ares vs Emulicious
ares
ares-emu.net
Emulicious
emulicious.netSide by side
| Figure | ares | Emulicious |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 9.0 (#1) | 7.9 (#18) |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 9.0 (#1) | 8.0 (#13) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 8.0 (#22) |
| Spec score · Sega Master System Emulators | 9.0 (#2) | 8.0 (#4) |
| Debugger | A built-in debugger provides simple tracing tools for development of original software. | The debugger includes an interactive disassembler with automated code/data separation and reverse stepping. |
| Founded | 2020 | 2013 |
| License | The source code is distributed under the ISC license. | The license permits binary use, copying and distribution for non-commercial purposes without a fee, subject to retaining license information and the copyright notice. |
| Purpose | ares is a cross-platform, open-source multi-system emulator focused on accuracy and preservation. | Emulicious is a free to use multi-system emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, Game Gear and MSX. |
Plans
In their own words
ares
ares is a free, open-source emulator for multiple systems, with a stated focus on accuracy and preservation. It supports systems including Arcade, Atari 2600, WonderSwan, ColecoVision, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and PlayStation, though some listed systems are experimental. Playback options include save states, run-ahead, rewind, and fast-forward. Pixel shaders and optional color correction can alter display characteristics, while Virtual Game-Pads let users configure controls for use across emulated systems. The interface framework uses WinAPI on Windows, Cocoa on macOS, and GTK2 or GTK3 on POSIX platforms. Simple debugging features such as trace logging support development of original software for supported systems. Windows builds support Windows 7 or later; AMD64 binaries require at least Intel Nehalem or AMD Jaguar architecture. macOS binaries require Catalina 10.15 and support Intel and Apple Silicon. The project prefers Linux users compile from source and points to third-party packages rather than official Linux binaries. Source code uses the ISC license. Android is not supported, and a BIOS is required.
Emulicious
Emulicious is a free emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, Game Gear, and MSX. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as Raspberry Pi OS and other systems that support Java SE; Java 1.6 or newer is required. The download does not need an installer: extract the files and run Emulicious.jar, or use Emulicious.exe in the Windows bundle with Java. Its emulation aims for precision, and it includes savestates, IPS patching, automatic updates, and adjustable turbo and throttle controls. For development, the debugger has an interactive disassembler that separates code and data automatically, plus reverse stepping. Other tools include a profiler, tracer, coverage analyzer, memory editor, palette and tile viewers, RAM search and watch, and remote debugging. Emulicious can connect to Visual Studio Code; its linked extension supports source-level debugging for assembler and C code using SDCC. It also runs Analogue Pocket ROMs with the .pocket extension. The free license is for personal use; commercial users should seek permission.