Nintendo Research & Development No. 2 Department, 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

YearNameRef.
1977Color TV-Game 6
Color TV-Game 15
1978Color TV-Game Racing 112
1979Color TV-Game Block Breaker
1980Computer TV-Game

Video game consoles

YearNameRef.
1983–1985Family Computer / Nintendo Entertainment System
1990–1991Super Famicom / Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1995Satellaview

Video games

YearTitlePlatform(s)Ref.
1980Radar ScopeArcade
1983Donkey KongNES
Donkey Kong Jr.NES
MahjongNES
Donkey Kong Jr. MathNES
1991NES Open Tournament GolfNES
1996Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no TakarajimaSFC
1997BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no SekibanSatellaview
Sutte HakkunSatellaview
1998SFC
1999Super Mario Bros. DeluxeGBC
2000Kirby Tilt 'n' TumbleGBC
2001Super Mario AdvanceGBA
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2GBA
2002The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four SwordsGBA
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3GBA
2003Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3GBA

Notes

External links