View source for Nuon Games and Enhanced Movies (partially found unreleased games and special edition movies for the Nuon DVD/game system; 2000-2003)

{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Nuon games and enhanced movies</center>
|image=Bust_A_Move_4_Box.jpg
|imagecaption=Official box art of the unreleased Nuon port of ''Bust-a-Move-4''.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
}}
The '''Nuon-enhanced DVD players''', originally known as “Project X”, were a series of DVD/video game combination units manufactured by Samsung, Toshiba and RCA during the early 2000s. The Nuon processors that differentiated these units from regular DVD players were produced by VM Labs. The idea behind this collaboration was that VM Labs would focus on developing and enhancing the Nuon processors and developing games while other companies would handle the manufacturing of the consoles. The intention was that the Nuon chip would become the new standard for video processing on DVD players and would greatly expand their capabilities. Later on in production, it was decided that special edition versions of movies would be released with special features such as smoothly zooming into and panning around the screen. These features would only be available on DVD players that used the Nuon chip.

==Background== 
In mid to late 1990s, saw consoles switching from cartridges to CD discs. VM Labs wanted to make a system that could play both DVDs and video games. With that in mind, the Nuon was unveiled at E3 1998 under the name Project X.<ref>[https://arcryphongames.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/a-fans-history-the-nuon/ A blog post that covers the development of the Nuon.] Retrieved 03 Oct '18</ref>
[[File:E31998 VMlabs.jpg|225px|thumb|left|VM labs at E3 1998, unveiling Project X.]] It would not be until October 27th, 1998, that VM Labs formally revealed Project X's final name, Nuon, to be released in 1999.<ref>[https://arcryphongames.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/nuonannounce.pdf A scan of a PDF of the announcement of Nuon.] Retrieved 03 Oct '18</ref> 

However, due to a combination of the dot-com bubble burst, the 9/11 attacks, competition with other sixth-generation video game consoles (primarily the PlayStation 2 and Xbox), and simply running out of money due to low returns on licensing, the Nuon was a financial failure, with only eight games and four enhanced movies ever officially released. VM Labs declared bankruptcy and was bought out in 2002 by Genesis Microchip. Genesis Microchip then dropped the platform in 2003, and that was the end of the Nuon.<ref>[https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/06/before-the-ps2-nuon-famously-tried-and-failed-to-combine-dvd-and-game-consoles/ Ars Technica retrospective on the Nuon.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> 

==Games==
The following eight games comprise the entire official Nuon game library: ''Tempest 3000'', ''Iron Soldier 3'', ''Space Invaders XL'', ''Ballistic'', ''Merlin Racing'', ''The Next Tetris'', ''Freefall 3050 A.D.'', and [[Crayon Shin-Chan 3 (lost South Korean Nuon platformer; 2000-2003)|''Crayon-Shin-Chan 3'']] (South Korea only). <ref name="gameslist">[http://www.nuon-dome.com/games.html Games List from Nuon-dome.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref>

However, multiple other projects were in development at VM Labs prior to the discontinuation of the Nuon. Enthusiast sites, such as Nuon-dome, list as many as 38 games that were discussed. However, the last working archive of the official Nuon website only features eight currently unreleased games marked work-in-progress <ref name="gameslist"/>

The one existing unreleased Nuon game prototype, ''Bust-a-Move 4'', is currently held by a member of the Nuon-dome fansite, who has posted a review of the game and two videos of the game in action. The user received the game in October 2001 from VM Labs to help with playtesting and claims the game is nearly 100% complete and working, though the two-player mode causes performance issues <ref>[http://www.nuon-dome.com/bam4.html Nuon-dome review of the ''Bust-A-Move-4'' prototype.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> However, the current holder does not want to release his prototype to the public.

No other Nuon game prototypes are known to exist. However, descriptions and cover art for some of the alleged 38 games are present on either Nuon-dome or archives of the original official site. The latest working archive of the official Nuon site lists ''[[AMaze (lost build of unreleased Nuon game; 2001)|aMaze]]'', ''Myst'', ''Monopoly'', ''Bust-A-Move 4'', ''The Game of Life'', ''Speedball 2100'', ''zCards'', and ''Breakout'' as all being in development at the time. The site contains working links for pages specific to ''Bust-a-Move-4'', ''Myst'', ''Monopoly'', and ''[[AMaze (lost build of unreleased Nuon game; 2001)|aMaze]]'' containing box art, descriptions, and even screenshots. ''Monopoly'' shows up in the archives of the VM Labs online store, though it is marked as coming soon <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20011122210927/http://www.nuon.tv:80/cgi-bin/cat/VMLstore.cgi?user_action=list&category=Games Official Nuon.tv store page showing ''Monopoly'' as coming soon.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref>

Very little information remains for the other games. Prototype footage from the Nuon version of ''aMaze'' exists on YouTube, and two concept videos for Native for the Nuon have surfaced. The Nuon-dome fansite has descriptions for some other games, but no new box art is present and most screenshots are marked with disclaimers that they are from different systems.

