Post by nocturnal YL on Apr 1, 2024 0:00:01 GMT -5
It has been quite a while: we're now at more than 30 years into the history of Nintendo's witch.
Despite being such a simple concept, Nintendo's witch didn't come into existence until a whole decade after their foray into the video game industry. Indeed, the earlier years of the Famicom's lifespan saw no notable witches at all. While one may think witches would appear in fantasy games, a look into examples like DRAGON QUEST, King's Knight, Ultima III and The Magic of Scheherazade didn't give us any witch.
The first notable example of a witch in Nintendo's own games is Syrup from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, a shopkeeper who sells Link potions. Since then, the Zelda series has seen more witches, including other versions of Syrup, as well as Maple, Irene and her grandmother, and the potion sellers in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS games are another great source of witches. The first two Paper Mario games give us Kammy Koopa. Sarissa from the SNES version of Wario's Woods isn't explicitly called one, but she certainly looks the part.
Fire Emblem Gaiden gives us the Witch class, which is the result of human sacrifices. And then Fire Emblem Fates gives us another Witch class, which is essentially just a Halloween costume. It's rather disrespectful to the legacy of the Witch class, I'd say.
And of course, there's WarioWare. In addition to some microgames featuring traditional witches, it's also home to the first Nintendo's witch to come to mind for many: Ashley. She was heavily featured in Nintendo Badge Arcade, for some reason.
There are more examples from other developers, although these aren't witches in the traditional sense. The first Mario & Luigi has Cackletta, who is that game's main antagonist. Super Mario Galaxy 2 has Cosmic Spirit, a Super Guide-type character who takes Rosalina's form and is called Cosmic Witch in the Japanese version. Golden Sun: The Lost Age has Akafubu; he's a rash leader with the title of witch doctor, and his arc involves him learning humility and level-headedness. There's also Drawcia, a painting gaining sentience and attempted to turn the world into painting, not realising that any attempt to go againt Kirby will only end in failure.
The once witch-shy Nintendo has come to embrace them in the new millennium, and their 2017 console sees far more witches in action than before. Nintendo Switch sees the return of Nintendo's witch, and has attracted quite a few other witches to join in.
There are many more examples.
(Happy April Fool's. Can't believe I waited 7 years to make this joke.)
Despite being such a simple concept, Nintendo's witch didn't come into existence until a whole decade after their foray into the video game industry. Indeed, the earlier years of the Famicom's lifespan saw no notable witches at all. While one may think witches would appear in fantasy games, a look into examples like DRAGON QUEST, King's Knight, Ultima III and The Magic of Scheherazade didn't give us any witch.
The first notable example of a witch in Nintendo's own games is Syrup from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, a shopkeeper who sells Link potions. Since then, the Zelda series has seen more witches, including other versions of Syrup, as well as Maple, Irene and her grandmother, and the potion sellers in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
Maple and Syrup (Oracle) | Irene |
INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS games are another great source of witches. The first two Paper Mario games give us Kammy Koopa. Sarissa from the SNES version of Wario's Woods isn't explicitly called one, but she certainly looks the part.
Kammy Koopa | Sarissa |
Fire Emblem Gaiden gives us the Witch class, which is the result of human sacrifices. And then Fire Emblem Fates gives us another Witch class, which is essentially just a Halloween costume. It's rather disrespectful to the legacy of the Witch class, I'd say.
Witch (Fire Emblem Echoes) | Witch (Fire Emblem Fates) |
And of course, there's WarioWare. In addition to some microgames featuring traditional witches, it's also home to the first Nintendo's witch to come to mind for many: Ashley. She was heavily featured in Nintendo Badge Arcade, for some reason.
Witch's Brew (WarioWare: Move It!) | Nintendo Badge Arcade |
There are more examples from other developers, although these aren't witches in the traditional sense. The first Mario & Luigi has Cackletta, who is that game's main antagonist. Super Mario Galaxy 2 has Cosmic Spirit, a Super Guide-type character who takes Rosalina's form and is called Cosmic Witch in the Japanese version. Golden Sun: The Lost Age has Akafubu; he's a rash leader with the title of witch doctor, and his arc involves him learning humility and level-headedness. There's also Drawcia, a painting gaining sentience and attempted to turn the world into painting, not realising that any attempt to go againt Kirby will only end in failure.
Cackletta | Cosmic Spirit |
Akafubu (the ceremony leader in the background) | Drawcia |
The once witch-shy Nintendo has come to embrace them in the new millennium, and their 2017 console sees far more witches in action than before. Nintendo Switch sees the return of Nintendo's witch, and has attracted quite a few other witches to join in.
Nintendo's witch on Nintendo Switch | WarioWare has new entries on Switch |
SONIC TEAM's witch (Witch from Puyo Puyo) | Nippon Ichi's witch (the witch from Liar Princess) |
Gust's witch (Wilbell from Atelier Ayesha) | Falcom's witch (Emma from Trails of Cold Steel) |
Rare's witch (Gruntilda, seen in Smash Ultimate) | Pupuya Games' witch (Little Witch Nobeta) |
There are many more examples.
(Happy April Fool's. Can't believe I waited 7 years to make this joke.)