We say it a lot, but we love new games for old consoles. Dead & Lead is a brand new Mega Drive arcade shooter from developer Kai Magazine Software that is due for release later in 2025. The pre-orders are open now, with early birds having the opportunity to have their names in the credits. Dead & Lead is the fifth Mega Drive game from the retro developer who has also produced the excellent The Secret of the Four Winds and Life on Mars.
Dead & Lead is available to pre-order in PAL and NTSC-J Mega Drive versions, as well as the NTSC-U Genesis version. The game will use Kai Magazine Software’s enhanced audio chip to deliver Mega CD-quality sound. This means the cart will only work on original Mega Drive consoles, CDX, Multi-Mega, and the MegaSG. This does mean there isn’t going to be a demo, so anyone not wanting to purchase now will need to wait for reviews.
Dead & Lead should start shipping in September 2025, with the first batch including backers’ names. In a press statement, Kai Magazine Software said. “This is a 100% Arcade-like game. Some stages will play similarly to Konami’s Aliens arcade and Robocop 2 arcade, and other stages will play similarly to Taito’s Rambo 3 arcade and Konami’s G.I.-Joe arcade.” There was also an update on the publisher’s The Secret of the Four Winds, which states the second batch of pre-orders will be shipped in June 2025.
