Witch n' Wiz (NES)
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
A brand new puzzle-platformer for the Nintendo Entertainment System!
A young boy has been kidnapped by a Dark Sorceress! It's up to his best friend, a young Witch, to rescue him but it won't be easy! Over 100 levels of brain-melting puzzles stand between the two, and it's up to you solve them all!
Limited Edition Physical Copies
SOLD OUT!
Features:
Not just retro-looking...
This is a real NES game that runs on real NES hardware! Play the ROM on your PC, or copy to an EverDrive/PowerPak and play on your NES!
Battery save included
No passwords required! Witch n' Wiz is built with full battery save support, and has multiple save slots, so the whole family can play on one cart!
Undo your mistakes
Rewind time 1 move, or 100 moves, so you don't need to restart the entire puzzle when you make a mistake.
Evolving gameplay
Designed to introduce a new gameplay twist every 5-10 levels to keep the game feeling fresh start-to-finish.
The most accessible game on the NES
Find out more at https://www.witchnwiz.com/a11y/
Technical details
NES Mapper: MMC1
Size: 256KB (128KB Code/Data + 128KB Graphics)
Code Language: C (CC65)
Development Time: 1 year
Purchase Includes:
- Witch n' Wiz NES ROM (Free NES Emulator required to play. FCEUX or Mesen Recommend)
- Manual (Digital PDF)
- Digital Box Cover (For display in NES Classic, EmuStation, etc)
- Original Soundtrack (16 Tracks in MP3 & NSF Format)
- Wallpapers (Desktop & Phone)
- Prototype ROM (NESDev Compo 2020/21 Version)
Social Media
Stay up to date with this game, as well as future games I am making!
The Team
Created by:
Matt Hughson (https://x.com/matthughson)
Art:
Alp
Kenneth Fejer (https://x.com/kennethfejer)
Music and Sound FX:
Tui (https://x.com/Tui2A03)
Additional Art:
Haller Zoltan (https://forums.nesdev.org/viewtopic.php?t=13144)
Box and Manual Art:
Flor (Kori) Arredondo (https://x.com/koriArredondo)
Status | Released |
Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
Rating | Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars (57 total ratings) |
Author | Matt Hughson (NES Dev) |
Genre | Puzzle, Platformer |
Tags | 2D, 8-Bit, Demake, NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), NES ROM, PICO-8, Pixel Art, Remake, Retro |
Average session | A few minutes |
Accessibility | Color-blind friendly, High-contrast, Interactive tutorial, Blind friendly |
Links | Homepage, Blog |
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $10 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- 50% Off for Creator Day SaleJul 29, 2022
- Witch n' Wiz Prototype Goes Open SourceApr 28, 2022
- Witch n' Wiz now on SNESApr 09, 2022
- Retro AchievementsJan 28, 2022
- Final Days of Physical Pre-OrderDec 09, 2021
- Homebrew in FocusNov 25, 2021
- Soundtrack UpdatedNov 18, 2021
- Physical Edition Deep DiveNov 15, 2021
Comments
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Hi nice one but how can I rate it 5/5?
Até que é um Jogo Legal.
Was sent here by the Dreamcast Junkyard team, the game looks fun, purchased and look forward to firing it up on my NES via the Everdrive! Thanks for making cool stuff.
awesome! Thanks for letting me know where you heard about the game.
Hi! We played your game on stream and really enjoyed it!
Thank you!
I bought this game a year ago. Bummed out I couldn't get working on the snes the first time. But today I booted it up and it worked perfectly (I don't have a nes) the puzzles were great and sucked my wife into playing it with me which was my favourite part. We played it for two hours straight and loved it. The game is simple, puzzles are not. Thank you so much!
Awesome, thanks1
well done game! So many level variations and puzzles to solve, it was a blast to see this much of content
Thanks for playing!
I've just played this all the way through and I had an amazing time. I found this completely out of the blue and had no idea people were still developing and publishing NES games. I have to say this is the most polished, high quality games for the platform even including the classics everyone knows.
Outstanding work on the puzzles, art, and music. The game is rock solid and I didn't experience a single issue. I'm amazed. Everything is so crisp and clear and fun. The challenge was higher than I expected. Some levels really had me stumped! Very creative in its simplicity. What a satisfying victory. The team did an awesome job all around. Please give my compliments to the chefs!
Wow thats so kind of you to say! Thank you so much, and welcome tl the world of NES homebrew!
If you're interested, I've listed some of my favorites here:
https://www.matthughson.com/2022/01/06/nes-homebrew-seal-of-quality/
This is awesome. Thank you so much! I want to keep gushing about Witch n' Wiz for a moment tho.
I love how there was no dialogue or written tutorial. Simple levels where you are free to figure out the mechanics felt so good. The structured 10-stages per chapter set up kept things moving along at a great pace especially with all the new mechanics introduced in each chapter. Loved it!
