Comparison

Space Ace vs Return to Monkey Island

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

Head to head
About

Space Ace

Embark on an interstellar adventure as the heroic Ace to thwart Commander Borf's plan to turn humanity into infants. Armed with a laser gun, you must rescue Kimberly, destroy the Infanto Ray, and save Earth from alien domination. Experience a legendary animated arcade game with stunning high-definition visuals.

Highlights
  • Pilot the heroic Ace
  • Battle Commander Borf
  • Rescue Kimberly
  • Destroy the Infanto Ray
  • High-definition visuals
  • Intuitive controls
Features
Read full description

In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf’s stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman. Armed with only a laser gun, Ace must find and destroy the Infanto Ray, rescue Kimberly and save the Earth. The fate of Earth is in your hands! This release of Don Bluth’s legendary animated arcade game features video transferred directly from the stunning high definition master, delivering the sharpest images and most vibrant colors ever – far better than the original laserdisc release. Simply press on the direction pad to guide Ace in the right direction or fire your laser gun and blast those aliens away. Don Bluth and his production teams are the creative genius behind such beloved classics as The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail and Anastasia to name but a few. We hope you enjoy Space Ace!

About

Return to Monkey Island

Embark on a thrilling pirate adventure, continuing the legendary story of Guybrush Threepwood. Solve clever puzzles, explore new and familiar islands, and engage in witty dialogue as you seek the fabled Secret of Monkey Island. Experience classic point-and-click gameplay with modern twists.

Highlights
  • Classic point-and-click gameplay
  • Engaging narrative and character interactions
  • Puzzle solving and exploration
  • Modernized adventure game controls
  • New and familiar island exploration
  • Context-sensitive interactions and reactive dialogue
Features
Read full description

Return to Monkey Island is an unexpected, thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert that continues the story of the legendary adventure games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. It’s been many years since Guybrush Threepwood was last locked in a battle of wits with his nemesis, the zombie pirate LeChuck. His true love, Elaine Marley, has turned her focus away from governing and Guybrush himself is adrift and unfulfilled, having never found the Secret of Monkey Island. Hip, young pirate leaders led by Captain Madison have shuffled the old guard from power, Melee Island has taken a turn for the worse, and famed businessman Stan has been imprisoned for ‘marketing-related crimes’. Banter with old friends and new faces on familiar islands now under dangerous new leadership. Then, take to the high seas and explore the new and unknown as you work your way out of tough predicaments. Clever puzzles, bizarre situations, and devastating ripostes are all that stand between Guybrush and glory. Return to Point & Click Swashbuckling Bringing classic point and click gameplay to the modern-day, intrepid pirates will solve puzzles and explore the islands with a clever evolution of classic adventure game controls. Context-sensitive interactions, reactive dialog trees, and an easy-to-use inventory system make pirating a breeze. Embark on Archipelago Adventures Navigate the sometimes-friendly confines of Melee Island, a familiar place that finds itself under new management by leaders who have put the squeeze on old friends and new faces. Venture out into uncharted lands like the aptly named Terror Island and the chilling outposts of Brrr Muda to make allies and enemies alike. Created by a Legendary Crew The new chapter in the Monkey Island series marks the return of the iconic series’ creator Ron Gilbert, joined by game co-writer Dave Grossman, art director Rex Crowle (Knights & Bikes, Tearaway) and composers Peter McConnell, Michael Land, and Clint Bajakian (Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge).

Screenshots

Space Ace4 screens
Return to Monkey Island4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Return to Monkey Island at Free against Space Ace's $4.99. Return to Monkey Island also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (171 vs 39). Space Ace's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (76% vs 59%). On update cadence, ads, 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

Return to Monkey Island is free to download; Space Ace costs $4.99 up front. Return to Monkey Island sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Space Ace asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Return to Monkey Island holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 171 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Space Ace's written reviews are positive against 59% of Return to Monkey Island's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Ace ships an update every 6 months, Return to Monkey Island every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Space Ace versus Return to Monkey Island: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace AceReturn to Monkey Island
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (39 ratings)4.3 (171 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.8% of reviews — better59.4% of reviews
Number of ratings39171 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.1 GB3.4 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperDragon's Lair LLCDevolver Digital, Inc.

Customer experience

Space Ace

All ratings39 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews318 reviews
Positive75.8%
Neutral8.5%
Negative15.7%

Return to Monkey Island

All ratings171 ratings
Positive80.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews224 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral9.8%
Negative30.8%

User reviews

Space Ace

From 39 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Arcade-perfect port
  • 👍 Faithful to the original
  • 🎨 Stunning animation and visuals
  • 💾 Full game on mobile
  • 🕹️ Responsive controls

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Short gameplay duration
  • 🤔 Challenging for new players
  • 🔇 Sound issues/missing audio
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Difficulty settings not saved

Return to Monkey Island

From 171 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Fantastic nostalgia trip
  • 👍 Smooth gameplay and controls
  • 🎨 Beautiful art style and visuals
  • 🎶 Excellent music and voice acting
  • 💡 Clever puzzles and challenges

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound issues on some devices
  • 🤔 Ending may disappoint some fans
  • 💰 High price point for mobile game
  • 🤖 Lack of cloud save functionality

Bugs and requests

Space Ace

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Scenes not loading correctly
  • Controls not registering inputs
  • Game state not persisting after suspension

Requested features

4 requests
  • Watch full movie mode
  • Adjustable sound/volume settings
  • Improved difficulty scaling
  • Compatibility updates for newer devices

Return to Monkey Island

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game prompting to repurchase after previous purchase
  • Difficulty with touch controls in certain situations

Requested features

3 requests
  • Restore purchase option for previous owners
  • Bring back the original Monkey Island games on iOS
  • Add support for more languages

In-app purchases

None

Space Ace

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Return to Monkey Island

One-time1
  • Buy the full game!$9.99

Questions

Is Space Ace free?
Space Ace costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Return to Monkey Island free?
Return to Monkey Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island?
Return to Monkey Island is rated higher. Space Ace averages 4.1 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Return to Monkey Island averages 4.3 from 171 ratings.
Do Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island have ads?
Neither Space Ace nor Return to Monkey Island shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Ace or Return to Monkey Island?
Space Ace ships an update every 6 months, and Return to Monkey Island every 5 months. Most recently, Space Ace was updated on September 24, 2026 and Return to Monkey Island on September 26, 2026.

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