ZX81 vs ScRAEmble
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ZX81
Experience early 1980s home computing with this app dedicated to the Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81. It includes a wealth of example software, offering a nostalgic journey into the origins of personal computing.
- Sinclair ZX80/ZX81 emulation
- Timex Sinclair 1000 support
- Includes example software
- Focuses on early 1980s computing
- ROM code included with permission
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Welcome to a taste of early 1980s home computing. This app focuses on the Sinclair ZX81 experience and is loaded with example software. A streamlined watchOS app is included, offering saved session syncing with the iOS app on the paired iPhone. Background: In 1980 the British company Science of Cambridge (later renamed Sinclair Research) released the Sinclair ZX80 home computer. The computer was developed with another technology company, Nine Tiles, and manufactured in a Timex Corporation factory in Dundee, Scotland. Followed in March 1981 by the even more popular successor, the Sinclair ZX81, both models had a profound impact on home and hobbyist computing in the UK and many other countries. Timex Corporation and Sinclair Research continued their joint venture and released the Timex Sinclair 1000 (TS1000) and 1500 (TS1500) variants of the ZX81 for the US market in July 1982 and July 1983 respectively. Meanwhile, another iconic British home computer, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, was under development and hit the market in April 1982... but that's another story. Special thanks to Nine Tiles for granting permission to include the ROM code, to which they retain the intellectual property rights after all these years. Additionally, many thanks to all the developers of the loaded ZX81 software who have all granted permission to include their titles in the app. We hope this list of software will continue to grow in future updates.
ScRAEmble
Experience a classic side-scrolling shooter with varied levels and dynamic terrain. Navigate mountains and caves, collect fuel, and dodge enemy fire. Enjoy retro gaming with full gamepad or touch controls.
- Side-scrolling shooter gameplay
- Multiple levels
- Fuel collection mechanic
- Variable terrain navigation
- Full MFI Gamepad support
- Touch controls
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Another RAE-Tro recreation for you - this time the first side scrolling shooter with levels, shoot the buildings, collect fuel and dodge rockets all while navigating a variable terrain of mountains, caves and other suprises..... Bring back the golden age of gaming to your iPhone / iPad Full MFI Gamepad support Touch controls also - left side of screen to move ship - top right to fire bullets, bottom right to drop bombs Good luck pilot
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ZX81 at every 10 days against ScRAEmble's every 2 months. ZX81 also leads on ratings volume (92 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ZX81 against 5.0 for ScRAEmble. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZX81 has 92 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of ZX81's written reviews are positive against 100% of ScRAEmble's.
ZX81 ships an update every 10 days, ScRAEmble every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZX81 | ScRAEmble |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (92 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 98.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 92 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kevin Palser | Steve Rae |
Customer experience
ZX81
ScRAEmble
In-app purchases
ZX81
No in-app purchases
ScRAEmble
No in-app purchases









