The indie gaming scene is no stranger to metroidvania titles. It seems like every other day now a new one is released, to varying degrees of quality. But how about one for the Sega Genesis/Megadrive? There haven’t been too many of those, I’d wager. But that is exactly what Life on Mars: Genesis is. Developed by Spain-based homebrew specialists Kai Magazine Software, Life on Mars: Genesis is an upcoming Metroid-style experience for Sega Genesis/Megadrive that aims to recreate the classic 16-bit Metroid-like experience on a platform that for obvious reasons didn’t have Metroid games.
Judging by the trailer above, the game is more Metroid than Vania, but it certainly seems to capture the aesthetic of Metroid pretty well. Everything from the alien visuals to the creepy, otherworldly music and sound effects convincingly recalls our travels through Zebes decades ago.
Life on Mars: Genesis is going to have a physical release and is up for pre-order right now. Of course, in order to play it you will need to either have a Genesis/Megadrive console or a modern clone console, such as an Analogue Mega Sg or a Retron 5. If those are out of your price range, you can find a whole slew of cheaper options via Amazon. At this time we are unsure if there will be a digital release. However, there is a playable demo that you can play online right now.
Life on Mars: Genesis is actually a reimagining of an MSX2 homebrew game by the developer. That one did have a digital release, so I suppose there is hope for a digital version for the Genesis/Megadrive one. The current ship date for the cartridge is November/December, 2022.
Perhaps you are interested in the game but not necessarily playing it on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive (or the MSX2 for that matter). Fortunately they also remade game for PC via Steam back in 2017.
