Witch n’ Wiz is a new game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, released on November 12th, 2021.
Witch n’ Wiz was originally released on Pico-8 in 2017, and contained 32 levels with 3 different puzzle mechanics. In the fall of 2020 I began work on the NES version, shortly after shipping From Below (2020). A few months later, in March of 2021, I released an early “prototype” build of the game as an entry in into the annual NESDev Competition. This prototype was essentially a copy of the Pico-8 version of the game, ported to the NES. It did well in the competition and took 2nd place!
This was not the end of Witch n’ Wiz’s development though, and I spent the next few months expanding the game from 32 levels to over 100, and adding brand new puzzle mechanics. In late September 2021, a closed beta for the game began, and a month later concluded with version 1.0 ready for retail.
Although the game was done at that point, I still needed to complete the box and manual design, finalize a publishing deal, and all the other little things that come with launching a new game.
On November 12th, 2021, Witch n’ Wiz launched across 3 different platforms simultaniously!
First, a Limited Edition physical version of the game went on sale through Limited Run Games. A Standard Edition was available for $59.99 USD, which included a Box, Manual, Grey Cartridge, and Dust Sleeve.
In addition to this, a Deluxe Edition was available for $89.99 USD. This included the same Box and Manual as the Standard edition, but the cartridge was a black translucent shell with a cart label exclusive to the Deluxe Edition. It also came with a individually-numbered, gold foil pressed slip cover featuring that same unique cover art. Last but not least, it included an official guide from “Hand-Drawn Game Guides”. The first of it’s kind since the ill-fated HDGG Kickstarter that was a runaway success before getting shut down by legal. Both editions included the Digital Collection.
The Digital Collection is the 2nd platform the game released on, and was available through itch.io. This collection cost $10 USD, and included digital copies of the ROM, manual, cover art, wallpapers, and original soundtrack. In addition to all this, it also includes the NESDev Competition Prototype of Witch n’ Wiz that won 2nd place.
The final version of the game available at launch, was on PickPacker.com. If you aren’t aware, this site aims to be something of a “Spotify for games”, allowing users to play any of their games for free, right in their browser. Developers get “paid per minute”.
If you are interested in learning more about the game, or buying a copy, check out https://www.witchnwiz.com/