research

First-party studios[edit]

Research & Development Divisions[edit]

Nintendo's internal Research & Development operations are divided into four main division: the Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (or EAD), the main software development division of Nintendo, which focuses on internal-only video game development; the Nintendo Software Planning & Development (or SPD), which main focus is overseeing second and third-party licensing and development activity; the Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (or IRD), the main hardware development division of Nintendo, which focuses on home and handheld video game consoledevelopment; and the Nintendo Network Business & Development (or NBD), which focuses on developing other minor hardware and peripherals as well as Nintendo Network service development.

Nintendo Research & Development Divisions
Division	Department	Group	Works
EAD	Kyoto Software Development	Comprehensive Development Group	Not necessarily responsible for a specific franchise or genre.
		Group No. 1	Mario Kart and Nintendogs series.
		Group No. 2	Animal Crossing and Wii series.
		Group No. 3	The Legend of Zelda series.
		Group No. 4	New Super Mario Bros., Pikmin and Big Brain Academy series.
		Group No. 5	Wii Fit and Steel Diver series.
		Sound Group	Aids in music and sound effect creation.
		UI Design Group	Aids in UI and special effect creation.
	Tokyo Software Development	Group No. 1	Super Mario Galaxy series and overseeing The Legend of Zelda remakes.
		Group No. 2	Flipnote Studio and Super Mario 3D series.
	Technology Development	Development Environment Group	Various game engines.
		Technology Design Group	Software Development Kits (SDK's) for Nintendo consoles.
SPD	Software Planning & Development	Group No. 1	WarioWare, Rhythm Heaven, Friend Collection and Metroid series.
		Group No. 2	Fire Emblem, Endless Ocean, Style Savvy series
		Group No. 3	Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong Country, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Paper Mario, Super Mario Strikers, Battalion Wars, Excite and Fluidity series.
		Group No. 4	Donkey Kong, Mario Party and Wii Party series.
	Software Development & Design	Software Development Group	Brain Age, Jam with the Band series, and additional Touch! Generations titles.
		UI Design Group	Some Wii Channels, Nintendo DS/DSi General Interface and Nintendo 3DS General Interface
		Sound Group	Manages music and sound effect creation for both internal and external projects.
		Character Design Group	Manages character creation for both internal and external projects.
IRD	Integrated Research & Development	Group No. 1	Home video game consoles and respective peripherals.
		Group No. 2
		Group No. 3
		Group No. 4
		Group No. 5
	Research & Engineering Development	Planning Design Group	Handheld video game consoles and respective peripherals.
		Technology Design Group
		Mechanical Design Group
		Industrial Design Group
NBD	Nintendo Network Business	Nintendo Network Planning Group	Nintendo eShop, Miiverse and other Nintendo Network services.
		Mechanical Design Group	Other hardware and peripherals.

Research & Development Subsidiaries[edit]

Although most of the Research & Development is being done in Japan, there are some R&D facilities in the United States and Europe that are focused on developing software and hardware technologies used in Nintendo products. Although they all are subsidiaries of Nintendo (and therefore first party), they are often referred to as external resources when being involved in joint development processes with Nintendo's internal developers by the Japanese personal involved. This can be seen in a variety of "Iwata asks..." interviews.^[48]

Nintendo Research & Development Subsidiaries
Name	Location	Works
Nintendo Software Technology (NST)	Redmond, Washington, USA	Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Wii Street U and other video games and applications.[49]
Nintendo Technology Development (NTD)	Redmond, Washington, USA	Video game console development and software technology.
Nintendo European Research & Development(NERD)	Paris, France	Various software technologies such as video compression and middleware.[50]
Nintendo Network Service Database (NSD)	Kyoto, Japan	Nintendo Network programming and server maintenance. Co-operates with the Nintendo Network Business & Development (NBD) division.

Software Development Subsidiaries[edit]

Most external first-party software development is being done in Japan, since the only overseas subsidiary is Retro Studios in the United States. Although these studios are all subsidiaries of Nintendo (and therefore first party), they are often referred to as external resources when being involved in joint development processes with Nintendo's internal developers by the Nintendo Software Planning & Development (or SPD) division.

