Perfect Shot is, it has one weakness: Inability to use the A button.

The A button problem is what keeps you from playing ANY shooter with a gun shell on Wii, as games like Metroid Prime 3, Medal of Honor Heroes 2, and Red Steel all use the A button for important in game tasks. Without being able to use the A button easily, you can only really play games that are branded as "Zapper compatible" with any of the gun shells currently on the market.

Not any more.

IGN.com has announced that Pelican is releasing a new gun shell this summer, the Pelican Duo Shot. This takes the Pistol design and spring loaded trigger from the Perfect Shot and goes one better: It features an additional trigger, which when pressed causes a level to depress on the A button. So, yeah: You can use both B and A buttons with this shell, unlocking virtually every Wii first person game that uses a gun. Want to blast baddies in style in Red Steel? Done.

I'm looking forward to this peripheral when it is released later this summer.

Read about it here.