BlastEm vs Flycast

BlastEm is a free, open-source emulator for Sega's 16-bit and 8-bit consoles. It supports Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000, Sega Pico, and Yamaha Copera. Downloads are listed for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with an experimental web version. Gameplay features include save states, cartridge save RAM and EEPROM support, turbo and slow modes, controller input, and VGM logging. Its integrated debugger can inspect and modify state, set conditional breakpoints, run scripts, and show visual VDP tools. Developers can use the GDB remote debug protocol for source-level debugging of SGDK and other C or C++ projects. The maker describes it as fast enough for older PCs and accurate enough for demanding demos. Most Sega CD and 32X games are playable, but compatibility is not perfect. Yamaha Copera emulation is incomplete: games generally lack music, though Copera-specific ADPCM samples play. The listed macOS download is x86-64 and not notarized; the page directs ARM users to Homebrew.

Flycast Dojo is a free, open-source fork of the Flycast emulator for Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2 and Atomiswave. Its focus is netplay and replay, with training tools for supported games. Players can connect using Match Codes, direct IP connections or virtual LANs such as ZeroTier or Radmin. Match Codes use an internet relay to help start peer-to-peer sessions through firewalls without an account or extra software. Netplay sessions can be recorded and played back, or transmitted to a replay server or listening spectator. Training Mode supports RetroArch .cht cheats, savestates, and recording and playing back inputs. Players can compare ROM MD5 checksums, while successful peer-to-peer play requires matching ROM and BIOS files. The project is bundled with Fightcade and Arkadyzja. It is listed for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, though the official site links downloads for Windows, Linux and Mac. The documentation notes that Match Codes may have problems on some cloud gaming services or corporate networks.