Nintendo has announced Pac-Man 99, a 99-player online Pac-Man battle royale game that is exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members, and it’s available tomorrow, April 7, at 6am PT/9am ET/2pm BST.Much like Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35 before it, Pac-Man 99 is another new, multiplayer-focused take on one of the most iconic games.
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
Speaking of Mario, Pac-Man 99 arrives just a few days after the infamous “Day Mario Dies,” a.k.a. the day Nintendo made Super Mario Bros. 35 unplayable and stopped selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars on the eShop.
Pac-Man 99 features traditional Pac-Man gameplay with the added pressure of outlasting 98 other players. Ghosts are still present, as are Power Pellets, and eating one will send Ghosts to attack other players at Jammer Pac-Man. Bumping into one of the Jammers will slow you down and make it easier for a Ghost to catch up to you and end your run.
The key to victory in Pac-Man 99 is taking advantage of the Sleeping Ghosts. By chomping them, you will create a “Ghost Train” that will provide an all-you-can-eat buffet when you eat a Power Pellet. This allows your to overwhelm your opponents.
There are also four power-ups – Stronger, Speed, Standard, and Train – and four targeting options – Knockout, Hunter, Counter, and Random.
Pac-Man 99 also includes additional paid content that unlocks classic Pac-Man modes and NAMCO themes based on Xevious, Galaga, Dig Dug, and more.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.