 Development was headed by Project Driller, the internal development group behind the "Mr. Driller" series, and was the last entry in the franchise composed by Go Shiina.The game was known in development as "Shin Mr. Driller", known as "New Mr. Driller" in English, and intended for a fall 2002 release.A prototype version showcasing four-person multiplayer was presented to Nintendo during a press conference, which was part of an established collaboration between Nintendo and Namco for the GameCube, and scheduled to be released in November.