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NucleoLogo
Developer(s) Lone Planet
Manufacturer(s) Lone Planet
Foxconn
Console Type Hybrid
Online Connectivity Wi-Fi
5G data
Media Digital download
Cartridge
Backward Compatibility Pharo
Multiple consoles, via data transfer
Forward Compatibility N/A
Predecessor Pharo
Successor TBD

The Nucleo is a video game system developed by Lone Planet, and the successor of the Pharo hybrid console. Designed as a response to Google Stadia and the criticism against its streaming-based technology, the Nucleo expands on the Pharo's own feature of streaming games and other media from a controller to any nearby device via wireless HDMI, for the purpose of enabling more reliable means of accessing media for those who do not wish to stream.

The Nucleo is not defined as a traditional console, primarily due to the fact that unlike the Pharo and other consoles of the time, neither the "box" or "controller" portions of the system actually house the hardware used to launch the OS. Instead, everything you need is integrated into a specialized MicroSD card referred to as the Nucleo Card, which contains an app that can be installed onto any device, allowing you to play your Nucleo games on nearly any screen. On top of this, you can store games from multiple other consoles onto the Nucleo Card and download them onto the Nucleo app itself.

A standard Nucleo bundle contains the Nucleo Card, a standard controller, and the Nucleo MitoBox, which functions in a similar manner to the Nintendo Switch dock and allows you to easily connect to a TV or PC monitor via HDMI. Like the Pharo's Base Controller, a Nucleo controller can be used to stream games to devices via wireless HDMI signals if the Card is placed inside, but it can also be used as an average Bluetooth controller to interact with data with the Card inserted into the Nucleo MitoBox or some form of console/PC box or mobile device. The controller will also work naturally with software on other consoles, like the Switch or Xbox One.

For safety and convenience purposes, the bundle will also come with a case that can hold the card, controller, and MitoBox. The Nucleo app will keep a log of your software history and data, allowing you to back it up if you end up losing your Nucleo Card in any way. You can also keep the app on your device after installing it, with no need to insert the card every time you want to open the OS. If you decide to purchase a new card after losing an old one, sticking it into any device with the app installed will allow you send all or any of your data back into your new card, allowing you to use the overall Nucleo system like usual.

The Nucleo gets its name from the "nucleus", the part of a living cell that contains the genetic material it needs to carry out its functions; this is alluded to with the Nucleo Card, which essentially acts as the "nucleus" for the system. Likewise, the MitoBox is named after mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, alluding to the box's primary function of providing the power to transmit data from the Card to a display monitor.

Games[]

Any page that has [[Category:Nucleo Games]] on them will be added here automatically (after a purge or edit). If you would like to have your game(s) on this console, add the category to the article(s). However, be aware that Heronimbus (tbc) can check the article's quality and ask you to remove it from the category if it has any form of rewrite template on it.

QuickWare[]

Some games available on the Nucleo are labelled as QuickWare, inspired by Nintendo's similarly-named WiiWare and DSiWare games. Generally speaking, these titles are relatively simple compared to other games in the Nucleo's software lineup, and any beginning developers can make such games and send them to Lone Planet for review, allowing them to sell their products in the Nucleo Shop if they are accepted.

The QuickWare project is intended to allow new, less experienced users to practice making decent articles within their comfort zone, so they can adjust to the Fantendo community more easily. If you would like to make a QuickWare game for the Nucleo, please contact Heronimbus (tbc) on his talk page, or on Discord (megaexal64#7785), and he will give you some advice on how to make your article look nice and organized.

Controller[]

A standard Nucleo controller is packaged with a wireless charging pad, allowing you to hook up the pad to the nearest outlet and place the controller on top of it. A signal will automatically deactivate the controller upon placing it onto the charging pad and turn it back on once it is removed.

