Comparison

EmuNES XL vs Linking Boy

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

Head to head
About

EmuNES XL

Experience classic 8-bit gaming with this emulator that perfectly recreates the graphics, sound, and peripherals of the NES/Famicom. Load your ROMs and enjoy fullscreen, fast gameplay with ease.

Highlights
  • NES/Famicom emulation
  • Accurate graphics and sound
  • Joypad and zapper gun support
  • Fullscreen gameplay
  • Fast and easy to use
  • ROM loading
Features
Read full description

EmuNES XL is a "JSNES" based emulator of the famous 8 bit console NES / Famicom. The application emulates graphics, sounds and peripherals (joypad and zapper gun) to perfection. This NES emulator is fullscreen, fast and very easy to use. Simply load a rom and enjoy!!!

About

Linking Boy

Experience fast and feature-rich emulation for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy games. Enjoy multiplayer Link cable emulation, unlock achievements with RetroAchievements, and customize your gameplay with speed control, cheats, and enhanced visual options.

Highlights
  • Fast GBA/GBC/GB emulation
  • Link cable multiplayer
  • RetroAchievements support
  • Speed control (fast-forward/slow-down)
  • Cheat support
  • Customizable virtual controls
  • Save states
Features
Read full description

Linkboy is the successor to the popular My Boy! emulator, offering fastest GBA/GBC/GB emulation with unique features like Link and RetroAchievements. KEY FEATURES • Optimized performance — smooth, efficient emulation with minimal battery use • High compatibility — runs nearly all games flawlessly • Link cable emulation — play up to 4 players via local network or on the same device • RetroAchievements support — unlock achievements while you play • Speed control — fast-forward up to 100× or slow down for detailed play. • Cheat support — codes for multiple systems • Cartridge features emulation — gyroscope, light sensor, rumble • Controller & keyboard support — flexible many-to-many button mappings • Customizable virtual controls — move, resize, and configure buttons freely • Save states — multiple slots, save and load anytime • Visual enhancements — combine multiple GPU shaders for a new look • Manage game folders — easily add, remove, or organize your game collection • Modern UI — clean design with Material You styling DISCLAIMER This app is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed, or licensed in any way by Nintendo, its affiliates, or subsidiaries. No games are included. Screenshots feature either public domain titles or copyrighted works owned by their respective rights holders. IGRS Rating: 3+ — by the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS).

Screenshots

EmuNES XL3 screens
Linking Boy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Linking Boy at 78% against EmuNES XL's 0%. Linking Boy also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.0) and ads (none vs shown). EmuNES XL's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price 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

Both are free to download. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. EmuNES XL asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Linking Boy holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Linking Boy has 43 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of EmuNES XL's written reviews are positive against 78% of Linking Boy's.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
EmuNES XL versus Linking Boy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmuNES XLLinking Boy
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (7 ratings)4.2 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings743 — better
Update frequency—Monthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRaffaele AmusoPixel Respawn LLC

Customer experience

EmuNES XL

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Linking Boy

All ratings42 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral10.9%
Negative10.9%

In-app purchases

None

EmuNES XL

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Linking Boy

One-time1
  • Premium Features$5.99

Questions

Is EmuNES XL free?
EmuNES XL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Linking Boy free?
Linking Boy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EmuNES XL or Linking Boy?
Linking Boy is rated higher. EmuNES XL averages 3.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Linking Boy averages 4.2 from 43 ratings.
Do EmuNES XL or Linking Boy have ads?
EmuNES XL shows ads; Linking Boy does not.

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