And I really appreciate the settings menu! Ability to turn off timed trials is awesome accessibility-wise. And finally, using some screens as narrative with simple animations (Cutscenes that you can walk through) is just so smart.
Okay I'm done. 10/10 please keep it up!
Awesome, thank you for noticing. All of that was very intentional!
Playing through this game was a lovely way to celebrate the recent spooky season. The puzzles were top-notch, with some real head scratchers! The sprite work is both beautiful and utterly adorable. The music both adds to the immediate ambience and keeps you humming after your play sessions.
Thank you for making this wonderful game, Matt! Can't recommend it enough.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Any chance that you’ll make more physical carts? I’d love to buy one.
Yes! I can start selling them again in November 2023. I'm not sure I will right away, but that would be the absolute soonest. I will eventually though. I just have some other Witch n Wiz stuff in the works that I want to do at the same time.
Very nice game. Our German-language review can be found in our recorded livestream starting at 02:17:44. Subscription to our YouTube or Twitch channel is welcome. 🙂
Hey, quick question about playing this game on real hardware: Does it run at the correct speed on both NTSC and PAL consoles? Or is it only made for one of the two regions, and if so which one?
NTSC is the best experience.
The game will detect PAL region and adjust the music and sound effects to sound correct, but the gameplay will run slightly slower.
Perfect, I'll give it a try on my PAL console and if that doesn't feel right I'll pop it into an emulator.
Thank you for the reply!
No problem!
Hello, Matt! I just discovered this game today and it was an instant buy. I'm currently playing it on my Analogue Pocket. Thanks for making this great game! I had no idea people were still making games for the NES/SNES still. That's so cool! The OST Is superb as well! I will definitely be following you to see what future products you make! Thanks again for making this awesome game!
Awesome, thanks!
Hi Matt! Just wanted to share my video about your game with the folks on this page. Here is a link to it; this game rocks.
Thanks so much for covering the game, and for the kind words!
https://indieoyun.org/witch-n-wiz/
I loved your game. Me again.
Awesome, thanks again! FYI the game came out in 2021, not 2017.
You’re Welcome!
Got it, fixed the error.
I have not bought it yet, but it looks rly fun!
No time like the present! :)
Brilliant! ❤️
Thanks!
You're welcome! ❤️
What Nintendo games lack is satisfying movement. Well, Nintendo has UPIXO In Action: Mission in Snowdriftland, but they didn't make it, but this game has such smooth movement.
Thanks for saying so. It was a challenge given the grid based movement.
Make free because I dont have money 0$
Then I won't have money. 😉
I got it as a Christmas gift from a friend and finished it a little a couple days ago. I loved it. I grew up with a NES, playing a lot of the popular but also a few of the obscure titles. This game feels totally at home with the console but it also has some modern implementations that are useful and unique.
The graphics and music are beautiful and the puzzles mechanics felt fresh constantly and challenging at times. I certainly had at least 5 of them keeping me scratching my head for over a day which is fun!
It's a lovely game and I'll keep recommending it for sure.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I grew up on the NES as well, and I really do aspire to create games that would be at home next to my favorites on the system. It means a lot to hear that you think it would!
Played through recently thanks to the PiePacker version. Some puzzles made the playthrough grind to a halt, but I got there in the end. :-)
Thanks for playing and sharing. Glad to see you pushed through to the end!
Sucks I just found out about this game after the physical copy deadline. No chance any are left?
Sorry, no.
hi! i'm unable to install the do to an "no manager to install unknown" error. is there something obvious i'm doing wrong? any help appreciated
There is no installer. You just open the .nes file in an NES emulator (I recommend https://www.mesen.ca/ or https://fceux.com/web/download.html).
Does that help? If not, please give some more details on what exactly you are trying to do (maybe include some pictures).
i got it running! thanks for your help! im really glad i decided to support your creation, and i hope i can make something like it one day!
Great! Thank you
So, the ones who bought the physical version, can't access to the digital ROM on ithc.io, right? :(
"Digital ROM (will be emailed to you some time after purchase)"
If It would be a lot better to have acess to the itch.io site to download it :(
Thanks and regards.
You will get a download code for the Digital Collection here on Itch.io. it's not just the ROM. It's exactly the same as what costs $10 on here.
This game is fantastic. Outstanding job! One bit of feedback is not having the music reset with each new level, as on shorter levels it made the music sound a bit repetitive.
I only noticed this during the initial levels however since the later ones take longer to solve. Just a suggestion though, not sure how easy that is to implement, and certainly not a deal breaker for an otherwise excellent game.
Thanks for checking the game out!
I did consider not reseting the music, but I thought it could sound odd because there is another music track that plays at the end of a level, so starting up the level music where it was before might not sound great.
I don't know though. I agree those early levels don't sound great as is.
Fair point, it could be equally as jarring with the music not resetting. Might be worth testing but honestly with how challenging game dev can be to create a polished product, it's a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things.
