“I’d heard that Nintendo doesn’t use any kind of academic background filter when hiring new graduates,” Kuriki wrote. “But when I actually took Nintendo’s recruitment exam, the very first web test was extremely difficult, and I remember thinking: makes sense — no need for a filter when this alone sifts out the candidates.”
Kuriki says he passed the initial aptitude test but stumbled at the in-person technical interview, which evaluated programming ability under supervision. According to him, this wasn’t a surface-level quiz — it required clear algorithmic thinking and precise problem solving. Vague familiarity wouldn’t suffice, and that’s where he fell short.
Kuriki’s account drew attention from Motoi Okamoto, a former Nintendo developer with a decade at the company who worked on titles like Pikmin, Super Mario, and The Legend of Zelda. Okamoto responded (as translated by Automaton):
“Of course, it’s not just about superficial academic credentials. I get the impression that Nintendo is increasing the number of people who are innately intelligent and have a strong passion for making games entertaining, which is also a result of their brand image.”
Nintendo’s internal culture remains opaque, so first-hand glimpses like Kuriki’s are always interesting. This summer, another Nintendo veteran, Takaya Imamura, discussed how Shigeru Miyamoto’s industrial design background shaped his view of games as products rather than pieces of fine art — an approach that, Imamura argued, helps Nintendo align its work more closely with players’ expectations. More on that perspective here: GamesRadar+.
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Source: gamesradar.com
