commonly abbreviated as Nintendo R&D2, was a Japanese team within Nintendo that developed software and peripherals. While usually occupied in system operating software and technical support, the team would come back to early development in the 1990s where several new designers got their start at game development, the most famous being Eiji Aonuma who developed Marvelous: Another Treasure Island.
The team was formed as a spin-off of the older Nintendo Research & Development No. 1 Department and was initially led by Masayuki Uemura, who previously worked for Sharp Corporation. Using an idea of Sharp's solar technology, Uemura's department went on to develop the popular Nintendo beam gun games, selling over 1 million units. Kazuhiko Taniguchi took Uemura's position in 2004. Nintendo R&D2 was later merged into Nintendo SPD.
History In the 1970s, Nintendo created the R&D2 department.
In 2004, the department's general manager Masayuki Uemura retired from Nintendo. Following his retirement, he became a professor at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and served as an advisor to Nintendo Research & Engineering.
Products developed
Electronic games Name 1977 Color TV-Game 6 Color TV-Game 15 1978 Color TV-Game Racing 112 1979 Color TV-Game Block Breaker 1980 Computer TV-Game
Video game consoles Name 1983–1985 Family Computer / Nintendo Entertainment System 1990–1991 Super Famicom / Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1995 Satellaview
Video games TitlePlatform(s)1980Radar ScopeArcade1983Donkey KongNESDonkey Kong Jr.NESMahjongNESDonkey Kong Jr. MathNES1991NES Open Tournament GolfNES1996Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no TakarajimaSFC 1997BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no SekibanSatellaview Sutte HakkunSatellaview Co-developed together with indieszero.1998SFC1999Super Mario Bros. DeluxeGBC2000Kirby Tilt 'n' TumbleGBC2001Super Mario AdvanceGBASuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2GBA2002The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four SwordsGBAYoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3GBA2003Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3GBA
Notes
References
External links IGN Listing for R&D2