# ZOOKEEPER DX vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is rating: ArcEmu at 4.9 against ZOOKEEPER DX's 3.7. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 60%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). ZOOKEEPER DX's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 43, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of ZOOKEEPER DX's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

ZOOKEEPER DX ships an update every 3 months, ArcEmu fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZOOKEEPER DX | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zookeeper-dx/id433596395/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 43 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 206 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KITERETSU INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/400412887) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### ZOOKEEPER DX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zookeeper-dx/id433596395)

Engage in a classic match-three puzzle game where you swap adjacent panels to line up three or more of the same color. Clear levels by catching a quota of animals, with multiple modes offering different challenges and scoring opportunities.

**Highlights:** Swap adjacent panels, Match three or more animals, Catch animals to clear levels, Normal Mode, Tokoton Mode (unlimited time), Score Attack Mode (3-minute challenge), Online multiplayer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Cute and charming visuals
- 👍 Great for passing time
- 👍 Nostalgic for DS players
- 🚀 Smooth performance on newer devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues on older devices
- 🐛 Choppy animations and frame rate
- 🐛 Unresponsive controls
- 🐛 Difficulty ramps up too quickly
- 🐛 Partial screen cutoff on iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Leaderboards show impossible high scores
- Pause function can be exploited
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Add quest mode from DS version
- Include time attack and other game modes
- Allow disabling timer for casual play
- Implement local high scores with names
- Add colorblind accessibility options


### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZOOKEEPER DX free?

ZOOKEEPER DX costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ZOOKEEPER DX or ArcEmu?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ZOOKEEPER DX averages 3.7 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do ZOOKEEPER DX or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither ZOOKEEPER DX nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZOOKEEPER DX or ArcEmu?

ZOOKEEPER DX ships an update every 3 months, and ArcEmu fortnightly. Most recently, ZOOKEEPER DX was updated on September 22, 2026 and ArcEmu on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*