# Arcade Monkey vs HERO

The clearest difference is ads: HERO at none against Arcade Monkey's shown. HERO also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (584 vs 10). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Arcade Monkey sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and HERO sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Arcade Monkey holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HERO has 584 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Arcade Monkey's written reviews are positive against 80% of HERO's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Arcade Monkey ships an update every 8 months, HERO every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arcade Monkey | HERO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-monkey/id958424928/reviews)** | [4.4 (584 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-x/id970522331/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **584** |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 128 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [晓刚 秦](https://appshunter.io/developer/544544246) | [Jongha Back](https://appshunter.io/developer/368507984) |

## What reviewers say

### Arcade Monkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-monkey/id958424928)

Embark on an epic adventure as the Monkey King in this horizontal action mobile game. Battle demons, collect powerful artifacts, and assist the dharma master on a quest to save the world from evil.

**Highlights:** Horizontal action gameplay, Play as the Monkey King, Battle demons and evil forces, Collect powerful artifacts, Assist dharma master Xuan Zang

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2500 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7000 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 15000 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 30000 coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 80000 coins | $49.99 | one-time |


### HERO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-x/id970522331)

Engage in a retro-style action game where you control a hero to save the city from an invading army. Power up your hero, master combo skills, and utilize a variety of weapons and environmental elements to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. Collect items, level up your character, and explore hidden areas in this 8-bit pixelated adventure.

**Highlights:** Retro 8-bit pixel art style, Power-up and costume system, Over 10 combo skills, Variety of weapons and throwable objects, RPG-like leveling system, Quest system with stone collection, Puzzle elements with levers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| +30 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| +10,000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map Pack (Gems+Gold) | $0.99 | one-time |
| +180 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| +58,000 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| +380 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| +130,000 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| +1,250 Gems | $29.99 | one-time |
| +4,500 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |
| +1,500,000 Gold | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun gameplay
- 🎮 Satisfying combat and combos
- 🎨 Retro-style graphics
- 🕹️ Nostalgic beat 'em up experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🕹️ Clunky and unresponsive controls
- 🕰️ Slow character movement
- 💰 Difficult to progress without in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after cutscenes
- In-app purchases not working correctly
- Black screen on launch
- Save data loss

**Requested features**

- Add more playable heroes and villains
- Implement controller support
- Add checkpoints and ability to choose starting hero
- Improve level design and enemy variety


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arcade Monkey free?

Arcade Monkey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HERO free?

HERO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Arcade Monkey or HERO?

Arcade Monkey is rated higher. Arcade Monkey averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while HERO averages 4.4 from 584 ratings.

### Do Arcade Monkey or HERO have ads?

Arcade Monkey shows ads; HERO does not.

### Which is updated more often, Arcade Monkey or HERO?

Arcade Monkey ships an update every 8 months, and HERO every 4 weeks. Most recently, Arcade Monkey was updated on September 24, 2026 and HERO on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*