GoNES vs NET-NES

GoNES is a free, open-source NES emulator written in Go. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and web browsers; the browser version compiles to WebAssembly, and the project links to a hosted instance. At startup, the app opens a file picker for selecting a .nes ROM, and it can also be launched from a terminal with a ROM file argument. The project lists support for mappers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 69 and 71, which it says cover 84.34% of official NES games. Keyboard controls for two players are configurable. Save-state, load-state and undo bindings are listed. GoNES creates a configuration file on first run, with its location documented for each desktop platform. Release downloads are provided, and macOS installation through Homebrew is documented. Source installation is also documented. Building requires OpenGL development libraries because rendering uses Ebitengine. The project says its GUI renders, but menu options still need to be added.

NET-NES is a free Nintendo Entertainment System emulator written in C# that can run some NES games. Downloadable builds are listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux, including win-x64, win-x86, osx-x64, osx-arm64, and linux-x64. Launching the executable opens a basic graphical interface with options to open a ROM and view the manual. Command-line options include ROM loading, a CPU JSON test, window scaling, an FPS counter, and debug mode. Mapper 0 is supported, while Mappers 1, 2, and 4 are implemented experimentally. The project says it passes nestest CPU instruction tests and lists tested games as working, but some games may glitch or freeze. Its PPU uses scanline timing rather than dot-by-dot timing, so it is not cycle accurate and some games may be affected. A debugger, Mapper 3, player 2 controller support, and audio are listed as upcoming features. The project distributes the software under the MIT License.