The controller itself is designed to allow as many potential control schemes as possible, and as such has the following features:

  • The Front Page button, with an icon resembling a sheet of paper, which takes you to the traditional Home Menu of Lone Planet's consoles; found in the center of the controller
  • The Plus and Minus buttons on the right/left sides of the Front Page button, respectively
  • The Share button, depicted by an arrow pointing up, pulls up a menu of options for screenshots, videos, etc.; directly above the Front Page button
  • The Split button, depicted by two arrows pointing towards opposite sides, located at the very back of the controller just above the rechargeable battery pack; allows the controller to be split into two equal halves similar to Switch Joy-Cons
  • A four-button directional pad on the left side of the controller; these buttons, alongside the semi-circular Alpha/Omega buttons on the top-left/bottom-right corners, can serve as action buttons for the left half-controller
  • Six action buttons, with a familiar A/B/X/Y diamond setup plus semi-circular C and Z buttons on the top-right and bottom-left sides of the diamond, respectively
  • Four shoulder buttons (L1/L2/R1/R2), at the top of the controller
  • Two digital trigger buttons (FL/FR), between the shoulder buttons
  • Two analog trigger buttons (BL/BR), at the back of the controller below the shoulder buttons
  • Four substitute buttons to act as shoulder/trigger buttons for a sideways half-controller (D1/D2/E1/E2); they are pushed down when the halves are connected, and pop out when taken apart again
  • Two analog sticks, with the left stick being found above the D-pad and the right stick below the six main action buttons
  • Two touch-sensitive track pads on either side of the controller, forming one if both halves are connected; can be used for navigation as well as in-game commands
  • A gyroscope and accelerometer to allow motion controls
  • Two retractable grips, which can be pushed in to hold sideways half-controllers more easily and popped back out at any time; can also act as squeezable triggers for in-game purposes
  • Two USB ports, one for each half, enabling the use of USB microphones, keyboards, mice, etc.

Front Page[]

The Front Page serves as the Nucleo's home menu, providing the owner access to their software, friends, etc. When you purchase Nucleo software, you have the option to download it onto the device you are currently using, keep it on the Nucleo Card, or save it to your personal Nucleo Cloud for instant access via streaming. In any case, any available software can be easily accessed from a deck at the bottom of the menu that you can scroll through using the controller's track pads.

There are also four standard sections you can access on the Front Page: Profile, Friends, Shop, and Settings. Using the D-Pad and analog sticks will highlight options on the section you are currently viewing, and pressing the shoulder buttons will take you back and forth between sections.

The Nucleo's operating system allows multitasking, like most PCs and mobile devices. Tapping the Minus button twice in any game or app will bring up a slider displaying any other programs you currently have running, and the track pads can be used to scroll through these programs, displayed as "windows". Pressing the X button while highlighting a window will give you a pop-up asking if you would like to close the program, and pressing Y will ask if you want to close all currently open windows. Pressing the Front Page button at the slider will take you to the Front Page as usual; pressing A or tapping on the track pad will open the currently highlighted program, and pressing B will take you back to the last window you had open. Having too many programs open at once in the Nucleo OS will drain your device's battery faster, so it may be helpful to ensure you have a reliable charging device or close any apps you haven't been using for a while.

Programs on the Front Page can be organized into Folders or Lockers, the latter of which can be opened with a password or finger gesture that you will need to add upon creating one.

Profile[]

  • Summary: Entering the Summary menu will allow you to edit your bio, profile icon, and Greeting. Your Greeting is a message your friends will see whenever you open the Nucleo OS.
  • Custom Page: You can upload any images and music files you have stored on the Nucleo Card and set up custom themes for the Front Page. Music can be put on loop or arranged in playlists, and image backgrounds can be set up as a pattern or in the form of a slideshow. Your Custom Pages can be shared over the internet for friends and other players to download.
  • Sticker Book: The Nucleo's Sticker achievements are awarded to players for completing certain tasks in games they own, in some cases even when they least expect it. These achievements can be viewed in the Sticker Book, and there are options to organize them by game, in alphabetical order, and in the order in which you have gained them (earliest or most recent). Stickers can be traded with friends or sold to them for Nucleo Credits, the system's basic currency, which can then be used to save money off your next purchase in the Shop section. Stickers can be placed on top of folders/lockers or at any point on the Front Page for customization, and with the use of a printer peripheral you can attach to the Nucleo Box via USB cable, they can be printed out and used as normal stickers for real world use. They are available in five categories based on their value: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Niobium. Overall, the Nucleo's Stickers are considered an upgrade from the Pharo's old Trading Card achievement system, and are inspired by The V²'s Badges and the Onyx's Medals.

