Game: Mika and the Witch’s Mountain
Genre: Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Platformer
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows))
Developer | Publisher: Chibig, Nukefist | Chibig
Age Rating: US Everyone | EU 3+
Price: US $19.99 | UK £17.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: August 21st, 2024 (UK: August 20th )
A review code was used, and many thanks to Terminals.
With the distinct style of a Chibig game, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain flies onto the Nintendo Switch. If you’ve played Summer in Mara, then you’ll smile when you recognise some of the references, but this is a stand-alone game with a new protagonist.
Will I make a clean sweep of delivering parcels, or will it be a case of which witch is which?!
A Long Way Down for Mika from the Witch’s Mountain
You play as Mika, a young apprentice witch who is going to study with Miss Olagari on Mont Gaun. Having ascended to the top of the mountain, Mika is keen to impress, but Olagari doesn’t seem overly happy to receive a new apprentice. Apparently, part of the training (and many have failed) is to climb back up the mountain, so Olagari pushes Mika off the top. Although Mika is on her broomstick, the descent is not easy, and she crashes into the beach near Orilla Town.
Luckily, Mika meets Allegra, who is able to repair the smashed broom. However, Allegra says that the repaired broom is not strong enough to take Mika back to the top of the mountain. Allegra suggests Mika gets herself a job to earn some money. That way, Allegra could buy the materials needed to make a new broom for her. So Mika heads to the local delivery company, and the adventure begins.
The start of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain requires a lot of reading through the conversations between Mika and Olagari, as well as Allegra and Greff (the delivery company manager). Whilst this helps to understand the characters and builds the plot, it does mean you have to wait before you actually get to deliver anything!
Be Careful With That Parcel, Mika!
Parcels come in all shapes and sizes, and most will be damaged if bashed into rocks or dunked in the sea. Some will also need to be delivered within a specified time. The delivery card menu keeps track of the parcels – who they are for, where they need to be delivered to and any special requirements. You can also see the rating you received for previously delivered parcels.
The first parcel can be delivered on foot, which protects it against accidental damage. However, you will need to master broom flying in order to deliver the rest! Don’t panic! If you do end up damaging the parcel, you can reset it with the press of a button.
I found the broom flying really tricky to master. It wasn’t hard to fly in a straight line, but trying to go over a specific point (to pick up a parcel, or catch a fish) was a nightmare. I circled that fish (see photo) about 8 times, trying several different approaches, thank goodness, I only had to catch one!
As you progress and get better brooms, you can carry more parcels and are able to use the air currents which are found all over the island. Apart from a handful of parcels, there is no time limit, so it’s great to just fly around the island, enjoying the scenery. The day progresses as the parcels are delivered, and once the day’s work is done, you return to Allegra to sleep and start the next day.
More Than Just Parcels in Mika and the Witch’s Mountain
It’s always great to have a few extra challenges in a game, and Mika and the Witch’s Mountain doesn’t disappoint. Scattered around the island of Mont Gaun are little Napopo statues. Once you’ve collected enough of them, they can be exchanged for different witch costumes and key chains. You can also smash large jars that contain tarot cards and find special shrines that have different broomstick trails.
The map, available via the delivery card menu, shows both the number of collected/total statues per area and, with the press of a button, where the island’s residents are.
Gameplay
The controls in Mika and the Witch’s Mountain are straightforward. You can invert the camera and alter the sound volume via the options. The music is pleasant and changes depending on the area you are in. I didn’t notice any loss of performance in either handheld or docked mode.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain has an autosave function, which is based on delivery activity rather than time. Using the ‘Main Menu’ button in the options menu will also save progress. I wish there was a manual save option as well, as I lost an hour’s Napopo statue collecting when I forgot to go to the ‘Main Menu’ before closing the game from the Switch’s Home page.
The game gives information cards when you discover something new, although, unfortunately, there is no way to re-read the help. This meant I didn’t understand some of the features until later in the game.
Overall, there is around 4-6 hours of gameplay, with an extra few hours if you want to collect all the Napopo statues and tarot cards.
Conclusion
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a short adventure, about flying around on a broomstick, delivering parcels.
At times, I found controlling the broomstick a bit frustrating, and this did impact on my overall enjoyment. However, the scenery is great, with bright colours and a diverse landscape, and the ability to see all of this from the air enhances the experience.
Final Verdict: I Like it 
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