Retro Pal vs CIPHER Zombies
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Pal
Relive your favorite classic games on your mobile device. This app emulates a wide range of consoles, allowing you to play your ROMs with customizable controls and features. Enjoy your childhood favorites anywhere, anytime.
- Emulates 13+ classic consoles
- Supports Bluetooth and USB-C controllers
- Cloud save synchronization
- Customizable touch controls
- Rewind functionality
- Console skins and themes
- Gameplay clip recording
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The console of your childhood, now in your pocket. Retro Pal plays your Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo, NES, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Mega Drive / Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, PSP and Nintendo 3DS ROMs on your iPhone and iPad. Your old games, on the screen you always have with you. No ads. Free to use. Pro is optional: pay once for life, or month by month if you prefer. WHAT'S INCLUDED (FOR FREE) • Native emulation via mGBA, melonDS, MesenCE, PCSX-ReARMed, Mupen64Plus-Next, BlastEm, PPSSPP and Azahar • Bluetooth and USB-C controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, MFi): up to four players, and the app's menus work with one too • Local-first iCloud save sync across your devices • Save import from other emulator apps • PlayStation discs as .chd, as a .cue with its .bin, or as a zip, with the discs of one game grouped into a single entry • PSP games as .iso, .cso, .chd or .pbp • Nintendo 3DS games as .3ds, .cci, .cxi or .3dsx (decrypted games only) • Stereo sound, mixable with background music (Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts) • Touch controls: D-pad and action buttons • Console skins: pick a built-in look, or import and share custom ones • Portrait and landscape modes • Two save slots + auto-save with image preview • Rewind up to 5 seconds, on all thirteen consoles • Capture and share gameplay clips as a video card • Screenshot sharing with a styled card • Your Retro story: your play time, your games and your badges, and your year in review every December LOCALIZED, NOT TRANSLATED Retro Pal is available in fifteen languages, from French and German through to Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese. Each is written, not run through a translator at the last minute. RETRO PAL PRO (OPTIONAL) One-time purchase, yours forever. Or a yearly or monthly subscription if you prefer to spread the cost. You will see the price on the app's page. • All speeds (0.25× to 4×) • Five save slots • 30-second rewind • Cheat codes (Action Replay, Game Genie, GameShark and more) • Full controls editor: move, resize, fade or hide every button and the screens, with unlimited presets per console • Create and edit your own custom console skins A subscription can be cancelled at any time from the App Store. You can switch from a subscription to the lifetime purchase whenever you want. Terms of Use: https://retropal.fr/en/terms Privacy Policy: https://retropal.fr/en/privacy MADE IN EUROPE. No ads, no ad profiling. To improve the app, Retro Pal sends only anonymous usage statistics, no personal data, no advertising IDs. Your ROMs, your saves and your progress stay on your device. The app contains no games. You must provide your own ROM files, which you certify you legally own. Need to reach us? We reply within a day: support@retropal.fr Website: retropal.fr Retro Pal integrates the open-source emulator cores mGBA (MPL-2.0 license), melonDS (GPL-3.0), MesenCE (GPL-3.0), PCSX-ReARMed (GPL-2.0 or later), Mupen64Plus-Next (GPL-2.0 or later), BlastEm (GPL-3.0 or later), PPSSPP (GPL-2.0 or later) and Azahar (GPL-3.0 or later). melonDS, MesenCE, Mupen64Plus-Next, BlastEm, PPSSPP and Azahar are used with changes of ours, each published as a patch file alongside the source. The app's complete source code is published under GPL-3.0: github.com/Larvouu/RetroPal. Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 3DS are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Nintendo. PlayStation and PSP are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Mega Drive, Genesis, Master System and Game Gear are trademarks of SEGA Corporation. This application is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by SEGA.
CIPHER Zombies
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CIPHER Zombies — Your Zombies Operations HQ CIPHER Zombies is built for Call of Duty Zombies players who care about high rounds, Main Easter Egg hunts, and squad nights. Log every session, browse the full map catalog, follow step-by-step EE guides, find party lobbies, and track your progress — all in one tactical, dark-themed companion app. LOG OPERATIONS Track every Zombies run as an Operation: map, game, platform, squad size, and mission type. Whether you’re pushing high rounds, hunting the Main EE, running challenges, or playing casual — CIPHER Zombies keeps your history organized. End a run when you’re done and log your final round, EE outcome, notes, and YouTube VOD link. MAP INTEL Browse maps from World at War through Black Ops 7. Filter by storyline (Aether, Dark Aether, Chaos, Extinction, Exo, Spaceland, Nazi), game, difficulty, and more. Each map shows your personal stats, operation history, and quick access to guides and story timelines. MAIN EASTER EGG GUIDES In-app step-by-step Main EE walkthroughs with expandable checklists — perfect for solo runs or coordinating with your squad. Guides cover maps across the catalog, including dual-path quests and Tortured Path chapters. Check off steps as you go; during live Party EE sessions, your crew shares the same checklist. PARTY MATCHMAKING Host or join Zombies lobbies matched by platform (PlayStation, Xbox, PC), spoken language, lobby size, mission type, and mic preference (voice chat or text-only). Open lobbies are discoverable in-app; private lobbies use join codes and share links. Host approval keeps rosters clean. Get notified when your request is accepted, declined, or when a host cancels. STATISTICS & ACHIEVEMENTS Charts, map breakdowns, highest rounds, Main EE clears, and filters across your full operation history. Earn achievements and rank up with XP from completed ops. STORY TIMELINES Read the lore in order: Aether Saga, Dark Aether, Chaos, Nazi Zombies, Extinction, and Infinite Warfare Zombies — with expandable eras, characters, and map links. SYNC & WIDGETS Sign in with Apple and sync operations via iCloud. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show your current live operation; stats widgets keep your recent performance visible at a glance. GAME CATALOG World at War, Black Ops, and Black Ops II maps are included free. Unlock additional titles individually or unlock the full catalog in one purchase. CIPHER Zombies is an independent fan companion app. Call of Duty, Zombies, and related marks are property of their respective owners. CIPHER Zombies is not affiliated with or endorsed by Activision or Treyarch.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Retro Pal at 16.0 against CIPHER Zombies's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Retro Pal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and CIPHER Zombies sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro Pal | CIPHER Zombies |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (20 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 973 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Antoine Ghiassi | Jeffrey Bemelmans |
In-app purchases
Retro Pal
- Retro Pal Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
- Retro Pal Pro, yearly$4.991 Year
- Retro Pal Pro Lifetime$8.99
CIPHER Zombies
- Pack: Call of Duty Black Ops 3$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Infinite Warfare$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty World War 2$0.99
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- Pack: Call Of Duty Black Ops 4$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Black Ops CW$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Vanguard$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Black Ops 6$0.99
- Pack: Call of Duty Black Ops 7$0.99
- Pack: Unlock All$6.99









