Comparison

Phosphor Emulator vs Pool Shark

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

Head to head
About

Phosphor Emulator

This app provides a premium emulation experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games on modern iOS devices. It features advanced controls, instant save states, and unique functionalities like rewinding gameplay and AI play.

Highlights
  • Rewind and fast-forward gameplay
  • Instant save and load states
  • Customizable touch controls
  • MFi controller support
  • Game Boy Camera and Printer integration
  • AI Play feature
Features
Read full description

Phosphor is a free retro game emulator for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games, plus Nintendo DS games on iPhone and iPad, with save states, fast-forward, rewind, iCloud save sync, controller support, and community mods. No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. No tracking. Import your own compatible ROM files through Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop. Organize your library, pick your controls, and take your favorite handheld games anywhere. WHY PHOSPHOR? Phosphor is designed to feel like a handheld console. Deep black screen wells, glowing CRT effects, responsive controls, and color themes bring classic games to modern Apple hardware. Play in portrait or landscape, adjust your speed with a scrolling dial, and return quickly to your last session. NINTENDO DS ON IPHONE AND IPAD Import compatible .nds files and choose single-screen or dual-screen play. Start with a focused single-screen layout, switch to both screens from the menu, and swap screens when you need to. Touch-screen input, microphone controls, and portrait and landscape layouts keep DS play flexible. MODS POWERED BY GEN1RECOMP Supported games can use the integrated gen1recomp engine to run compatible community mods inside Phosphor. Keep your library, controls, and display framing while exploring new ways to play. The updated engine brings gameplay and compatibility fixes. Features vary by game, engine, and mod. Rewind and cheat codes are available with Phosphor’s standard emulator core, not during gen1recomp play. FEATURES Classic handheld games Play compatible .gb, .gbc, and .gba ROMs, with .nds support on iPhone and iPad. Import individual games or supported ZIP archives and search your library. Link Cable trading Connect supported games over the same Wi-Fi network. Gen 3 Pokémon Link Cable support covers Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. Compatible games, in-game progress, and normal trading restrictions apply. Fast-forward up to 15× Choose 1×, 2×, 3×, 5×, 10×, or 15× where supported to move through battles, travel, and repeated sections. Available speeds depend on the game, core, and device. Live rewind Hold rewind to return to an earlier moment and try again with the standard emulator core. Save states and quick resume Create quick saves and save-state slots, then return to your session with quick resume where supported. iCloud saves Sync compatible in-game saves, quick saves, and save-state slots across devices using the same Apple ID. Check for saved progress in Settings and choose which copy to keep when saves conflict. Game files are not backed up; after reinstalling, reimport them with their original filenames to reconnect your saves. CRT display and themes Customize your screen with scanlines, phosphor glow, dot-grid texture, vignette, contrast, and color themes. External controllers Play with compatible controllers or use responsive touch controls, haptics, and layouts designed for portrait and landscape. Cheat codes Use supported cheat formats with compatible games on Phosphor’s standard emulator core. Apple Watch play Take supported games to your wrist. Platform and feature availability vary by device; Nintendo DS play is available on iPhone and iPad. Live Activities See your current game, play time, and quick-resume status from the Lock Screen. BRING YOUR OWN GAMES Phosphor does not include games or ROMs. Provide your own legally obtained, compatible game files. Community mods have their own authors, licenses, and compatibility requirements. Save states and other features may vary between emulator cores, engine versions, and devices. A classic handheld feel. Modern Apple features. Your games, your library, your way to play.

About

Pool Shark

This game combines real 8-ball pool physics with roguelike deckbuilding mechanics. Pot balls, chain combos, and build a deck of cards to strategize your way through escalating challenges and opponents.

Highlights
  • Real 8-ball pool physics simulation
  • Roguelike deckbuilding with 204 cards
  • Strategic shot calling for multipliers
  • 18 opponents with unique challenges
  • Six rooms of escalating stakes
  • Online ranked multiplayer
  • Unlockable cosmetic items
Features
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Pool Shark is a deep roguelike deckbuilder built on real 8-ball pool. Every rack is a scoring run — pot balls, chain combos, stack multipliers — and every table plays for money you carry up six rooms of rising stakes. REAL POOL PHYSICS. A deterministic table where spin, banks, kisses, and caroms all count — and the aim hint shows you exactly the shot the table will play, because it IS the same simulation. BUILD YOUR DECK. Draft from a 204-card catalog between matches: 90 Tells that change how shots score, Chalk you burn for one perfect shot, Marks that ride a single ball, Cues that change what a break can do. The order of your build is the strategy. CALL YOUR SHOTS. Banks, combos, and called pockets multiply the take. Style is money — showboating pays if you can back it up. EVERY TABLE IS A MONEY MATCH. Eighteen opponents, each with their own aim, nerve, and temper — race them for stakes and take their purse. A REAL RUN. Eighteen tables across six rooms in one night. Four difficulty tiers, twenty House Rules that bend the game, four different endings. No two runs build the same shark. SURVIVE THE HOUSE. House Tables close side pockets, ban rails, make you call the 8. Read the room and pick your battles. EARN YOUR NAME. Seventy unlockables — masks, titles, cues, gloves, trails, cloths, stamps — won at the table, never sold. TAKE IT ONLINE. Ranked 1v1 on a live referee server: six divisions, seasons, and a ladder with your name on it. Earn House Chips as you play, wager them on a match, and take the crowd's pocket bet. And yes, there's a story: your best friend owes the wrong people $12,500, due before close. Chalk up and get him out. No ads. The only in-app purchases are optional tips behind the SUPPORT US door: they unlock nothing, and the whole game is yours either way.

Screenshots

Phosphor Emulator4 screens
Pool Shark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phosphor Emulator at none against Pool Shark's 3. Phosphor Emulator also leads on ratings volume (37 vs 1). Pool Shark's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pool Shark sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Phosphor Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pool Shark holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phosphor Emulator has 37 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Phosphor Emulator versus Pool Shark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhosphor EmulatorPool Shark
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (37 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB398 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSquatchCraft LLCMotivation Stack LLC

Customer experience

Phosphor Emulator

All ratings35 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative6.7%

Pool Shark

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Phosphor Emulator

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pool Shark

One-time3
  • Chalk Up$0.99
  • Rack a Round$2.99
  • Keep the Lights On$4.99

Questions

Is Phosphor Emulator free?
Phosphor Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pool Shark free?
Pool Shark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phosphor Emulator or Pool Shark?
Pool Shark is rated higher. Phosphor Emulator averages 4.6 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Pool Shark averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Phosphor Emulator or Pool Shark have ads?
Neither Phosphor Emulator nor Pool Shark shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phosphor Emulator or Pool Shark?
Phosphor Emulator ships an update every 3 days, and Pool Shark every 3 days. Most recently, Phosphor Emulator was updated on November 5, 2026 and Pool Shark on October 31, 2026.

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