Pac-Man 99

PAC-MAN 99 is another hit for Arika, this time with one of the most iconic arcade games of all time. It’s a bit surprising just how well Pac-Man fits into the 99-player battle royale format, but that’s just a testament to the work done by the developers. PAC-MAN 99 has me excited for whatever the developer’s put out next.

Who would've guessed that a Nintendo console would be home to some of the best battle royale games out there? Well, they're at it again because here's Pac-Man 99 which offers some frantically fun pellet-gobbling multiplayer action.

Pac-Man 99 follows deftly in the footsteps of Nintendo’s Tetris 99 to provide a near-perfect multiplayer Pac experience.

Despite the steep learning curve and the hubbub about single-player paywalls, the pure enjoyment of every new Pac-Man 99 game stands tall above all.

I have played 128 games of Pac-Man 99, but I'm only half certain I know what I'm doing. Lacking any kind of tutorial, Pac-Man 99 leaves players to learn and understand its systems for themselves – making for a frustrating introduction to a visually busy game. However, once I cleared that initial hurdle, I found myself reaching for Pac-Man 99 time and time again – if only because of how unobtrusive it is.

The gameplay additions are simple but effective, adding to the classic strategies without getting in the way of what people love about Pac-Man. A veteran player would only need a few rounds to understand the new mechanics and get rolling, and it feels like their old skills would serve them well in climbing the rankings and achieving victory. Games feel faster than in Tetris 99, likely due to the limit of just a single life. That limitation can also make the game feel less in the player's control. Building up a tower in Tetris is a strategy that sometimes doesn't pay off, but the ghosts of Pac-...

Pac-Man 99 is another smart multiplayer twist on a classic with fast-paced gameplay that requires on-the-fly strategy pivots and increasingly quick thinking as the field of competitors thins out. But once you lock into a winning style, there's nothing more to see. Even something as simple as changing up the maze structure at random would do wonders to keep Pac-Man 99 feeling fresher, longer, but here we’re trapped in the same maze for eternity.

On the whole though, Pac-Man 99 is a spirited and competitive freebie that all Nintendo Switch Online members should try. While the battle royale gimmick is wearing thin across the industry, Pac-Man 99 refreshes the concept through its replayable reimagination of classic arcade gameplay. Even though the DLC is underwhelming, Pac-Man 99 stands alongside Monster Hunter Rise as one of Nintendo's early 2021 delights.