Comparison

DarkFlow vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

DarkFlow

Pilot a flying saucer across a desolate planet to retrieve or destroy valuable artifacts. Engage alien craft and a menacing drone in this action-packed space adventure featuring realistic flight dynamics and detailed 3D environments.

Highlights
  • Explore rugged terrain in a flying saucer
  • Retrieve or destroy anti-matter pods and artifacts
  • Engage alien craft
  • Destroy the Dark Flow Drone
  • Realistic flight dynamics
  • Detailed 3D landscapes
Features
Read full description

The ancient planet of Terra, once home of the human race is now uninhabitable, experiencing chaotic climatic conditions. Your mission is to explore the rugged terrain in your highly agile flying saucer and seek out, retrieve or destroy precious anti-matter pods and other artefacts, using a tractor beam and plasma blaster. You will encounter a variety of alien craft, some harmless, other deadly. You must also destroy the fiendish Dark Flow Drone before it pollutes the planet beyond repair. DarkFlow features detailed 3D landscapes and realistic flight dynamics. Please visit our development blog if you have any questions or feedback: http://iphone-game-blog.blogspot.com/ We will also use the blog to announce new games.

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

DarkFlow4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against DarkFlow's 42%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.6) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). DarkFlow's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (3.1 vs 15.5). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

DarkFlow is free to download; ArcEmu costs $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 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of DarkFlow's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DarkFlow ships an update every 2 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
DarkFlow versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDarkFlowArcEmu
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating2.6 (101 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.9% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1011.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS3.1 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB172 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperTruncated Tales LimitedRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

DarkFlow

All ratings101 ratings
Positive33.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative55.4%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive41.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative45.2%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%

Bugs and requests

DarkFlow

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

None

DarkFlow

No in-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DarkFlow free?
DarkFlow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DarkFlow or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. DarkFlow averages 2.6 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do DarkFlow or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither DarkFlow nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DarkFlow or ArcEmu?
DarkFlow ships an update every 2 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, DarkFlow was updated on October 12, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 13, 2026.

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