Namco's arcade classic Pac-Man is a widespread hit that continues to see new reinventions year after year. This instant familiarity is part of the reason why Pac-Man is an ideal candidate for the Tetris 99 treatment. Released free for all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers with optional paid DLC modes, developer Arika's Pac-Man 99 is a decent attempt at injecting battle royale mechanics into the maze chaser. It's not the best massively multiplayer version of Pac-Man on the market, but it certainly gets the job done.

The main Pac-Man 99 mode sends players into a survival mode with 98 online rivals. The game starts off just like the coin-op experience, but the differences begin to seep in as time goes on. Just like in Tetris 99, players are throwing obstacles around as they play, with Pac-Man trading clearing lines with chomping ghosts. The game borrows from Pac-Man Championship Edition by introducing ghost trains, letting players eat ghosts quickly and speeding up the knockouts. The obstacles manifest as a translucent version of Pac-Man that jams the board by slowing players down. The gameplay consists of clearing as much of the board as possible while bouncing between power pellets, eating ghosts, and then securing the fruit to reset the board and do it again.

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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-Man will always catch the player eventually. In that sense, it doesn't reach the height of Nintendo's original free battle royale, but it does at least capture the fun of the original Pac-Man, which is no small feat in its own right.

Pac Man 99 Gameplay Screenshot 1

Those who download the game for free will just have access to the one online mode, but there's more to Pac-Man 99 for those willing to spend on a DLC bundle. A single purchase will give players several offline play options as well as a collection of skins based on other classic Namco games. The skins are the best part of the DLC ensemble, introducing new sprites for the ghosts and fruit as well as remixes of each game's soundtrack. There are some deep cuts included as well, with everything from Dig Dug to Toy Pop getting their due. Five of the games are labeled as "Namco Classic" rather than their actual names, which is confusing for people who don't know Mappy but ultimately not a big deal.

The offline modes are less exciting than the retro skins and ultimately feel like a way to preserve the game in the future rather than anything players will want to return to again and again. There's a Vs. CPU option that just replaces the online players with bots, and the ability to host private matches via a password, an oft-overlooked free addition to Tetris 99 that makes the game very streamer-friendly. There are also a pair of time attack modes that swing more towards the arcade classic in terms of mechanics. These can be fun briefly, but they ultimately feel like an inferior version of the original Pac-Man, which is available in at least five other variations on Nintendo Switch.

Pac Man 99 Gameplay Screenshot 2

Ultimately, Pac-Man 99 doesn't stand up to the instant fun of Tetris 99, but it's better than Super Mario 35 and serves as a worthy addition to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The paid modes will be great when the game inevitably goes offline, but feel superfluous in the now. Those looking to expand their game will likely find more use out of grabbing a few skins individually than grabbing the whole bundle, but the free-to-play option will be the best deal for most players.

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Pac-Man 99 is available now on Nintendo Switch as a free download via Nintendo Switch Online. Offline modes and the ability to host private matches are available in a premium DLC offering. Screen Rant was provided a code for the full game for the purposes of this review.