Comparison

Retro Classics vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Retro Classics

Relive the golden age of arcade gaming with this collection of four classic 80s tabletop electronic games. Experience authentic retro graphics, sounds, and addictive gameplay that defined an era. Perfect for nostalgic gamers and new players alike.

Highlights
  • Four classic 80s tabletop arcade games
  • Authentic retro graphics and sounds
  • Addictive old-school gameplay
  • Accurate machine simulations
  • i-Cade controller support
  • Score tracking and combined scores
  • Game Center integration
Features
Read full description

Four absolute retro classic tabletop arcade machines in this one collection guaranteed to take you back to your childhood. With bright fluorescent graphics, simulated display, genuine retro blips and bleeps, simplicity and addictive old school gaming. All these games have had their meticulous details emulated to almost perfection (some minor changes). " If you are a retro arcade die hard fan this is a must!" In a distant time, not too long ago, before the internet and mobile phones; arcade games of the 70's and 80's were beautifully simple and addictive. Imagine going back in time to see your old games (or your friends' old games you couldn't have!) Now you can own some of the best handheld/tabletop games of that era in this awesome retro collection. Scramble (also known as Astro Command) , Missile Invader, Frogger and Galaxy Invader are some of the best tabletop games. Made by companies like CGL, Grandstand, Tandy, Epoch, Entex and Tomy to name but a few. Now these games have been brought back from distant and forgotten memories to the 21st century. Nostalgic but fun for all ages! Check the screenshots to see how accurate these are! • Better value then obtaining these as individual apps • Accurate simulations of the machines • Full retro sounds • Totally nostalgic • i-Cade support • Keep track of scores of all levels on the 4 VFD games • Super combined score of all games to prove how hard core retro fan you are • Scores automatically update to Game Center if logged in To play each device simply click on the machine you want to play then turn it on NOTE: To use iCade controller, press iCade button once loaded a game. Pressing this without connection to a controller will bring up the keyboard. Press the button again to turn it off.

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

Retro Classics4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Retro Classics's $3.99. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 57 months). Retro Classics's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On rating, ads 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; Retro Classics costs $3.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Retro Classics asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Retro Classics against 4.9 for ArcEmu. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Retro Classics's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro Classics ships an update every 57 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Retro Classics versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro ClassicsArcEmu
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 57 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS12.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRob WilmotRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Retro Classics

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

ArcEmu

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

Bugs and requests

Retro Classics

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

None

Retro Classics

No in-app purchases

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 Retro Classics free?
Retro Classics costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Retro Classics or ArcEmu?
Retro Classics is rated higher. Retro Classics averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Retro Classics or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Retro Classics nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro Classics or ArcEmu?
Retro Classics ships an update every 57 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Retro Classics was updated on October 26, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 27, 2026.

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