| Emulator: | PicoDrive 0.052 | n0p’s Genesis Plus 1.06 | MorphGear 2.4.0.9 | Mobile Drive 1.1a; Cyclone | Mobile Drive 1.1a; Musashi | PocketGenesis v1.0 (Beta 2) | darcNESCE |
| Verdict | The fastest and most recommended; it, however, has some compatibility issues with some games; with them, you’ll want to prefer n0p’s Genesis Plus | While PicoDrive is definitely faster, this title is a bit more compatible with some games. That is, you will want to keep it on your device if you run into incompatible games with Pico. Otherwise, prefer the latter for generic gaming. | Forget it: low compatibility rate; no sounds | Forget it | Forget it even more – while it’s more compatible than the Cyclone version, it’s even slower. Absolutely useless – both Pico and Genesis Plus are WAY better and faster. | Totally lackluster, forget it | Totally lackluster, forget it. Not even the menu can be brought up (because of the H/PC / PsPC design) |
| Last modded | 12/2006 | 02/2007 | 01/2007 | 07/2006 | (see with Cyclone version) | 05/2002 | 01/2002 |
| Based on | Cyclone v0.00861 | Cyclone | ? | Cyclone | Musashi | ? | ? |
| Sound? (If supported, then, it’s always stereo) | +; sampling frequency always selectable (unlike in Genesis Plus) | +; sampling frequency can be altered in the config file (samplerate parameter) | - | +; sampling frequency always selectable (unlike in Genesis Plus) | (see with Cyclone version) | - | - |
| Video: QVGA / VGA compliance in default (in general, fastest) rendering / stretching mode? | +: fills in horizontally the screen in both modes (by default, in Portrait mode; can be reconfigured to switch to Landscape) | Fills in the entire screen (except for the bottommost button bar), unless you override the landscape parameter in the config file | By default, it uses the 100% mode, which is quite small on VGA and too large on QVGA (the borders are hidden) | +: on both QVGA and VGA models, when started in Portrait, it fills the screen horizontally; in Landscape mode, almost fully | (see with Cyclone version) | ? | ? |
| Full screen display? | +; left/right-handedness selectable | Yes, by default; left/right-handedness selectable in the config file (rotateright parameter) | (Settings / Genesis / Display / Screen size: Window Size); it results in an additional speed decrease | + (if and only if you start the app in Landscape mode; left/right-handedness selectable) | (see with Cyclone version) | ? (I only wish it had been able to run ANY games I’ve thrown at it) | ? (I only wish it had been able to run ANY games I’ve thrown at it) |
| Interlace 2 support (Sonic 2 two-player mode?) | -; totally messed up screen | +, in low resolution even on VGA devices so it’s pretty pixelized; also, it “twitters” (it seems to be trying to emulate true interlacing; hence the somewhat annoying twittering) | -; totally messed up screen | ? Sonic 2 crashes right after starting two-player mode | + displays OK, albeit in low resolution. Unlike Genesis Plus, it doesn’t twitter | n/a (isn’t compatible with the game) | n/a (isn’t compatible with the game) |
| Video renderer config options? | Fast rendering can be enabled (disabled by default) and smooth stretching disabled | Can’t be selected / fine-tuned | Three (+ Auto mode); tweaking doesn’t help much | GAPI and Direct(VGA). The latter doesn’t work | (see with Cyclone version) | Can’t be selected / fine-tuned | Can’t be selected / fine-tuned |
| Controls: Diagonals with Xenon 2 (tested on x51v and PL720)? (they do NOT work with some other titles; for example, Sonic 3D) | + | + | + | n/a (incompatible with the game) | (see with Cyclone version) | n/a (incompatible with the game) | n/a (incompatible with the game) |
| Keys | Can be redefined in the same way as in the FinalBurn Alpha port of Masterall | Can be redefined in the config file (key_* parameters); Menu + the three buttons are assigned to the standard 4 buttons by default | All of them freely redefinable; WM5 softkeys are supported | Must be defined before first use (pretty awkward – involves a lot of screentaps); doesn’t get remapped if you switch between Landscape and Portrait. Supports WM5 hardware softkeys. | (see with Cyclone version) | ? (couldn’t test because it wasn’t able to run anything) | ? (couldn’t test because it wasn’t able to run anything) |
| On-screen tap zones? | + (in portrait, at the bottom, using the on-screen virtual gamepad keys; in Landscape, on the right (they’re also rendered and take up some screen estate, unfortunately). Unfortunately, screen-based controls don’t work in left-handed Landscape mode) | Yes, by default; one-third of the screen for all of the three action buttons (Start in the lower right corner); can be fine-tuned (see the redefined tapzone_* parameters in the config file) | -; standard GUI only at the bottom, with the; with VGA devices, useless because of the tiny size | - | (see with Cyclone version) | ? (couldn’t test because it wasn’t able to run anything) | ? (couldn’t test because it wasn’t able to run anything) |
| ROM and state files: Compressed ROM support | +: ZIP and even RAR | ZIP | - | - | (see with Cyclone version) | - | - |
