A sequel to the MSX indie favourite Life on Mars is officially on the way — and it’s heading somewhere rather special. Life on Mars II has been revealed for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, complete with a newly released teaser trailer showing the project in early form.
While the original Metroidvania title made its home on MSX systems, the sequel’s move to 16-bit Sega hardware feels like a natural evolution. The Mega Drive remains a popular platform for indie developers, and projects like this continue to demonstrate just how much untapped potential the system still has.
Sega CD-style audio teased
The trailer, titled “New project for Sega Genesis/MegaDrive teaser with added sound chip for SegaCD/MegaCD music quality”, does exactly what it promises. Alongside brief gameplay and visual snippets, the main focus is audio, with music quality being compared to what you’d expect from Sega CD hardware.
As you can hear, the soundtrack is superb, although details on its implementation for classic consoles are unclear at this stage.
For now, Life on Mars II remains an early tease rather than a full reveal, but the blend of MSX roots, Mega Drive development, and ambitious audio goals makes this one well worth tracking. And if new titles on Nintendo Switch and other consoles (like Little Droid) are anything to go by, Metroid-style games remain popular.
Release plans and pre-orders
According to the developer, pre-orders for Life on Mars II will open “in a few months”, with a current release target set for the end of 2026.
More details when they surface — ideally well before the end of the year!
A busy studio behind the scenes
Developer Kai Magazine Software also shared an update on their current project, Death and Lead. Around 30% of the first batch of pre-orders have already shipped, with fulfilment expected to take another two to three months. Orders are being dispatched in order of payment.
Interest has been strong, too — roughly 30% of pre-orders were placed within the first week of announcement, rising to around 80% within the first two weeks. You can check that out on the Kai Magazine Software store.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
