Nintendo of America Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

Started with a quick phone chat from the recruiter, then a phone interview with the hiring manager. After that, there was a really simple online assessment (OA). The process wrapped up with an in-person interview with the team. It all felt pretty straightforward and not too crazy, though my experience might have been a bit different from what others have gone through.

First, there was a quick phone call where they talked about the team I might join, benefits, and such. Then, I had to do a technical quiz a few days later with 25 questions. Most were easy questions about C# and SQL. The last four were word problems where I had to write code, which were also easy. Everything was timed, with more time for the coding problems. I didn't pass, but they said I might get to talk to the team later about more technical stuff and getting to know me. I never heard back.

I applied on the company website. The Taleo system was a bit clunky, but I got through it. The HR department emailed me back within a day and we set up a phone screen for later that day. The recruiter was nice and easy to talk to. The phone screen was pretty standard, asking the usual top 10 interview questions you'd find online. Then I had an in-person interview with the hiring manager, scheduled for within the week. This was with my direct supervisor and dept. manager. It wasn't too high pressure for an engineering interview, and the interviewers were personable. They asked about basic engineering principles, Win32 concepts, and some game theory. No whiteboarding, which was surprising. Finally, there were a series of cultural interviews because this company is really big on cultural fit and fitting the Nintendo corporate image. I wish I'd asked about the impact of having a Japanese parent company on the work culture. During this phase, I chatted with department heads and the President and VP about my perception of Nintendo products. They seem to want people who love the brand, but not just "geeks and Otaku." The offer came soon after.