I recently discovered Catrap and Fire 'n Ice, and they quickly became some of my favourite puzzle games of all time. So when I saw you mention them as influences in your interview with Limited Run I didn't hesitate to order Witch 'n Wiz. I'm about halfway in now and it does not disappoint! I love all the twists to the formula and the clever puzzle design that somehow is never frustrating but still provides a good challenge and makes me feel smart when I figure out the trick to a level. Very impressive! Can't wait for the physical version. Gues I'll have to figure out if my old and dusty NES still works in the meantime😅
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know.
This looks so good and well done for an NES game. I hope one day to be able to make something like this!
Thanks! If you want to get into NESDev you might find this blog post I wrote useful.
https://www.matthughson.com/2021/11/17/how-to-start-making-nes-games/
Thank you for the info
Awesome! ❤️
No, you're awesome!
I am! 😀
Can I Buy the Soundtrack (MP3) Type without the Collectors Edition on LRG anywhere too?
Yes, sound track is included with the digital version sold on this page for $10. It is not for sale by itself atm.
How to download the demo ?
There isn't a demo but you can play the whole game on PiePacker if you like:
https://beta.piepacker.com/game/witchnwiz
well, the one that was submitted (and available publicly) for the competition was called "witchnwiz_2021_02_22_nes_dev_v_1_0_0.nes" if that is any help.
Compo forum/thread looks like it's down for maintenance .
I'm trying to avoid the NESDev Competition build as being looked at as a "demo". It's really more of a pre-alpha (or "prototype") build and it doesn't really represent the final quality of the game.
I would much rather people just try the game on PiePacker if they are curious, as that is the full version.
The NESDev build is included with the purchase here on Itch FYI.
right on trying the PiePacker version. i really enjoyed the Comp submission on my AVS/EverDrive-N8 Pro. cool puzzle mechanics.
congrats on the release.
\o
Thanks! I appreciate the support!
you are welcome.
How much levels in the full edition ?
Over 100 (although not all are puzzles). Play time seems to be about 3-5 hours, depending on how much of the nesdev compo version you played (since those puzzles are in there too).
Tx and do you have a price range ?
Physical will likely be $65-70USD. Digital will likely be $10-20USD. Nothing firm yet though.
This high for the physical ?
Yup. It's sold out though.
Thanks for trying 😄
You're welcome!
Amazing game. Catrap is my favourite puzzle game on the GB and this is a truly impressive spiritual succesor. I will happily buy the full version upon release. Congratulations on your work.
I am glad to have done the game justice! Lots more twists on the formula in the final release to come. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think!
I just found out about the beta! I just filled out the form and joined the discord. Hope there's still some room to keep up with the beta and final development!
very good
Thanks!
Hmm. I apparently like your game a LOT. I beat it a few times and I started making a game about a cat and the big plot twist is that he lost his witchy owner (I wonder who that could be...). I did all the music (Famitracker), art (Gimp), programming (GML/GLSL), etc. I also started making a game for the NES, but it's a dungeon crawler instead. Anyway if you ever think you can use me, let me know! I also got Witch N Wiz on an SD card so that I can play it on my Analogue Nt console. O__O!
Wow that's amazing! Maybe I'll get to send out my first cease and desist! (I'm kidding)
The game looks really cool. It's funny, I actually had a similar idea for Witch n' Wiz, with a Cat or Spider that could climb walls. Seeing what you did it makes me want to do it even more. Such a small change could add a lot of new puzzles!
Oh, cool. That would like make my wildest dreams come true, heh. Ya, I'd love to add some levels... Is it easier to chat on discord? My username is stephenwhoskins#5668 (I'm not very creative when it comes to user names.)
Should I continue doing a Cat game and link it with Witch n' Wiz? I can add a little witch hat on top of the cat. =)
I sent you a Friend Request on Discord. We can talk more there.
Thanks! =D
Great little preview and thanks. When this comes out, I will buy it happily!
Thanks for playing!
Make sure the hit follow so you get notified! 😄
Was going through the NES compo games last week and -wow- this game absolutely was a delight! So much polish and love put into this game, I really can't wait to see the final version!
Awesome! If you liked the compo build, you are going to love the full release! Some much more going on in it: new levels, art, gameplay mechanics, music, story. It's really a huge leap.
Game looks interesting but it runs in any emulator?? cos in Rockness and virtua doesn´t work.
Runs in FCEUX 2.3 and above, as well as Mesen. It uses Mapper 28, which is some what obscure, so some emulators don't support it.
The full release uses the very common Mapper 1 (MMC1), so it will have compatibility with pretty much everything.
The old one is cuter and better.
You mean the Pico8 version or one of the old school versions of pitman/catrap?
Yes it did
I don't know which version you are talking about. 😀
the old pico 8
Would love to know what you liked about the old one, beyond graphics. Maybe I can bring those things into the NES version.
In terms of graphics, check out some of the latest screenshots of the in-development levels and let me know what you think!
https://twitter.com/hashtag/WitchNWiz?src=hashtag_click&f=image
Rauson
What does that mean?