When comparing ZSNES vs Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine, the Slant community recommends ZSNES for most people. In the question“What are the best low-spec PC games?” ZSNES is ranked 61st while Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine is ranked 71st. The most important reason people chose ZSNES is:
ZSNES has been in development since the 90's, and in that time has been fixed to run the vast majority of SNES games smoothly. Due to it's "accuracy", it can run roms that most other emulators would break. Not because the emulation is broken, but because the roms are broken.
Specs
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Pros
Pro "Compatible" with most games
ZSNES has been in development since the 90's, and in that time has been fixed to run the vast majority of SNES games smoothly.
Due to it's "accuracy", it can run roms that most other emulators would break. Not because the emulation is broken, but because the roms are broken.
Pro Fast playback of ROMs
ZSNES is hand-optimized for x86, so it will run incredibly smoothly even on older computers.
Pro Built-in video capture
Gameplay can be recorded and saved as both raw or lossy files. Quality settings can be tweaked in zmovie.cfg file.
Pro Games can be saved at any point
Pro Multiplayer support
Games can be played with other people over TCP/IP network.
Pro Built-in support for cheat codes
ZSNES supports Game Genie, Pro Action Replay, and GoldFinger cheat codes.
Pro Built-in audio capture
Game audio can be saved to a .spc file.
Pro Can speed-up and rewind games
Pro Concealing line-of-sight system that keeps the player guessing what's next
Monaco implements a line-of-sight system that many top-down games forgo. By taking advantage of this, the player does not know what awaits around the corner, which helps keep the tension and excitement levels of the game high.
Pro Fun chaotic mix of early level cooperation that requires late game competition to win
Co-op mode often descends into chaotic fun as people try to work together to complete the objectives while still competing against one another to steal the most money and get the highest score. This creates a scenario where you will need to cooperate with your team of players, but still maintain enough wherewithal in order to steal more than anyone else, while they are doing the same. It is definitely a mix of gameplay that is at odds with itself, which can create some pretty fun scenarios where you can stab your teammates in the back.
Pro Minimalistic art style that you would not think is able to capture the French Riviera setting, but does so perfectly
The minimalist art style is strikingly beautiful. The glowing French Rivera is represented in vibrant pixels that evoke a feeling of the lights and energy one would expect of such a location.
Pro Refreshing co-op that actually requires everyone to work together, no single person can carry the group
Unlike many games where the strongest players can carry the group along, Monaco requires the participation of every player in order to succeed – giving everyone a chance to feel like the hero.
Pro The dynamic soundtrack morphs to fit each scenario of the game perfectly
The soundtrack by Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory is a jazz-themed composition that adapts to the situation you’re in – remaining subtle while you’re unnoticed and kicking into high gear when you’re wreaking havoc.
Pro No need for third party VoIP clients, it is built in
A built-in VoIP system lets you speak to your teammates in real time. This is a great feature for a game that requires such excellent teamwork and that relies on the social aspect for so much of the fun.
Cons
Con Laughably out of date
Not only was it abandoned over 10 years ago, the strides that other emulators have made in the same time is astounding.
Con Inaccurate compared to competition
ZSNES sacrifices emulation accuracy for speed (relative to e.g. Higan emulator). Sound emulation is a particularly large weakness.
Con Abandoned
While no official statement on discontinuing the software was made, last progress update was posted in 2007 and now seems highly unlikely that any further updates should be expected.
Con Art style can lead to confusion
In a frantic game like Monaco, the distinction between a door and a light switch can be a life-or-death mistake. The minimalist design can be very pretty, but may also be very irritating in situations where time is short.
Con Requires all players to be good enough
Monaco is not a very good game for adults and children to play together. It can be frustrating when the players' skill levels are too mismatched.
Con Some balancing issues
Some sections feature overpowered enemies that feel more like a cheap trick than a challenge. These parts are few, but they are particularly frustrating.