Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a new, colorful 3D adventure from CHIBIG and Nukefist on Nintendo Switch. Learn more in our Mika and the Witch’s Mountain review!

 

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a new, colorful 3D adventure from CHIBIG and Nukefist on Nintendo Switch. After reviewing Summer in Mara on PlayStation 4, Deiland: Pocket Planet on Nintendo Switch, as well as Koa and the Five Pirates on PlayStation 5, I was definitely looking forward to checking out Mika and the Witch’s Mountain on PlayStation 5. When I first saw the trailer for this game, I was instantly reminded of Studio Ghibli’s classic Kiki’s Delivery Service by way of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and that’s a vibe you’ll probably get when checking out this game.

As has been the case for their previous projects, CHIBIG took Mika and the Witch’s Mountain to Kickstarter to secure the funds needed for the game’s final development. CHIBIG was seeking a very respectable €40,000 in funding. You probably wouldn’t be able to guess what amount the crowdfunding campaign ended at once the time was up… because it’s a wild one! Thanks to the support of a whopping 24,000+ backers, CHIBIG was able to secure €1,300,000+. Wild, right? Thanks to this, many stretch goals were reached, expanding the game’s overall content.

 

For this new fantasy journey, you’ll be taking on the role of the titular character as you use your magic broom to work your magic. Mika is a young aspiring witch who will work on delivering packages to the people who live on a small island. Doing this will allow you to get to meet them a bit better, all while earning money so that you can improve your broom to deliver more and more packages to keep the cycle going. The mood is set by the gorgeous animated cutscene that plays once you start a new game, as well as by subsequent cutscenes.

Your adventure will begin after Miss Witch Oligari pushes you down from the top of the mountain, breaking your family’s broom in the process. Because of this, you’ll have to look for help from the people in the nearby village so that you can fix the broom. The good news is that Allegra, a local potter, can fix your broom. The bad news is that the repaired broom won’t be as good at the whole flying thing, so you’ll need to buy a new broom if you want to reach the top of Mount Graun. Allegra can make you a new broom if you cover the cost of 4 coins for the materials.

You’ll need to work on delivering various items to the many people who call Mount Gaun their home. Making a few deliveries at the start will allow you to obtain enough coins to pay Allegra for the new broom. Run a few errands, and you’ll be ready to go with a new, more reliable broom. This one will allow you to use wind gusts to increase your speed or gain extra height. The first day on the job will work as a tutorial that will teach you the basics. You know, like don’t get a package wet, don’t damage it by crashing onto a wall, and ice cream melts if you stand in the sun for too long.

You’ll be paid for each delivery based on your performance, so be sure to pay attention to any special requirements! Each recipient will grade your service by using three different colored stamps. Make a perfect delivery, and you’ll get a green stamp, which will earn you one coin. Make some mistakes, and you’ll be graded with a yellow stamp and won’t earn any coins. And if something goes terribly wrong, then you’ll be graded with a red stamp, which is one you definitely want to avoid! Once you’re a proper employee, you’ll gain more coins for each green stamp.

You’ll take control of Mika with the left analog stick and use the right one to look around as needed. The X button will be for jumping, and the A button will allow you to interact with characters and objects as needed. You can use this to pick up packages. Once you have a working broom, you’ll be able to take out your broom by pressing the Y button. You’ll then use the left analog stick to fly around each area. Pressing the ZL button will allow you to perform a quick dive. And if you press the X button, you can do a little jump while up in the air!

As you explore the Island of Mount Gaun, you’ll be able to get your hands on several collectibles. You’ll be able to use Napopo Statuettes to purchase witchy skins and broom trails for when you’re flying. Be sure to visit the Offering Fountain to find Oligari’s crow, Edgar, to work on any trades. There are also Simiente Jars for you to break open. These hid Tarot Cards of the Mount Gaun villagers. You’ll need to crack them open by falling from high in the sky and crashing into them! You can also work on completing additional objectives that don’t count for your main delivery card for the day so that you can help the locals.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a new, colorful 3D adventure in which you’ll be taking on the role of the titular character as you use your magic broom to work your magic. Mika is a young aspiring witch who will work on delivering packages to the people who live on a small island. If that sounds a bit like Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s because the team at CHIBIG was inspired by the animated classic. Another source of inspiration is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, as you can see from the screens and trailers in this Mika and the Witch’s Mountain review. The game is out on Nintendo Switch with a $19.99 price tag.

Disclaimer
This Mika and the Witch’s Mountain review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by CHIBIG.