Feature: A Tribute To Bobby "The Nintendo Guru" Pauls

The Nintendo community is a tight community. It is a community of joy that is shared online and at events. One of the community's most loving, energetic, and hard-working members was Bobby Pauls – also known as The Nintendo Guru. After a long-fought battle in the hospital with COVID-19, Bobby Pauls sadly passed away on Friday, February 26th, 2021.

I was fortunate enough to share many great moments with Bobby online as part of his streaming channels on YouTube and Twitch, as well as in person at E3 in 2018. I have very fond memories of Bobby’s Splatoon 2 streams, his frequent Nintendo news updates, and interviews he would do with personalities from the Nintendo community. He always brought his “A game”.

Bobby was also Atooi’s community manager for a short time, which was a wonderful experience getting to work together so closely. His schedule got so busy with his work and channels that he had to step away from that, unfortunately, but it is a period I will cherish. His hard work, passion, and positive enthusiasm made it so every phone call and moment you spent with him was special.

Bobby poured the same enthusiasm into his friendships. To pay tribute to Bobby, I reached out to some of his closest friends within the Nintendo community to contribute messages to this post.

Sean Capri, Friend and Podcast Co-Host

This is so difficult. Because over the past five years, anytime something awful happened, I'd call Bobby. And we would just talk and everything would get better - or at least it would feel better. Bobby had a way of simplifying things for me. He always knew exactly what to say and I'm not the only one who feels that way. Everyone who knew him feels this loss as much as I do. We are together because of Bobby, and we are supporting each other in his passing.

But honestly, what a workhorse. I don't know how he did it. Bobby Pauls led by example. He pushed the boundaries of what anyone thought a single person could do and he never stopped. His relentlessly competitive spirit was perfectly balanced with his kind heart. Nobody would outwork Bobby. Yet, he always made time for others. He helped and encouraged so many strangers from the internet. Bobby never saw them as competition and he never expected anything in return. I've never seen anything quite like it, to be honest.

Bobby Pauls was put on this earth to share his love for Nintendo. And by doing that, he brought thousands of people together. We've laughed and enjoyed wonderful times together. It's hard to watch now but I am so grateful for how much work he put into creating podcasts, videos, and streaming because it's going to take the rest of my life to watch and consume his full catalogue of content. I will never forget him and I will always have incredible memories of us laughing together and supporting each other.

He was my best friend. A truly special person who can never be replaced. Peace out, Bobby.

Toby Thornton, Friend and Podcast Co-Host

I met Bobby through a joint love of Amiibo. I had just listed a custom Amiibo for auction. I was selling and Bobby was buying! But it quickly blossomed into a Nintendo fueled bromance. We started a podcast together and it went from there. We would talk all the time and as our friendship grew so did the community we were a part of. Bobby was so passionate about Nintendo he was literally “The Nintendo Guru”. It was a big title for a big character. I was consistently impressed by his strong work ethic. He had a real passion to grow his YouTube channel as well as help others grow theirs. But for Bobby, the most important thing was the friendships that he made through gaming. He would tell me that recording our podcast each week wasn't important to him. He just wanted to talk to his friend. He would introduce me at the start of every podcast as his “Best friend in all the land” He made me feel special. But I wasn't the only one that felt that way. As I'm writing this there is an outpouring of love on Social media from everyone that Bobby made a difference to. More than I could ever have imagined.

HollyCrossing

Bobby was everything good in the world wrapped up into one person. He was fiercely loyal, protective, caring, and always shot from the hip. He was the catalyst of so many content creators and communities, because he always strived for togetherness and making close connections. I hope he is looking out for us all up there. I miss him terribly. Goodnight sweet BobbyRed. How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

Mark Carabin, @the_CaNERDian

Bobby had a larger than life personality that was just meant to be on YouTube, streaming or podcasting. He was a true ambassador for all things Nintendo, but even more than that, he was a champion for his friends and the community. There are countless podcasts, YouTube channels, and streamers that were touched or influenced by Bobby’s kind heart and encouragement. He loved lifting others up and encouraging them to find their voice, and was a true friend. Talking to Bobby always lifted my spirits. There was nothing quite as entertaining as pushing the right Bobby buttons to make him tell you off in the most loving way possible. I never laughed as hard on a show as I would with Bobby, and I’m truly going to miss him.

Justin Masson, Nintendo Dads

I was fortunate enough to meet Bobby Pauls almost 5 years ago through our love for Nintendo and creating podcasts. It was Bobby’s infectious energy, enthusiasm and larger than life personality that drew you in. Every time I got to podcast with him it was like hanging out with a friend that you’ve known for decades; always losing track of time because it wasn’t about creating content but rather connecting with a friend you haven’t seen for months. I could always count on Bobby to just drop me a text or DM and asking how I was doing. Bobby believed in community, and that community was family…you were always made to feel welcomed, accepted and included; he genuinely cared. Perhaps that is the part I will always remember the most about Bobby Paul’s, his heart. It is hard to fathom him not being a few keystrokes and a phone call away. He will be greatly missed.

Roger DiLuigi III, @RogersBase

Bobby was a shining presence in the community and I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to discuss Nintendo with him as many times as I did. He was never afraid to mince words or ask the tough questions and that made him an infinitely entertaining human to be around and be interviewed by. Whenever I would join him for a discussion, I knew I would be in for a good time. His presence is one that I'll truly miss and one that the community is no doubt worse without.

Rest in peace, Bawby.