Comparison

BUST vs ArcEmu

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BUST

Embark on a bubble-popping adventure where you shoot and match three or more bubbles of the same color to clear stages. Complete diverse missions, utilize helpful items, and unlock new levels. Enjoy over 270 puzzle stages with unique challenges and optional map purchases for extended gameplay.

Highlights
  • Shoot and match 3+ same-colored bubbles
  • Complete diverse stage missions
  • Unlock new stages by clearing levels
  • Utilize helpful items and characters
  • Over 270 puzzle stages with gimmicks
  • Optional map purchases for additional stages
Currently charting
Read full description

BUST-A-MOVE Features: - Shoot bubbles and match 3 or more bubbles of the same color to make them pop! - Complete your missions in every stage such as "Pop all the bubbles!", "Reach the target score!" and "Save Chack'n!"! - Clearing a stage unlocks the next stage. Move forward on your way! - Skillfully use the helpful items and characters to advance the stages efficiently! - "EASY MODE" to assist "Guide & Change Up" functions is now available! - The game includes 270 + αpuzzle stages with a variety of gimmicks! - You can purchase a MAP to play additional stages from the Stage 271. How to play: - Shoot bubbles and match 3 or more bubbles of the same color to make them pop. - A stage is cleared by completing Goal Target. - Bonus points are awarded when you remove a bunch of bubbles at once or remove bubbles with a bubble bouncing off a side wall of the game field. - COMBO occurs when you successfully remove bubbles in a consecutive manner. - Collect STARS and unlock TREASURE BOX by getting a target score in every stage. Notes: - iOS version 7.1 or newer is required.

About

ArcEmu

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ APPLE WATCH COMPATIBILITY - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Screenshots

BUST4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against BUST's 41%. ArcEmu also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (4.9 vs 3.3). BUST's advantage is chart position (#184 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ArcEmu is free to download; BUST costs $4.99 up front. BUST sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of BUST's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BUST ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
BUST versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBUSTArcEmu
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (46 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.2% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings461.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS7.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTAITO CorporationRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

BUST

All ratings46 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral15.2%
Negative34.8%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive41.2%
Neutral17.6%
Negative41.2%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

Bugs and requests

BUST

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ArcEmu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
  • Save data not transferring properly between devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add cheat/GameShark support
  • Improve volume controls
  • Implement fast forward/slow motion options
  • Allow multiple save slots per game
  • Improve Game Boy Color support
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

9 purchases

BUST

One-time9
  • Map4$0.99
  • Map5$0.99
  • Map6$0.99
Show 6 more
  • Map7$0.99
  • Map8$0.99
  • Map9$0.99
  • Map10$0.99
  • Map11$0.99
  • Map12$0.99
10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99

Questions

Is BUST free?
BUST costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BUST or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. BUST averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do BUST or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither BUST nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BUST or ArcEmu?
BUST ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, BUST was updated on October 26, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 30, 2026.

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