Nintendo surprised gamers in 2019 by turning Tetris into a Fortnite-style battle royale game. A little over a year later, it did it again, turning Super Mario Bros. into an intense 35 player retro platforming face-off. Now, the company has announced Nintendo Switch Online’s latest throwback battle royale game: Pac-Man 99.
Like the Nintendo Switch Online service’s other retro battle royale games, Pac-Man 99 asks players to outlast dozens of other players in the arcade classic — but there’s more to it than simply getting the highest score. Every time a player eats a ghost, it gets sent to another player’s screen as a “jammer Pac-Man,” which can lower a player’s speed and make them a target for ghosts. Managing power-ups and carefully targeting opponents is key to outlasting other players.
Editors’ top picks
Subscribe to CNET Now for the day’s most interesting reviews, news stories and videos.
The game launches for free to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT, along with paid add-on packs, single-player modes and themes. Super Mario 35 may be gone, but it’s clear that Nintendo isn’t done with this unique game format just yet.