Nintendo Software Development Subsidiaries
Name	Location	Works
1-UP Studio	Tokyo, Japan	Magical Vacation series, Mother 3 and A Kappa's Trail. Currently, a development co-operation studio.[citation needed]
Creatures Inc.	Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan	Pokémon Ranger, PokéPark and EarthBound (Mother) series (with HAL Laboratory and Brownie Brown).
HAL Laboratory	Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan	Kirby, EarthBound and Super Smash Bros. series.
Intelligent Systems	Kyoto, Japan	Paper Mario, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars,[51] WarioWare and Pushmo series.
Monolith Soft	Tokyo, Japan	Xeno and Baten Kaitos series and Disaster: Day of Crisis.[52]
	Kyoto, Japan	Development co-operation studio.[citation needed]
Nd Cube	Tokyo, Japan	Wii Party and Mario Party series.
Retro Studios	Austin, Texas, USA	Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country series.

Second-party studios[edit]

Since the release of the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo has built up a large group of second-party development partners, through publishing agreements and development collaboration. Most of these external Nintendo project are overseen by the Nintendo Software Planning & Development (or SPD) division.

Software Development
Name	Works
AlphaDream	Mario & Luigi series
Ambrella	Pokémon Dash, Pokémon Rumble series, Pokémon Channel, My Pokémon Ranch,[53] Hey You, Pikachu!.
Arika	Endless Ocean series, 3D Classics series.
Arzest	Yoshi's New Island
Asobism	Freakyforms series.
Atlus	Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.
Camelot Software Planning	Golden Sun series, Mario Tennis series, Mario Golf series.
Curve Studios	Fluidity / Hydroventure series
DigitalScape	Programming and co-programming several in-house games with the Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) division.
Eighting	Kuru Kuru Kururin series, Master of Illusion.
Game Freak	Pokémon series, HarmoKnight, Drill Dozer, Mario & Wario.
Ganbarion	Pandora's Tower
Genius Sonority	The Denpa Men series, Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokémon Trozei!, Pokémon Battle Revolution.
Good-Feel	Wario Land: Shake It! (Wario Land: The Shake Dimension in PAL regions), Kirby's Epic Yarn (with HAL Laboratory).
Grezzo	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (with Nintendo EAD Tokyo Group No. 1).
indieszero	Sennen Kazoku, Electroplankton, Personal Trainer: Cooking.
iNiS	Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan series, Elite Beat Agents.
Jupiter	Mario's Picross series, Pokémon Pinball series, Picross DS, Picross e series.
Kuju Entertainment	Art Academy series, Battalion Wars series.
Level-5	Professor Layton series, Guild series.
Mistwalker	The Last Story
Monster Games	Excite series,[54] Pilotwings Resort, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D.
Namco Bandai Games	Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (with Sora Ltd.), Mario Baseball series, Mario Kart Arcade GP series.
Next Level Games	Mario Strikers series (Mario Football in PAL regions), Punch-Out!!, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
Noise	Custom Robo series.[55]
Paon	Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, DK Jungle Climber, DK King of Swing, Glory of Heracles.
Platinum Games	Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101.
Q-Games	Star Fox Command, Star Fox 64 3D, X-Scape (with Nintendo SPD Group No. 3).
Red Entertainment Corporation	Fossil Fighters series, Project Hacker.
Sandlot	Chōsōjū Mecha MG, Zangeki no Reginleiv.
Sega	Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, Sonic Colors, Sonic Lost World.
Skip Ltd.	Chibi-Robo! series, Art Style series, Giftpia, Captain Rainbow, Snowpack Park.
Square Enix	Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series, Mario Sports Mix (with Nintendo SPD Group No. 4), Fortune Street series, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (as Square), Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
Suzak	Wario: Master of Disguise, F-Zero: Climax, F-Zero: GP Legend.
syn Sophia	Style Savvy series.
Systems Research & Development (SRD)	Programming and co-programming several in-house games with the Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) division.
Tecmo Koei	Fatal Frame series, Pokémon Conquest, Metroid: Other M (with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1), Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.
Tose	The Legendary Starfy series, Game & Watch Gallery series, Super Princess Peach.
Treasure Co., Ltd.	Wario World, Sin and Punishment Series.
Vanpool	Dillon's Rolling Western series, Tingle series, Paper Mario: Sticker Star (with Intelligent Systems).
Vitei	Steel Diver (with Nintendo EAD Group No. 5), Rock N’ Roll Climber (with Nintendo EAD Group No. 3).

Research & Development
Name	Works
Hatena	Miiverse (with Nintendo Network Business & Development), Flipnote Studio series (with Nintendo EAD Tokyo Group No. 1).
Vidyo	Wii U Chat (with Nintendo European Research & Development).