Nate Bihldorff is a senior localization manager and producer at Nintendo of America. He began his career for Big N as a video game tester for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and has since been one of the company’s best contributors.
E3 2003: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
I first met Nate back at E3 2002, alongside Rich Amtower, when I was trying out the various GameCube and Game Boy Advance games at Nintendo’s booth. It might have only been my 3rd E3 when I met Nate for the first time, but I already knew that employees on the show floor were there to help out its guests. What would be a nice surprise is to see how helpful certain people can be.
E3 2004: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
Nate and I began talking about a few games, our mutual interest in the show, and eventually what I was writing down in my notebook as I made my way across Nintendo’s booth. I told him how I was an expo correspondent that brought gamers direct answers about the show in an exclusive Q/A and he thought it was really cool. Nate said that if the internet were around when he was a kid, he’d have really appreciated a journalist to take the time to answer each of his questions. When he said that, it helped me realize that my goal to be a source of news for fans around the world was a noble one and that I should continue with it. After all, any “thumbs up” from a person with the qualifications in writing like Nate is definitely going to motivate me.
E3 2006: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
If you recall what I said earlier, that thing about Nate being “helpful”, he’d continue to do just that for years to come. Whenever he could spare news, he was there. Likewise, he said that he’d always keep an ear out for me, employment-wise, if Nintendo needed help in any martial arts motion capturing, exercise feedback, etc. Doing that for me really makes me grateful.
E3 2009: Nate Bihldorff, Rich Amtower, and Paul Gale
As each year passed, it seems like Nate would continuously climb the ladder at Nintendo. From assembling the awesome surprise Twilight Princess trailer for GameCube in 2004 to being on stage at Nintendo’s press conference, I can tell my friend shows no signs of stopping.
E3 2010: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
I don’t know what’s in Nate’s future, but I think there’ll be even more opportunities to advance his career at NOA and I’ll be rooting for him all the way. I always appreciate his time at E3, talking throughout the year via e-mail, and even over Wii’s messaging system. When someone’s a good person, usually good things will happen to them.
E3 2010: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
Here’s to E3 2011 and seeing you again at show, bud. Maybe I’ll even get a scoop on something special. That just reminds me when at E3 2006 I asked him, “where’s Smash Bros.” and he didn’t quite tell me what I wanted to know, but did have a certain smile that helped excite me (later that day, Nintendo had the surprise trailer which featured Solid Snake). Haha, you got me Nate. I wish you the best of success in your future and thank you for always being one of kindest people in biz.
Update:
E3 2013: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
E3 2014: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
Nintendo World Championships 2015: Nate Bihldorff and Paul Gale
Nintendo World Championships 2015: Jack Hirsch, Paul Gale, and Nate Bihldorff