Comparison

Retroman vs Stack Pals

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

Head to head
About

Retroman

Experience classic Game Boy, GBA, and NES games on your iPhone or iPad. This app offers smooth gameplay with virtual controls, optimized audio, and support for all game types. Easily load your legally owned ROMs and enjoy a seamless retro gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBA & NES emulation
  • Virtual controls
  • Optimized audio rendering
  • iCloud Sync for saved states
  • Bluetooth gamepad support
  • Easy ROM loading
Features
Read full description

Relive the golden age of Game Boy, Game Boy Advance & NES gaming on your iPhone or iPad! Enjoy seamless virtual controls, optimized audio rendering, and an advanced engine that delivers smooth gameplay with minimal lag for an authentic retro experience across Game Boy, Game Boy Advance & NES platforms. Retroman supports all NES mappers, Game Boy & GBA cartridge types, unlocking the entire NES and Game Boy libraries at your fingertips. FEATURES: • iCloud Sync for saved states • Bluetooth Gamepad support • Easy ROM loading for Game Boy, Game Boy Advance & NES games • High-precision virtual controls • Customizable video & audio settings • Full Game Boy, Game Boy Advance & NES emulation support • Lightning-fast emulation for smooth gameplay on both systems How to load games: 1. Browse and find legal Game Boy (.gb), Game Boy Advance (.gba) or NES (.nes) ROM files. 2. Save the ROM files to your device in the Files app. 3. Open Retroman and browse to locate the saved ROM files, then tap on the game you want to load. Alternatively, use the "Open In" feature to load ROMs directly into Retroman from other iOS apps. *** Important notices: Retroman is in no way affiliated with Nintendo or any other game console manufacturers, game developers, or publishers. The name "Nintendo" and all associated game console names are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. All other trademarks, logos, and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. This emulator is intended for use with games that the user legally owns. We do not condone piracy and are not responsible for any illegal use of the emulator. ***

About

Stack Pals

A charming tower-building game where players tap to drop blocks, aiming for perfect alignment to stack higher and earn rewards. Collect adorable pals, unlock new themes, and compete on global leaderboards for the ultimate stacking challenge.

Highlights
  • Tap to drop blocks
  • Perfect alignment bonuses
  • Collect and play with cute pals
  • Global leaderboards
  • Unlock themes and environments
  • Enter Fever Mode for rewards
Read full description

The Cutest Tower Building Game. Build Higher. Earn Upgrades. Collect Pals. Welcome to Stack Pals — the ultimate tower building game where adorable pals cheer you on as you test your skill, timing, and focus. How to Play • Tap to drop each block • Line up perfectly for bonuses • Stack higher without missing Every block matters! The more precise you are, the taller your tower grows. Features •Collect and play with cute pals like cats, giraffes, and more •Compete on global leaderboards •Unlock fun themes and environments as you progress •Enter Fever Mode for extra rewards when your timing is perfect Easy to pick up, impossible to put down — Stack Pals is the perfect game for quick sessions or endless runs. Whether you’re chasing the top of the leaderboard or just stacking with your favorite pal, it’s fun for everyone. Ready to stack higher than ever?

Screenshots

Retroman4 screens
Stack Pals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Stack Pals at 100% against Retroman's 46%. Stack Pals also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.4). Retroman's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (101 vs 4). On update cadence, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Stack Pals is free to download; Retroman costs $1.99 up front. Retroman sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stack Pals sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stack Pals holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retroman has 101 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Retroman's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stack Pals's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retroman ships an update every 2 weeks, Stack Pals every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Retroman versus Stack Pals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetromanStack Pals
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (101 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings101 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB227 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperKonstantinos PapadakisPillowBit Games

Customer experience

Retroman

All ratings101 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral17.4%
Negative37.0%

Stack Pals

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Retroman

One-time1
  • Legacy User Upgrade$0.99
7 purchases

Stack Pals

One-time7
  • Tiny Gold Pack$0.99
  • Small Gold Pack$4.99
  • Ad Skip$5.99
Show 4 more
  • Starter Pack$6.99
  • Medium Gold Pack$9.99
  • Large Gold Pack$19.99
  • Huge Gold Pack$49.99

Questions

Is Retroman free?
Retroman costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Stack Pals free?
Stack Pals is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retroman or Stack Pals?
Stack Pals is rated higher. Retroman averages 4.4 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while Stack Pals averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Retroman or Stack Pals have ads?
Stack Pals shows ads; Retroman does not.
Which is updated more often, Retroman or Stack Pals?
Retroman ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stack Pals every 9 days. Most recently, Retroman was updated on October 17, 2026 and Stack Pals on October 10, 2026.

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