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In September 2008, Sega released a remake of Fantasy Zone II, as part of the compilation Sega Ages Vol. 33 Fantasy Zone Complete Collection. Developed by M2, the game is unique from most remakes in that it is not an attempt to modernize an older work, but rather a ground-up reimagining of the title as arcade game on System 16 hardware like its predecessor, rather than a console title for the more limited Sega Master System. It has been described as a "What If" remake, and strictly adheres to the technical limitations of the time in which Fantasy Zone II was originally released.

M2 CEO Naoki Horii has stated that the remake was inspired by his disappointment that Fantasy Zone never got a true arcade sequel: "I played the SMS game a lot, but in my heart of hearts, I really wanted to see it on arcade hardware". To ensure the remake would be authentic to the System 16's unique hardware capabilities and limitations, M2 developed the title on real System 16 hardware, with a modest memory increase to 256KB, which M2 dubbed System 16C), and is playable in the compilation via the company's emulation technology. It shows a 1987 SEGA copyright, makes no mention of M2, and bears no titular distinction from the original game. Because of this it can be easily confused for a real arcade title from 1987. Fans have dubbed this version Fantasy Zone II DX to distinguish it from the original versions. This remake was beyond the scope of features requested by Sega and the available budget, so Horii funded development out-of-pocket for an amount he described as "about the cost of a new car".

It follows the original Fantasy Zone II only very loosely, pulling enemies, music, locations, and gameplay elements from the Master System game and pairing them with completely new content and elements of the original arcade Fantasy Zone. The most notable change is to the level structure. Rather than having several distinct zones in each stage that must be cleared, each stage in the remake has two parallel dimensions (Bright Side and Dark Side) of comparable size to the levels in the first Fantasy Zone. Bases destroyed in one dimension will also be destroyed in the other, making it possible to clear the level entirely on one side or the other. The Dark Side is more difficult, but offers greater rewards in points and money earned. Bosses are the same on either side, but have considerably more difficult attack patterns on the dark side. The game also features three endings, which depend on both whether the Dark Side levels were cleared and whether some specific items were bought.

The music, arranged by Manabu Namiki, uses melodies of many songs from Tokuhiko Uwabo's original Fantasy Zone II soundtrack, but is calculatedly rearranged in a style more similar to that of the original Fantasy Zone's composer, Hiroshi Kawaguchi.[16] Namiki also wrote original tracks for the game. Stages and enemies are largely based on themes from the original, but some are difficult to recognize. Only about half of the game's bosses correspond to those in the original. It is generally regarded as a very loose interpretation of the original.