ClownMDemu – A Lightweight, Accurate Sega Mega Drive Core

Libretro Cores
#1

ClownMDemu is a highly accurate and minimalist Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) emulator core for RetroArch, based on the ClownMDemu project by Clownacy. It focuses on delivering cycle-accurate emulation of the Mega Drive’s core components, including the 68K CPU, Z80 co-processor, and VDP, with exceptional timing precision.

This emulator is written entirely in C with no dependencies, resulting in a clean and lightweight implementation that’s ideal for developers, preservationists, and purists who seek faithful reproduction of original hardware behavior.

Key Features:

  • Cycle-accurate emulation of the Sega Mega Drive (NTSC).
  • Low-level implementation of CPU, VDP, and audio hardware.
  • No external dependencies – completely standalone.
  • Focus on accuracy over compatibility – may not run every game, but emulates supported games with high fidelity.
  • RetroArch core version maintained as part of the libretro ecosystem.

This is not a general-purpose emulator for casual use, but rather a project aimed at accuracy and educational value. Perfect for those interested in emulator development, reverse engineering, or testing Mega Drive hardware behavior with pixel-perfect precision.

Link

Rename file in clownmdemu_libretro.dll

5 Likes
#2

I was just looking at this the other day but was having trouble compiling it (linux).

Clownacy is a respected and accomplished emudev, and it’s great to see them working on an open source Gen/MD emu with CD/32x on the roadmap.

4 Likes
#3

with windows you just need to rename the file, It works.

#4

It is working on Linux using CMake (indeed, there are some issues using directly the Makefile)

git clone --recursive https://github.com/Clownacy/clownmdemu-libretro.git
cd clownmdemu-libretro
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release  ..
make -j$(nproc)
#5

Sorry just a noob passing through here, would you know if this works with the recently “released” Paprium and if you have (by a very small margin) a copy made to work with the Unico MVSX aracade machine? Thanks!

#6

No, the only way to play Paprium right now is the unofficial Genesis Plus GX core. Give it some time.