Arcade Reference vs Ultimate Game Guide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Arcade Reference
Access comprehensive information on classic arcade games from the 70s to the 2000s. This app provides a detailed guide with tips and data compiled from enthusiast communities, focusing on video games and excluding gambling machines.
- Extensive arcade game database
- Information compiled from Mame data
- Tips and reference material
- Organized game data
- Covers 70s-2000s titles
- Excludes gambling machines
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Every information about the "arcade" games just with a tap! Please note: this app does not contains any games, but information about games! This app takes all the data exported from Mame(c) and from various files created and updated by enthusiasts, it groups it together and it organizes it in order to have all the information in your device as a guide or simply as a reference for reading information and tips. Note: As a functional choice, only the "Parent" set are shown. In addition, all "mechanical" machines and all the "Gambling" games (Video Poker, Blackjack etc.) have been eliminated. The result is a list of about 3600 Arcade titles from the 70s to the 2000s. Credits: All trademarks used belong to their respective owners. See the section Info in the App for all details about the Credits.
Ultimate Game Guide
Explore a comprehensive resource for Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System games. Access reviews, screenshots, and detailed information on hundreds of classic titles. Track your collection and discover new games with powerful search and updated pricing.
- Game reviews and screenshots
- Detailed game information (genre, publisher, developer, release date)
- Collection tracking tools
- Wishlist functionality
- Powerful search engine
- Daily updated game prices
- Hardware and cartridge variant information
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Ultimate Game Guide is a great gaming and collecting resource for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES). The free version provides full functionality with complete information on 40 games for each system. Information for the entire library for each system is available via a one-time in-app purchase for each. Purchases are shared across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This definitive source contains reviews and screenshots of all of the mainstream games released for the NES and Super NES between 1985-1998. Read about hundreds of fun and classic 8-bit and 16-bit games like Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Castlevania, Punch-Out!!, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda, and many more. Featuring all licensed and unlicensed titles, the app provides details for each game cart: developer, publisher, release date, genre, availability, and more. It's all here, so Nintendo and video game fans alike can learn about all the good, bad, and interesting games in the large and impressive libraries! • Game reviews and screenshots, including games released exclusively in Europe and Australia. • Info for each game including genre, publisher, developer, release date, number of players, special features, availability, and estimated price. • App and community game ratings - judge them yourself and influence the guide! • Collection tools to track games owned, including boxes and manuals, with the ability to add games to a "want" list. • Powerful search engine to filter the game library by rating, publisher, developer, current price, collection status, release date, and more! • Popular hardware devices, controllers, and console variants. • Cart variants, promo/special cartridges, and even test cartridges included! • Gaming info - tips, codes, and passwords! • All game prices are automatically updated daily! Note: this app is not authorized or endorsed by Nintendo. All registered trademarks, game art, and game screenshots used are copyright their respective holders and are utilized here under Fair Use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ultimate Game Guide at 4.4 against Arcade Reference's 3.1. Ultimate Game Guide also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 52). Arcade Reference's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Arcade Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ultimate Game Guide sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Ultimate Game Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ultimate Game Guide has 2.7K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Arcade Reference's written reviews are positive against 51% of Ultimate Game Guide's.
Arcade Reference ships an update every 5 days, Ultimate Game Guide every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Arcade Reference | Ultimate Game Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (52 ratings) | 4.4 (2.7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | 51.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 52 | 2.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 170 MB | 670 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicola Canali | Embraceware Software Inc |
Customer experience
Arcade Reference
Ultimate Game Guide
Bugs and requests
Arcade Reference
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Ultimate Game Guide
Reported bugs
4 issues- Scrolling issues and jumbled UI elements
- Frequent crashes and app instability
- Incorrect or missing game data and pricing
- Login/account syncing problems
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for more retro systems (SNES, Genesis, etc.)
- Implement wishlist and collection value tracking features
- Improve search and sorting functionality
- Add ability to export/backup collection data
In-app purchases
Arcade Reference
- Remove Ads$0.99
Ultimate Game Guide
- Super NES Library$6.99
- NES Library$6.99
Questions
Is Arcade Reference free?
Is Ultimate Game Guide free?
Which has better reviews, Arcade Reference or Ultimate Game Guide?
Do Arcade Reference or Ultimate Game Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, Arcade Reference or Ultimate Game Guide?
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