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FNA VS Cocos2d-x

Compare FNA VS Cocos2d-x and see what are their differences

FNA logo FNA

FNA is a reimplementation of the Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh libraries.

Cocos2d-x logo Cocos2d-x

Cocos2d-x is an open-source and cross platform open source free 2D game engine for mobile game development known for its speed, stability, and easy of use
  • FNA Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-06-06
  • Cocos2d-x Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

FNA features and specs

  • Open Source
    FNA is open source, allowing developers to inspect, modify, and improve the code. This can lead to better security and customization options.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    FNA provides cross-platform support, enabling game developers to deploy their games on Windows, macOS, and Linux without significant additional effort.
  • XNA Compatibility
    Offers strong compatibility with XNA 4.0, making it easier for developers familiar with XNA to port or continue developing their projects.
  • Active Community
    The project has an active community of contributors and users who can offer support, guidance, and share resources for development.
  • Performance
    FNA is designed with a focus on maintaining high performance and efficiency suitable for game development.

Possible disadvantages of FNA

  • Limited Documentation
    While the community is active, official documentation might be lacking at times, which can be a hurdle for new users trying to learn the platform.
  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with XNA or game development might find the learning curve steep when first working with FNA.
  • Feature Set
    Being primarily focused on XNA compatibility means FNA may not support modern gaming features out of the box compared to other contemporary engines.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility across various platforms sometimes requires additional effort and expertise.
  • Community Reliance
    As an open-source project, its development depends heavily on community contributions and interest, which can fluctuate over time.

Cocos2d-x features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    Cocos2d-x allows developers to build games that run seamlessly on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it highly versatile and enhancing its reach.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source framework, Cocos2d-x provides full access to its source code, which can be modified to suit specific project requirements. This fosters a collaborative community and encourages continuous improvement of the framework.
  • Performance
    Cocos2d-x is written in C++, which generally offers better performance compared to other languages commonly used for game development, such as JavaScript or C#. This can lead to smoother and more responsive gameplay.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Cocos2d-x comes with a robust set of features including physics engines, particle systems, skeletal animation, and more. These features make it easier for developers to create complex and visually appealing games.
  • Community and Documentation
    The framework boasts a large and active community, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and getting help. Additionally, it has extensive documentation and tutorials which make it accessible to both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of Cocos2d-x

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Given its extensive feature set and use of C++, Cocos2d-x can be intimidating for beginners. The complexity of its systems often requires a more in-depth understanding of programming concepts.
  • Limited Built-in Tools
    While Cocos2d-x is powerful, it lacks some of the built-in tools and editors provided by other game development frameworks like Unity or Unreal Engine. This often requires developers to rely on external tools for tasks such as level design and asset management.
  • Manual Memory Management
    Unlike some of the higher-level languages and frameworks that handle memory management automatically, Cocos2d-x requires developers to manually manage memory. This increases the risk of memory leaks and other related bugs.
  • Smaller Asset Store
    Compared to giants like Unity, Cocos2d-x has a relatively smaller asset store, which means fewer pre-made assets and plugins are available. This might lead to longer development times as assets often need to be created from scratch.
  • Lack of High-Level Scripting Support
    While Cocos2d-x does support Lua and JavaScript bindings, it is primarily a C++ framework. This can be a drawback for developers who prefer or are more efficient using higher-level scripting languages.

Analysis of Cocos2d-x

Overall verdict

  • Cocos2d-x is a good option for developers looking to create high-performance 2D games, especially those who prefer or are comfortable with C++. Its cross-platform capabilities and active community support further enhance its appeal.

Why this product is good

  • Cocos2d-x is a popular open-source game development engine renowned for its performance and versatility. It is particularly well-suited for creating 2D games, making it a favored choice among developers for mobile game development. Its C++ core grants it efficiency, and it allows deployment across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. The engine has a robust community and extensive documentation, which aids developers in learning and troubleshooting. The engine also supports scripting through Lua and JavaScript, catering to a variety of programming expertise levels.

Recommended for

    Cocos2d-x is recommended for small to medium-sized game development studios, indie developers, and students who are seeking a cost-effective and flexible solution for developing 2D games. It is also ideal for developers who wish to target multiple platforms without significantly altering their codebase.

FNA videos

VAN TOUR REVIEW Luxury Build with Amazing Shower and Bathroom Design | FnA Van Life

More videos:

  • Review - FNA Thyroid Biopsy
  • Review - DoubleTake - best app for filming ANIMATION REFERENCE? (FNA/App Review)

Cocos2d-x videos

Cocos2D-x 4.0 Released

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FNA and Cocos2d-x)
Game Engine
28 28%
72% 72
Game Development
26 26%
74% 74
3D Game Engine
30 30%
70% 70
2D Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FNA and Cocos2d-x

FNA Reviews

Best Unity alternatives for game development
FNA is the other open-source engine that Re-Logic plans to sponsor (the developers of Terreria, one of the best sandbox games on Android). Essentially, FNA is the open-source reimplementation of the Microsoft XNA (of 4.0 Refresh) Framework developed by Ethan Lee. Originally, MonoGame was the primary open-source reimplementation for XNA (after XNA was retired), and FNA was a...

Cocos2d-x Reviews

Best Game Engines for Linux in 2021
Cocos2d-x is an open-source game framework written in C++, with a thin platform dependent layer. It is widely used to build interactive apps and games for Android. There are also JavaScript and Lua bindings included.
Source: kerneltips.com
The Best 15 Mobile Game Engines / Development Platforms & Tools in 2020
Cocos2D-x is a package of 2D game development tools. released by Facebook. One of its best features is that Cocos 2D-x allows you to create very small size games: 1.5 MB. It comes with detailed documentation and it has a large support community. Read and learn how to use it.
Source: thetool.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FNA seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FNA mentions (16)

  • EU antitrust regulators clear $69B Microsoft, Activision deal
    Emulating "dead" consoles and unchanging APIs is usually sustainable. We'll all be able to play Sega MD/Genesis games and XNA games until the end of time, with whatever hardware, platform, controllers, and video outputs we need. Source: over 2 years ago
  • FNA 22.10 is out
    Https://fna-xna.github.io/ this explains it better. Source: about 3 years ago
  • MonoGame 3.8.1 is now available for all!
    MonoGame is an open-source framework, a thin layer of abstraction over input, sound, and graphics APIs. MonoGame lets game developers write cross platform code that will run on desktop, mobile, and console devices. Many commercially successful indie games have been shipped using MonoGame, and it's similar frameworks XNA and FNA, since 2007. MonoGame is ideal for developers who don't want an engine to dictate their... Source: about 3 years ago
  • XNA / AI Programming - AI Development for Beginners
    FWIW while this tutorial series looks very old and XNA has indeed been officially discontinued, FNA is a 100% compatible (or at least as 100% as it can be :-P) XNA reimplementation that can be used instead of XNA and is still under active development (last release 11 days ago) while it has been used by a bunch of games already. Because of that most XNA resources should apply to FNA too. Source: about 3 years ago
  • ContentPipe & ResourceCache - a couple of open-source .NET game content framework I've been working on in my spare time
    So a little bit of context here: I'm a huge fan of the FNA game framework. It's an open source replacement for the discontinued XNA 4.0 framework. I think it's fantastic for small scale indie projects, it's such a nice blank canvas "only the things you need" approach. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Cocos2d-x mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Cocos2d-x yet. Tracking of Cocos2d-x recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FNA and Cocos2d-x, you can also consider the following products

MonoGame - MonoGame is an open source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework.

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

LibGDX - Libgdx is a Java game development framework that provides a unified API that works across all...

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.