A new battle royale game is looking to bring classic arcade gaming action to the massively multiplayer competitive scene, in the form of Pac Man 99. Available starting today on the Nintendo Switch through its online subscription service, the game will see 100 players (you and 99 others) into a lobby and sees who's the best at eating dots and avoiding ghosts.
It's not quite as passive as just playing alongside other Pac Man gamers to see who's best, though, you'll also be able to disrupt each other's games. Each ghost you eat sends them to another player's game, eating all of them sends Jammer Pac Man to impede other gamers' progress, and you'll get the option to employ power ups like speed boosts, to give you an edge at the right time.
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
https://t.co/mnzEYXJnBl pic.twitter.com/1qOsEEvbHD— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 7, 2021
If you're a Nintendo Online subscriber, you'll get the game for free, but there are additional DLC options with cosmetic unlocks which you can pay for if you want your Pac Man experience to be unique. Most of them are inspired by classic Namco games too, so you'll be able to skin your Pac Man to look like Galaga, Dig Dug and more.