Friends[]

  • Friend List: Shows all of the Nucleo users you are currently friends with and their current activities, whether they are playing a game, watching a video, movie, or TV show, listening to music, or using some other program. From here, you have multiple options:
    • Invite them to a ReJoint room;
    • Send them a direct text message, with your past conversations being available to read through;
    • Offer a Sticker for Nucleo Credits or a trade;
    • Block the user, or remove them from your friend list;
    • Change your status, with available options including "Online", "Idle", "Do Not Disturb", or "Invisible". "Do Not Disturb" will prevent you from receiving social notifications until you revert your status to "Online" or "Idle", and "Invisible" prevents other users from seeing your current activity.
  • ReJoint: The Pharo's familiar "online hub" has been streamlined for the Nucleo, with everything now being condensed into a standard menu. With ReJoint, players can stream their current activities in a similar manner to apps like Twitch, host voice chat sessions with friends, and allow them to join a game they are playing via the "Download Play" feature.
  • Import Game: This menu will allow you to let one of your friends borrow a game you own if you need help clearing a portion, but only for a limited time—about twelve hours at most.

Shop[]

  • Entering the Shop section will immediately load up a menu showing off recent releases, popular programs, multiple categories based around genre, difficulty level, etc., any sales events that are currently happening, and a search bar at the top.
  • Upon purchasing a new program, its icon will pop up on the Deck at the bottom of your screen, with a circle graph showing its download percentage and a speedometer telling you the rate of speed at which it is downloading (usually a form of bytes per second). This way, you will always be able to look down and check on the download progress no matter which Front Page section or menu you are currently viewing.
  • TwiLite: A subscription-based service on par with Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now. TwiLite allows you to pay a monthly fee for instant access to an ever-expanding library of games old and new, and at the end of the month you can pay a discounted price for any games you would like to keep. Inspired by the TRIAD app on The V2.

Settings[]

  • Data Management: In this menu, you have the option to delete software, archive it to save space when you're not using it, or send it from your device to the Nucleo Card or vice versa. Software data can also be copied between the Card and any devices with your Nucleo profile connected.
  • Time and Date: Set up the clock and calendar on your OS, change your current time zone, or set alarms and event notifications.
  • Parental Controls: Arrange restrictions for Nucleo profiles for users under a specified age, including which programs they can purchase or use, whether they can make purchases in general, or how long they can play.
  • Journal: View a system log displaying which games and apps have been used over a specified period of time, how long/often certain programs have been used, and which profiles have been using said programs the most.
  • Internet: Set up available Wi-Fi networks for Nucleo, or connect to 4G/5G.
  • Payment: Update your credit/debit card information, check on your subscriptions, or add any gift cards you currently have.
  • Location: Set your country and language, or turn location-based services on or off.
  • Update: Download the latest Nucleo update, if the OS has not automatically updated.
  • Factory Reset: Reset your Nucleo system to its factory default settings. You will be asked twice to clarify that you want to do this before the reset proceeds.

Apps[]

App Summary
Opera
The Nucleo's web browser is powered by Opera, which itself is based off Google Chrome. Opera allows you to quickly look through your bookmarks and most visited sites with the Speed Dial menu, watch videos while using other software with the Picture-In-Picture feature, and easily take screenshots of the page you are currently viewing. Add features to your Flow to sync your Nucleo browser with your Opera profile on PCs and mobile devices.
NetflixLogoDark
Netflix offers an expansive library of movies and TV shows, including a lineup of exclusives like Stranger Things, Narcos, Orange is the New Black, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Hilda, Bojack Horseman, Little Witch Academia, and more. And for just $9–16 a month, you can watch it all.
Spotify logo
Spotify grants you access to a variety of music of multiple genres, including foreign hits and obscure gems. You can organize playlists of your favorite songs, and with the Nucleo, you can also use them as background music on the Front Page. With a monthly Spotify Premium subscription, you can listen to your music ad-free and download music to your device to listen offline.
JackboxPartyPack
The Jackbox Party Pack app gives you the complete Jackbox Games experience, with party games from every collection and easy access to available game rooms via ReJoint.
XboxGamePassLogo
With an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you will have a massive lineup of Xbox games available to stream on your device—and thanks to the Nucleo's capabilities, you can easily download them to the Nucleo OS and jump into them from your Deck, just like all of your other downloaded games.
CardsAgainstHumanity
Cards Against Humanity, the infamous card game of arranging humorous sentences with punch lines ranging from dirty to dark, is just as easy and fun to play on Nucleo. Find game rooms with ReJoint and engage in voice chat to laugh along with friends as you enjoy the twisted phrases you come up with.

Gallery[]

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