Comparison

2 vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

2

Embark on a Western adventure in this retro-styled action platformer. Play as a customizable cowboy or cowgirl, explore vast levels, and engage in classic Wild West activities like gambling and riding horses. Become a legend of the old West.

Highlights
  • Customizable cowboy characters
  • Huge levels to explore
  • Gamble at casinos
  • Ride horses and minecarts
  • Retro Gameboy style graphics
  • Gamepad support
Features
Read full description

2-bit Cowboy is a Western action platformer game, styled after classics of the Gameboy era. 'I've got confidence that 2-bit Cowboy will deliver that faux-retro platforming experience I love so much' -Touch Arcade '2-bit Cowboy is every bit the lost Gameboy title you want it to be' -Gamezebo There's a new sheriff in this 2-bit town: you! And you've got a lot of work to do. Tackle challenges, earn rewards, track down bad guys, and find hidden loot. Play as a cowboy or cowgirl, then customize your look with hats, bandanas, masks, and more. Explore huge levels. Gamble at casinos and drink at saloons. Ride a horse, tame a wild bull, and traverse underground mines in a minecart. Become a legend of the old West. * Customizable cowboy characters * Huge levels to explore * Gamble at casinos and drink at saloons * Earn bits, buy powerups and costumes * Ride horses, bulls, and minecarts * Gameboy style retro graphics * Gamepad support Follow us for the latest info and game news! • http://crescentmoongames.com/other-games/ • http://facebook.com/crescentmoongames • http://twitter.com/cm_games

About

ArcEmu

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ APPLE WATCH COMPATIBILITY - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Screenshots

24 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against 2's $0.99. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.5) and review sentiment (95% vs 63%). 2's advantage is iOS requirement (8.1 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

ArcEmu is free to download; 2 costs $0.99 up front. 2 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.4K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of 2's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

2 ships an update monthly, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
2 versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter2ArcEmu
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.5 (21 ratings)4.9 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.8% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings211.4K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS8.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCascadia Games LLCRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

2

All ratings21 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral9.5%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive62.8%
Neutral10.3%
Negative26.9%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

Bugs and requests

2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ArcEmu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
  • Save data not transferring properly between devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add cheat/GameShark support
  • Improve volume controls
  • Implement fast forward/slow motion options
  • Allow multiple save slots per game
  • Improve Game Boy Color support
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

4 purchases

2

One-time4
  • Coin Doubler$0.99
  • 3,000 Cents$1.99
  • 9,000 Cents$2.99
Show 1 more
  • 18,000 Cents$3.99
10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99

Questions

Is 2 free?
2 costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 2 or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. 2 averages 3.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.4K ratings.
Do 2 or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither 2 nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 2 or ArcEmu?
2 ships an update monthly, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, 2 was updated on November 12, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 12, 2026.

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