PAC-MAN 99, a Battle Royale spin on the classic game, is coming to Nintendo Switch Online

What you need to know

• Nintendo has announced PAC-MAN 99, a Battle Royale twist on the classic arcade game.
• Players can attack 98 other players by sending ghosts and shadow versions of themselves, which hinder their movement and can lead to their demise.
• The game will launch as part of a special Nintendo Switch Online offering on April 7 at 6 p.m. PST, 3 p.m. EST.

Nintendo Switch Online has had a variety of offerings for a low annual price ever since its debut in 2018. From NES and SNES games to Tetris 99, subscribers can take advantage of a few unique perks. Recently, in the wake of Mario's death at the beginning of the month, Super Mario Bros. 35 has been removed from the Nintendo Switch eShop. However, Nintendo has announced that a new game is taking its place — PAC-MAN 99, which launches on April 7, 2021 at 6 p.m. PST.

PAC-MAN 99 is a Battle Royale twist on a classic game, similar to the ideas behind Super Mario Bros. 35 and Tetris 99. It sees players take on the role of the titular yellow circle, PAC-MAN, as he tries to survive the onslaught of colorful ghosts. Players can attempt to sabotage their competitors by eating a Power Pellet before devouring ghosts, whose... ghosts are then sent to attack other players.

Eating smaller Sleeping Ghosts creates a line behind regular ghosts, making it even more difficult for the recipient of these extra enemies. Players can also send shadow versions of themselves in the form of a Jammer Pac-Man to others, which, if touched by the attacked player, will slow their movement down significantly. Strategies can be implemented by choosing whether to focus on characteristics like speed or strength, and choosing to attack players based on whether they're close to dying or as a counter for being attacked.

Those who wish to take a break from the competition can also take advantage of the bonus modes provided in the form of (paid) DLC: players can battle CPU opponents, or focus on scoring or time. No matter what players choose to play, it's clear that the Nintendo Switch offers a wide variety of great games.