Pac-Man 99, a new battle royale game based on the iconic franchise, is coming to Nintendo Switch later today. The game will be free for all Nintendo Online subscribers and features optional, paid DLC.
The new release was a surprise announcement late Tuesday night. Like other battle royale games, Pac-Man 99 features 99 players trying to outlast one another while playing a round of Pac-Man. The game features mechanics similar to Tetris 99 and Super Mario 35, two other Nintendo Online freebies.
PAC-MAN™ is back in a new 99-PAC-MAN battle royale! PAC-MAN™ 99 goes live 4/7 at 6 PM PST, exclusively for #NintendoSwitchOnline members! #PACMAN99
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— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 7, 2021
The game will go live on the Nintendo Switch eShop tonight, April 7, at 6 p.m. PT and is exclusive to Nintendo Online members for free.
Players work through standard Pac-Man mazes and eat ghosts to send Jammer Pac-Mans to another player’s board. Bumping into one will drop an opponent’s movement speed. Players can gobble up a row of sleeping ghosts to create a ghost train that can be eaten to do even more damage.
Like Tetris 99, the game features targeting features that allow players to pick which opponents they attack. There’s a power-up system too, which can give a boost to stats like speed or power.
The game has additional paid DLC for players who want to expand their experience. Players can buy individual Namco-inspired themes for $2 each, a pack that adds more game modes for $15, or a deluxe edition that contains everything for $30.
The game is a bit of a left-field surprise, but it isn’t the first Pac-Man battle royale game. Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle is a Google Stadia game that has 64 players compete to be the last Pac-Man standing. There was also a game literally called Pac-Man Battle Royale in 2011 where four players competed against one another.
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