GnGeo vs NeoDS
GnGeo
github.comNeoDS
github.comSide by side
| Figure | GnGeo | NeoDS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Neo Geo Emulators | 8.3 (#1) | 7.7 (#5) |
| Configuration | Configuration can be set in `$HOME/.gngeo/gngeorc` or on the command line, and per-game configuration is supported in `$HOME/.gngeo/game.rc`. | The emulator supports normal or scaled video, CPU underclocking, saving configuration and SRAM, and input remapping. |
| Controls | The command-line options include joystick support and per-player control and hotkey configuration. | The emulator supports button remapping, and its graphical interface is controlled with the stylus. |
| License | The README says the original code is GPLv2 with a special linking exception and warns that commercial use of GnGeo as a whole is forbidden because of MAME code licensing. | The readme says the emulator code is free to use for non-commercial purposes; GUI code and converter code are public domain subject to MAME and zlib licenses for the latter. |
| Purpose | GnGeo is a NeoGeo emulator for Linux and possibly other Unix systems. | NeoDS is a NeoGeo AES/MVS emulator for Nintendo DS that runs ROMs with some limitations. |
Plans
In their own words
GnGeo
GnGeo is a free NeoGeo emulator for Linux, with the project also describing possible support for other Unix systems. It runs NeoGeo ROM sets identified by their MAME names; the listed example starts Metal Slug with `gngeo mslug`. Command-line options include home, arcade, and unibios modes, as well as fullscreen display, scaling, interpolation, raster interrupts, blitters, and visual effects. Sound and joystick support, player controls, and hotkeys are configurable. Settings can be supplied on the command line or in user and per-game configuration files. The project describes graphical frontends with features such as game previews and configuration options. GnGeo requires SDL 1.2.x, libz, and a NeoGeo BIOS; NASM 0.98 is optional for i386 assembly optimization. Games must be ZIP files, while the BIOS must not be, and the default search location is `$prefix/share/gngeo/`. The README describes a source build using `./configure`, `make`, and `make install`. The repository lists no releases, and its licensing notes forbid commercial use of GnGeo as a whole because of included code and licensing.
NeoDS
NeoDS is a Nintendo DS emulator for NeoGeo AES and MVS games. It emulates the M68000 and Z80 CPUs, graphics, ADPCM and PSG audio, as well as NeoGeo protection and encryption. NeoDSConvert converts NeoGeo ROM sets into .neo files, and the emulator uses the same ROM sets as MAME. The documented setup requires a Nintendo DS Lite and a DLDI-compatible flash card. A Slot-2 flash card with RAM is optional and can improve the speed of some games. The emulator supports button remapping, normal or scaled video, CPU underclocking, and saving configuration and SRAM to the flash card; its graphical interface is operated with a stylus. It does not emulate FM audio, raster effects or multiplayer, and some timings are not very accurate. The repository describes the project as a fork of a 2008 NeoDS release being updated to 2026 MAME sets. The emulator is free to use for non-commercial purposes; save states appear in the README’s TODO list rather than as a supported feature.