| File type support? | Bin, smd, gen, mdx | Bin, smd | Bin, smd | Bin, smd, gen | (see with Cyclone version) | Bin, smd | Bin, smd |
| Standard file dialog? If yes, can it rely on Mad Programmer’s FDC? | + / + | - | - | + / + | (see with Cyclone version) | + / + | + / + |
| Save / load states? | + (File / Load and Save State (as is in the FinalBurn Alpha port); uses the standard file dialog and, therefore, can store any number of files, unlike Genesis Plus or MorphGear) | 5 slots + quick load/save using these slots | 9 slots | + (9 slots; File / Load / Save State; State Slot) | (see with Cyclone version) | n/t | n/t |
| ROM compatibility:Alien 3 (JUE) [!] | + | + | - (doesn’t start) | + | +, very slow | - | - |
| Alien Soldier (A) [h3] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Altered Beast (REV 00) (JU) [x] - only for hardcore retro fans; otherwise, pretty bad | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Altered Beast (REV 02) (JU) [h2] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | -, emulator immediately exits | +, very slow | - | n/t |
| California Games (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Captain America and the Avengers (E) | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Castlevania - Bloodlines (U) [!] | + | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Castlevania - The New Generation (E) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Ghouls 'N Ghosts (REV 01) (JUE) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Mega SWIV (E) - ever heard of Silkworm 4? Then, you’ll like it – albeit it’s in no way as good as the Amiga version, particularly sound (explostion)-wise | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Mega Turrican (E) | + | + | Crashes after some intro screens | - (doesn’t start because it needs an European console; when Tools / Country is explicitly set to Euro, it doesn’t work either) | Same as with the Cyclone version | n/t | n/t |
| Mega Turrican (U) [h3] | - (white screen) on both the x51v and the PL720 right upon start | Completely crashes the x51v right upon start (maybe because of the cracker intro), works great on PL720 | - (stops after the initial logo) | n/t | n/t | - | n/t |
| Mega Bomberman (JUE) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Madden NFL 96 (F) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Madden NFL 95 (JUE) [o1] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| M.U.S.H.A (U) [!] - vertical scroller | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Revenge of Shinobi, The (REV 00) (JUE) [R-USA-Jap][!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Risky Woods (UE) [!] : great, albeit, sound-wise, decidedly worse than the PC version | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Road Rash (U) [c][!] - pretty good motor racing | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Robocop 3 (UE) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Samurai Shodown (E) [c][!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Samurai Shodown (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Shadow of the Beast (U) [h1] | + | + | n/t | - (messed up bitmap at first; doesn’t go further) | - (immediately crashes) | n/t | n/t |
| Shadow of the Beast 2 (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (JUE) [!] - a MUST! | + | + | n/t | +; no in-game music, unlike with Genesis Plus (seems to have compatibility problems with the music) | Same as with the Cyclone version | n/t | n/t |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (JUE) [h1]- a MUST! | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | - | n/t |
| Sonic and Knuckles (JUE) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 1 (JUE) (note that it’ll scroll “No way?!” in all emulators– some kind of protection?) | + | + | + | + | + | - | n/t |
| Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 (JUE) [h6] | - (displays Load ROM failed) | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Sonic 3D Blast (F) [!] - isonometric “3D” game – really fun! The lack of diagonal controls is a BIG problem though | + | + | - (stops after the initial logo) | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Story of Thor, The (8) (English) - Japanese RPG-alike | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Street Fighter 2 Special Champion Edition (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Streets of Rage (JUE) [p1][h1] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Streets of Rage 2 (U) [!] | - (displays Load ROM failed) | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Streets of Rage 3 (E) | - (displays Load ROM failed) | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Sword of Vermilion (U) [!] | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| X-men | + | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| X-Men 2 - Clone Wars | - (displays Load ROM failed) | + | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t | n/t |
| Xenon 2 - great, albeit no in-game music | + | + | +; texture probs at the bottom of the screen; definitely slower than with Genesis Plus | Only the SEGA main screen is shown, nothing further | See Cyclone | - | n/t |