Attract-Mode vs Daijishō
Attract-Mode
attractmode.orgDaijishō
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Attract-Mode | Daijishō |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 9.1 (#2) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · Emulation Frontends | 9.1 (#2) | 7.8 (#13) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 8.9 (#11) | 7.6 (#35) |
| Configuration | A built-in configuration menu provides on-screen guidance, while settings can also be edited as text files. | Users can import platform configurations from Pegasus or shared platform JSON files, or create platforms from manually added players. |
| Purpose | Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS and Nestopia, intended for joystick, gamepad or spin-dial control and arcade cabinet setups. | Daijishō is a retro launcher for managing retro game libraries. |
| Support | The official site links to a community forum and provides documentation, compile instructions, a layouts manual and a project wiki. | The maker invites users to report issues or submit suggestions through the project repository. |
Plans
In their own words
Attract-Mode
Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS, and Nestopia. It is intended for arcade cabinets and control by joystick, gamepad, or spin dial, and runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux, including Raspberry Pi and Odroid. Users can import game lists, generate lists from emulator directories, and set launch commands for individual games. The frontend can retrieve missing game details and artwork from TheGamesDB, Progetto-Snaps, and adb.arcadeitalia.net. Controls can be assigned to joystick, keyboard, or mouse inputs, including combinations. A built-in configuration menu has on-screen help, and settings are stored in text files. Layouts can be scripted in Squirrel and customized with themes, animations, and GLSL shaders. It supports media formats supported by FFmpeg and SWF files through gameswf. The feature list also names Steam support and plug-ins for extensions or integration with external programs. Attract-Mode is free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3. Pause functionality for returning to the frontend and resuming an emulator is listed only for Linux and Windows versions.
Daijishō
Daijishō is a free Android retro launcher for organizing game libraries and configuring players to open files from selected library paths. It does not include emulators; users install their preferred emulators or other apps separately. The library provides search, detailed game views, genres, widgets, and RetroAchievements, with metadata scraping and controller navigation listed. Appearance options include downloadable wallpaper packs, theme colors, and widgets. Platform configurations can be imported from Pegasus or shared platform JSON files, or created from manually added players. The project lists connections to RetroAchievements, IGDB, RetroArch, Libretro, GitHub, and Arcade Italia DB. Its maker says the app has no backend, keeps basic user information on the device, and does not send or share that information with the maker, while third-party services may have separate privacy policies. A universal-distribution APK is provided on the latest release page. Daijishō is currently closed-source and accepts issue reports and suggestions through its repository.