Comparison

Modern Magic Ball vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Modern Magic Ball

This app provides answers to your questions and helps with decision-making. It features voice and text input, multi-language support, and customizable response sets. Enjoy a fun and engaging experience with achievements and personalization options.

Highlights
  • Voice and text input
  • Multi-language support (15 languages)
  • Customizable response sets
  • Shake to get answers
  • Achievement system
  • Theme and icon customization
  • Game controller support
Features
Read full description

Modern Magic Ball is the ultimate decision-making tool. It was built to run fast, be fun, bring people together, and be easy to use. Features: Multi-Language Support Magic Ball can respond in 12 different languages. Now everyone can get a response. Speak to Magic Ball Ask questions using only your voice, now it's a truly modern decision-making tool. Fast and Lightweight So you can have more apps on your device. Built with iOS Design Guidelines in Mind So it feels like home. Shake to Tell Future Just shake your device to use the Magic Ball. Complete Achievements Complete achievements to work your way up the ranks and become a Master Magic Baller. Customization Change the theme of the Magic Ball to a solid color, pick your own image, or pick from a great selection of included images. The app icon may also be changed to one of many different colors. Response Topics Magic Ball has many different sets of responses. They include: Classic, Modern, Rude, Songs, Fast Food Places, Stores, or Video Games! Some can even be customized to your liking. Type to Magic Ball Ask questions using your keyboard, some questions even give you a special response! Enhanced Accessibility Larger Text support, Smart Invert support, VoiceOver support, & more. Custom Response Sets Decide your own fate and create Custom Response Sets! You can add as many responses as you’d like to the app! You can also insert any of the response topics intro your custom sets. Discover New Songs Find new songs with the Songs response topic. All the songs are handpicked and new songs are added regularly. Game Controller Support Use your favorite controller to use the Magic Ball! Languages Magic Ball Can Respond In: English, Spanish, Russian, Tagalog, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified), Romanian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Esperanto, Pig Latin, and Pirate.

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

ArcEmu brings retro game emulation to Apple Watch. It also works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, delivering a seamless gaming experience across your Apple devices. Supported Consoles - Game Boy (.gb) - Game Boy Color (.gbc) - Game Boy Advance (.gba) - Pokémon Mini (.min) - Nintendo Entertainment System (.nes) - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (.sfc and .smc) - Atari 2600 (.a26 and .bin) Main Features - Accurate, high-performance emulation powered by the mGBA and Ares cores - Game Link Cable support with online multiplayer for up to four players* - Cheat-code support with a built-in database of popular codes** - Frame-independent emulation at 30 or 60 FPS - Multi-touch and Digital Crown support on Apple Watch - Support for all screen orientations on iPhone and iPad - Precise, thoughtfully designed on-screen controls - Customizable control position and transparency on iPhone and iPad - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom color palettes for Game Boy games - Button hold/sustain feature - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone - Game controller support with customizable button mappings - ZIP archive support - Automatic saving - Save-state sharing between devices - iCloud support for ROMs and save states - ROM sharing through iCloud using share codes - Support for Apple Watch devices configured with Family Setup - ROM sorting and search 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. You can import compatible ROM files from your iPhone and store them in iCloud. Your Apple Watch can then download them directly from iCloud. On an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup, ROMs can be downloaded from iCloud using share codes. Games Featured in the Screenshots - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Anguna: https://gauauu.itch.io/anguna - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance * Requires a Game Center account. ** Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Nintendo and the names of its game systems are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Screenshots

Modern Magic Ball4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ArcEmu at 4.9 against Modern Magic Ball's 4.6. ArcEmu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (95% vs 81%). Modern Magic Ball's advantage is chart position (#17 vs unranked) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Modern Magic Ball costs $0.99 and ArcEmu $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 380 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Modern Magic Ball's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Modern Magic Ball ships an update every 2 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Modern Magic Ball versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterModern Magic BallArcEmu
Price$0.99 — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (380 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3801.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#17 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB172 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHayden WatsonRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Modern Magic Ball

All ratings373 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive81.4%
Neutral9.3%
Negative9.3%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews531 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Modern Magic Ball

From 380 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Customizable and feature-rich
  • 👍 Nostalgic and fun experience
  • 💡 Innovative features like custom responses
  • 🤖 Accurate and responsive
  • 🎨 Variety of themes and customization options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔌 Limited Apple Watch integration
  • 🌐 Lack of language support
  • 📱 Compatibility issues on some devices

ArcEmu

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fully functional
  • 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
  • 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
  • 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
  • 👍 Customizable controls and layout

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
  • 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
  • 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

Bugs and requests

Modern Magic Ball

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Compatibility issues with older devices
  • Spelling errors in some responses

Requested features

4 requests
  • Interactive widget for the Apple Watch
  • More language support
  • Improved Apple Watch integration
  • Ability to save and share custom responses

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

None

Modern Magic Ball

No in-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Modern Magic Ball free?
Modern Magic Ball costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Modern Magic Ball or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Modern Magic Ball averages 4.6 out of 5 from 380 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Modern Magic Ball or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Modern Magic Ball nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Modern Magic Ball or ArcEmu?
Modern Magic Ball ships an update every 2 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Modern Magic Ball was updated on October 24, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 24, 2026.

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