==Movies==
While information on Nuon games is elusive, more information is available on the movies. The following four movies were given official Nuon-enhanced releases: ''Bedazzled'' (2000), ''Dr. DoLittle 2'' (2001), ''Planet of the Apes'' (2001), and ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'' (1984). <ref name="movieslist">[http://www.nuon-dome.com/movies.html Movies List from Nuon-dome.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref>

The three movies that were known to have unreleased Nuon-enhanced editions were ''Galaxy Quest'' (1999), ''Stigmata'' (1999), and ''The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie'' (1989).  A prototype of a Nuon-enhanced version of ''Galaxy Quest'' was featured at the VM Labs booth at CES 2001 <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031020125408/http://alive.atari.org/alive0/ces.html Alive SE report from CES 2001.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> According to a reporter, Dexter Davenport, this prototype contained ''“a feature that could show all the best lines from the movie, enabling the viewer to get an overview of the movie from different perspectives."''<ref>[http://www.net4tv.com/voice/Story.cfm-storyID=3348.html Davenport report from CES 2001.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> Not much else is known about this demonstration disc or any other planned or implemented features. Also, alleged Nuon-enhanced movie prototype discs for both ''Galaxy Quest'' and ''Stigmata'' appeared on an eBay auction. According to Nuon-dome, the auction was a former employee at VM Labs and was taken down because the contents were considered stolen property. The contents were then destroyed <ref>[http://www.nuon-dome.com/protomovies/stigmata.html Nuon-dome page discussing the alleged ''Galaxy Quest'' prototype.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref><ref>[http://www.nuon-dome.com/protomovies/galaxyquest.html Nuon-dome page discussing the alleged ''Stigmata'' prototype.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> All that remains of these auctions are the images of the two prototype discs.

No known prototype disc of ''The Toxic Avenger'' has surfaced, and the only evidence is discussions from The 2001 Chiller Theatre Expo. The Tox Box, a box set containing part 1, 2 and 3 was intended to have a fourth disc containing Nuon-enhanced features. ''Toxic Avenger Part III'' was also supposed to have Nuon-enhanced features. <ref>[https://www.dvdtalk.com/cineschlock/chiller/ DVDTalk article on the Nuon-enhanced ''Toxic Avenger''.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref> The Tox Box was released in 2002, but the Nuon-enhanced features were not present. It is not known why these features were cut, though the Tox Box was also slated for a Summer 2001 release at the time of the expo.

==Availability== 
It is unknown if any other footage of Nuon prototype games or movies exists. In addition to CES 2001, the 2001 TromaDance festival apparently included Nuon DVD demonstrations, as VM Labs was a sponsor, though any footage of unreleased Nuon games from either has yet to surface <ref>[http://www.nuon-dome.com/narchive.html Nuon-dome new archive regarding TromaDance.] Retrieved 20 Jan '18</ref>

==Status Summary==
===Special Edition Enhanced Movies===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! style="background-color:green" | Title
! style="background-color:green" | Status
|-
|''Galaxy Quest''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Stigmata''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Toxic Avenger III''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|}
===Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! style="background-color:green" | Title
! style="background-color:green" | Status
|-
|''[[AMaze (lost build of unreleased Nuon game; 2001)|aMaze]]''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Atari's Greatest Hits''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Battleship: Surface Thunder''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Boggle''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Breakout''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Bugdom''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Bust-A-Move-4''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Dragon's Lair''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Hoyle Card Games''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Jeopardy''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Knockout Kings''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Madden NFL Football''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Monopoly''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Myst''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Native II''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Need for Speed III''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''New Scrabble''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''NUON Board Games''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''NUON Casino''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''NUON R.C. Racing''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Pong''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Power Excavator''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''RC de Go!''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Risk 2''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Riven''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Shanghai: Mahjongg Essentials''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Sorry!''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Space Ace''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Speedball 2100''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Spider-Man''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Star Trek: Invasion''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''The Game of Life''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|''Tiger Woods PGA Golf''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Wheel of Fortune''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''Yahtzee''||<span style="color:grey;">'''Existence Unconfirmed'''</span>
|-
|''zCards''||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|}

==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =H9RU-90CfM8
  |description1 =How-To-Play Section from the ''Bust-A-Move-4'' Prototype (Courtesy of KevInBuffalo).
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =O_jO-KLXmmI
  |description2 =Gameplay footage from the ''Bust-A-Move-4'' Prototype (Courtesy of KevInBuffalo).
  |service3     =youtube
  |id3          =jsTnvKMLdxg
  |description3 =Concept video for the unreleased version of ''Native'' for the Nuon (Courtesy of KevInBuffalo).
}}
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =3lpViVaMtrM
  |description1 =Rerez's video on the Nuon, looks at the history of the console and reviews four of the Nuon-exclusive games and two of the Enhanced Movies that were released for the console.
}}
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
File:Monopoly_Nuon_Box.jpg|Official boxart for the unreleased Nuon port of ''Monopoly'' (via Internet Archive of nuon.tv).
File:MystNuonBox.jpg|Official box art for the unreleased Nuon port of ''Myst'' (via Internet Archive of nuon.tv).
File:AmazeNuonBox.jpg|Official box art for the unreleased Nuon game, ''aMaze'' (via Internet Archive of nuon.tv).
File:Galaxy_Quest_Nuon_Prototype_disc.jpg|Alleged prototype disc of the Nuon-enhanced version of ''Galaxy Quest'' (Courtesy of Nuon-dome).
File:Stigmata_Nuon_Protoype_disc.jpg|Alleged prototype disc of the Nuon-enhanced version of ''Stigmata'' (Courtesy of Nuon-dome).
</gallery>

==See Also==
*[[AMaze (lost build of unreleased Nuon game; 2001)]]
*[[Crayon Shin-Chan 3 (lost South Korean Nuon port of PC platformer; 2000-2003)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Lost video games]]
[[Category:Miscellaneous lost media]]
[[Category:Partially found media]]