Pac-Man 99 is a new battle royale game coming to Nintendo Switch today

By Giovanni Colantonio April 7, 2021

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

???????????? https://t.co/mnzEYXJnBl pic.twitter.com/1qOsEEvbHD

— 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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

An Xbox game could be coming to Switch. Here are the most likely candidates

Chai points a finger gun at a robot in Hi-Fi Rush.

If the rumor mill is to be trusted (and it rarely is), we might see an exclusive Xbox game on Nintendo Switch soon. The rumor comes from Nate the Hate, a content creator with a track record of correctly predicting game announcements. According to him, Microsoft is preparing to launch a critically acclaimed Xbox game on Nintendo's platform soon. He's staying tight-lipped on what game that actually is, though.

With no confirmation, gaming fans spent the weekend fantasizing about what Xbox title could be Switch-bound. The most common theory is last year's excellent Hi-Fi Rush, which other would-be insiders have backed up. Still, there's no official word on anything, making it the perfect recipe for getting one's hopes up.

Gaming

The best co-op games on Nintendo Switch

Amazon earth day used Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo Switch is home to some of the best cooperative games on the market. Whether you’re looking for something fast-paced like Streets of Rage 4 or creative like Minecraft, there’s no shortage of incredible co-op games on Switch. However, finding the best ones can be challenging -- thanks to Switch’s gigantic library, you’ll have to wade through thousands of games before stumbling upon the best.

Below you’ll find our list of the best Switch co-op games. This includes recent releases such as Super Mario Wonder, along with games that can be played both competitively and cooperatively, such as Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Regardless of which game you pick, you’ll be treated to some of the best co-op gaming the hybrid handheld has to offer.

Gaming

One of the best sci-fi games ever made is coming to Nintendo Switch next month

outer wilds nintendo switch indie world

During the November 2023 Indie World Showcase, it was revealed that many intriguing indie titles are coming to the Nintendo Switch over the next year. One of the show's biggest announcements was that Outer Wilds -- a critically acclaimed sci-fi game about exploring a solar system throughout repeating time loops -- is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch next month.

A Nintendo Switch port for Outer Wilds was first teased in 2021 and intended to be released during the summer of that year, but it did not make that release window. We did not hear much else about the port until now outside of a mention during one of publisher Annapurna Interactive's own showcases. An Indie World Showcase segment dedicated to the game showed some of its physics-based spacefaring gameplay in action on the Switch, and it seemed to look nice and run at a solid frame rate. Called Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition, this version of the game comes with the Echoes of the Eye DLC and will launch digitally on December 7. It will get a physical Switch release sometime next year.