ArcadeMania vs JarBox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ArcadeMania
Relive classic arcade, computer, and electronic games from over three decades. This app utilizes the MAME emulation core to support thousands of titles, offering enhanced graphics and extensive controller support for an authentic retro gaming experience.
- Supports 5,000+ arcade games
- MAME 0.278 emulation core
- Native Metal Graphics Renderer
- Custom Shaders and HDR Support
- Full controller support (Xbox, PS, Switch)
- Save States and Cheats
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ArcadeMania lets you play arcade games from the past 30+ years on your device. It supports over 5,000 arcade games as well as vintage computers and electronic games, and uses the open source MAME (version 0.289) as the emulation core. ROM files are not included and must be provided by you. You may import ROMs using the file import functionality, or via the Files app. Some notable features, built specifically for this iOS version: Graphics - Native Metal Graphics Renderer - Custom Shaders - HDR Support Game Controllers - Full support: Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and Switch controllers supported - Touch Screen Lightgun - Touch Screen Analog - Hardware Keyboard Support Built-in MAME features: - Save States - Cheats
JarBox
Relive classic mobile gaming on your iPhone. This app emulates J2ME games, allowing you to load and play your favorite .jar files from the past. Experience faithful 2D and 3D graphics with full sound support.
- Run J2ME games via .jar files
- Hardware-accelerated 3D support
- Pixel-perfect 2D rendering
- WAV, MP3, MIDI sound playback
- Supports various vendor extensions
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Remember when the best games fit in your pocket — on a phone with actual buttons? JarBox brings that era back to your iPhone. JarBox is a J2ME (Java ME) emulator that runs the MIDP 2.0 / CLDC 1.1 games and apps you grew up with. Just drop in a .jar file and play — no fuss, no setup. Features: - Run real J2ME games — load classic .jar titles straight from the Files app - Full 3D support — hardware-accelerated MascotCapsule micro3D and M3G, so the 3D classics look the way you remember them - Faithful 2D rendering — Canvas, Sprites, TiledLayers — pixel-perfect - Sound & music — WAV, MP3, MIDI playback and ToneControl - Wide compatibility — Nokia, Siemens, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and other vendor extensions supported Dust off the classics. Whether it's a racing game from a Nokia, a 3D action title, or that one puzzle you could never put down — JarBox runs it. Got an old favorite in mind? Load it up and play.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ArcadeMania at Free against JarBox's $0.99. ArcadeMania also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (129 vs 1). JarBox's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
ArcadeMania is free to download; JarBox costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ArcadeMania holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcadeMania has 129 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of ArcadeMania's written reviews are positive against 100% of JarBox's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ArcadeMania ships an update monthly, JarBox every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | ArcadeMania | JarBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (129 ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 129 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 305 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Infinite Evolution Technologies | Aleksandr Goremykin |
Customer experience
ArcadeMania
JarBox
Bugs and requests
ArcadeMania
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on iPad with iOS 16.7.11
- Crashes on iPad with iPadOS 13.5
Requested features
2 requests- Support for 8Bitdo Bluetooth controllers
- Fix for game mode not working
JarBox
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ArcadeMania
No in-app purchases
JarBox
No in-app purchases









