3D Monster Maze vs ArcEmu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
3D Monster Maze
Experience a retro survival horror game inspired by the ZX81 era. Navigate a randomly generated maze, hunted by a relentless dinosaur, and find the exit before you're caught. Features classic and enhanced modes for a nostalgic challenge.
- ZX81-inspired black-and-white graphics
- Randomly generated mazes
- Relentless tyrannosaurus rex enemy
- Classic and enhanced game modes
- Score retention upon escape
- Nostalgic 1980s computing style
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Re-live the early 1980's, the era of home computing before colour and sound with this homage to the great ZX81 (also known as the Timex Sinclair 1000) and the classic game 3D Monster Maze. Created for iOS using only the original style black-and-white crude and blocky graphics that the ZX81 had, this game will take you back… Alone and unarmed, you find yourself in a stark and daunting maze inhabited by a hungry and relentless tyrannosaurus rex that will do its best to hunt you down and eat you before you escape. The randomly created maze is different every time and the exit portal, depicted as a swirling pattern of symbols, will be found in a dead-end somewhere within. Beware, the rex may be lurking nearby though! This version offers 2 modes, classic and enhanced. In enhanced mode you are assisted by a few extras such as a compass showing a bearing to the exit and extra information along the way. During play, you can hold the NEW key for a few seconds to abandon the maze and return to the introduction, losing your score in the process. If you should manage to escape the maze without being eaten, you retain your score and a new maze is created. Only the keys required from the ZX81 keyboard are shown. Instructions are also available during the introduction preamble which includes details on the scoring. The introductory text can be fast-forwarded by holding the up arrow key. This is not a ZX81 emulator, but a game created from scratch that mimics the old 1980’s ZX81 game style and graphics. Enjoy the nostalgia!
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.
- Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
- Multiplayer support
- Cheat codes
- Customizable on-screen controls
- Save State sharing
- iCloud support
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against 3D Monster Maze's $0.99. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). 3D Monster Maze's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On 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
ArcEmu is free to download; 3D Monster Maze costs $0.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. 3D Monster Maze asks for nothing beyond the download.
ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of 3D Monster Maze's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.
3D Monster Maze ships an update every 3 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 3D Monster Maze | ArcEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (9 ratings) | 4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 94.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yesung Moore | Raffaele D'Amato |
Customer experience
3D Monster Maze
ArcEmu
Bugs and requests
3D Monster Maze
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 moreShow fewer
- Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch
In-app purchases
3D Monster Maze
No in-app purchases
ArcEmu
- Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
- Game Boy Advance$0.99
- SNES$0.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- 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 3D Monster Maze free?
Is ArcEmu free?
Which has better reviews, 3D Monster Maze or ArcEmu?
Do 3D Monster Maze or ArcEmu have ads?
Which is updated more often, 3D Monster Maze or ArcEmu?
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