A former employee of Sharp Corporation, Uemura joined Nintendo in 1971[3][4] working with Gunpei Yokoi and Genyo Takeda on solar cell technology for the Laser Clay Shooting System arcade game.

[17][18] Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's main toy designer at the time, discussed with him the possibility of using Sharp's solar cells on interesting products, using their light-detecting capabilities for a shooting game.

Though it was initially successful, the 1973 oil crisis led to the cancellation of most orders for the machine, leaving Nintendo, which borrowed money to expand the business, approximately ¥5 billion in debt.

[6] As the company recovered, they then produced a miniaturized version of the concept for the home market, 1976's Duck Hunt, a success that would later be adapted into the 1984 video game of the same name.

[3] In November 1981,[22] Uemura received a phone call from Yamauchi, who asked him to make "something that lets you play arcade games on your TV at home.

The cartridge slot was changed to be front-loading to mimic the tape deck of a VCR and to reduce the risk of static electricity in drier climates, while the NES Zapper was bundled to appeal to Americans' interest in guns.