ClownMDEmu vs emmd

ClownMDEmu is a free emulator for the Sega Mega Drive, also known as the Sega Genesis. Its self-contained core is provided as a library, with a browser version available to try online. The maker also offers a standalone frontend with debugging menus and a libretro frontend for compatible hosts such as RetroArch and clownlibretro. The core can be built with CMake, but Git submodules must be initialized before compiling. Its design targets C89, integer-only logic, and avoids dynamic memory and global state. Emulator state is stored in a relocatable structure without pointers, supporting save states and the possibility of multiple instances. Audio is output separately for FM and PSG at native sample rates; video is provided one scanline at a time in indexed format. The maker describes a balance between correctness and performance, and notes that some standard Mega Drive features remain unemulated, including areas of 68k exceptions and VDP rendering. ClownMDEmu is free software under AGPLv3 or any later version.

emmd is a free Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) emulator written in Go and targeting Model 1 hardware. Its desktop library can scan ROMs and organize games with artwork and metadata. It includes save-state management, rewind, fast-forward, shader effects, RetroAchievements integration and configurable settings. The emulator supports Motorola 68000 and Zilog Z80 CPUs, VDP rendering, YM2612 FM synthesis and SN76489 PSG audio. It handles two-player three-button and six-button controllers, battery-backed SRAM, and save states checked with CRC32 checksums and ROM CRC matching. NTSC and PAL can be detected from a ROM header or selected manually. A LibRetro core is available for compatible frontends, and a documented macOS build creates an application bundle with an icon and code signing. The stated scope is officially licensed, released Genesis games; unlicensed or homebrew games, prototypes, beta ROMs and non-controller peripherals are unsupported. Platforms listed are Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS. Building requires Go 1.25 or later, and the repository identifies the license as GPL-3.0.