ClownMDEmu vs MD.emu

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.

MD.emu has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.