Mazinkaiser was first designed by Banpresto for Super Robot Wars F Final, released for the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, with the blessing of Mazinger's creator, Go Nagai. The concept behind the machine was to give Kouji Kabuto, the pilot of Mazinger Z, an upgraded machine for later stages of the game. Banpresto contacted Go Nagai and pitched the idea to him, and he agreed to come up with the new unit. The new Mazinger was such a success that Go Nagai decided to create an animated series specifically for Mazinkaiser.