Pac-Man 99

Last updated
Pac-Man 99
Pac-Man 99 artwork.png
Developer(s) Arika [1]
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment
Director(s) Hiroshi Nakamichi
Producer(s) Motohiro Okubo
Composer(s)
Series Pac-Man
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
Release (2021-04-07) (2023-October-08)April 7, 2021 – October 8, 2023
(2 years, 6 months and 1 day) [2]
Genre(s) Maze, battle royale
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Pac-Man 99 [lower-alpha 1] was a maze video game with battle royale elements developed by Arika and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Nintendo Switch. It was released through the Nintendo Switch Online service on April 7, 2021.

Contents

Part of its Pac-Man franchise, its gameplay involves up to 99 players competing simultaneously, similar to Tetris 99 . Players control Pac-Man through an enclosed maze, eating dots on the board and avoiding colored ghosts that pursue them. Eating power pellets causes the ghosts to turn blue and become edible; eating ghosts sends enemies called "Jammer Pac-Man" to another opponent in an attempt to slow them down and eliminate them from the game. The game featured paid downloadable content that includes offline play and additional skins, with some based on other Namco games.

The game was discontinued on October 8, 2023, though the game will remain playable offline for those who have purchased the "Unlock Mode" or "Unlock All" DLCs before they were delisted the month prior. [3] [4]

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of traditional Pac-Man gameplay, with the white enemies being Jammer Pac-Man sent by other players. To the left and right are the screens of other players. Pac-Man 99 Gameplay.png
Gameplay consists of traditional Pac-Man gameplay, with the white enemies being Jammer Pac-Man sent by other players. To the left and right are the screens of other players.

The gameplay echoes that of the original Pac-Man ; with maze chase gameplay, the player controls Pac-Man, navigating a board and eating the white dots – called "Pac-Dots" – he comes across. While doing this, four ghosts are eventually released at different intervals and will begin to chase Pac-Man, each in their own unique way. In the four corners of the maze are large flashing dots called "power pellets", and when consumed by Pac-Man the ghosts will turn blue and flee; Pac-Man can eat the ghosts during this brief period of time. Various bonus fruit can also be consumed to reset the level.

As an online battle royale game, the player will be playing alongside 98 others, their screens being visible to the player and are displayed on the left and right. When one player chooses to target another, every ghost Pac-Man eats will cause a "Jammer Pac-Man" to be sent to the opponent, which will target their Pac-Man and slow them down on impact, but can be removed by eating a power pellet. Red variants of the Jammer Pac-Man will eliminate the player on impact, and become still when the player has a power pellet active. Red Jammer Pac-Man are eliminated when the player eats a fruit. There are also "sleeping ghosts" that, when eaten, create a train of miniature clones behind ghosts, which can be eaten to overwhelm opponents with enemies when a power pellet is active. After eating a certain amount of Pac-Dots, a bonus fruit appears, and generates a new maze when eaten along with the sleeping ghosts, allowing the player to continue attacking other players. When a player comes in contact with a ghost, they are eliminated from the pool of 99 players. This continues until one player remains, with that player declared the overall winner of the match. [5]

The player is given a multitude of abilities to give Pac-Man to add a layer of strategy, such as the ability to make Pac-Man move faster or be stronger. These effects are only active for the duration of a power pellet. Players can target any opponent they choose, but also players that are in particular situations; they are given the option to send future Jammer Pac-Man to an opponent who is about to be knocked out, players that are attacking the main player, and players that have the most knockouts (KOs). Random players can also be targeted. [6]

Development and release

Pac-Man 99 was developed by Arika, which had previously designed the similar battle royale games Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35 , and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. [6] [7] Pearl Lai, brand manager of Bandai Namco Entertainment of America, believed the game was a good concept as it combined multiplayer battle royale gameplay with the already competitive Pac-Man . [8] The game was announced on social media on April 6, 2021, five days after the discontinuation of Super Mario Bros. 35 , and released the following day on the Nintendo Switch for consumers who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership. [8]

Alongside release, there was also a variety of purchasable downloadable content (DLC). [9] DLC was released in separate forms: the Mode Unlock DLC comes with offline and extra modes such as private matches and score attack modes, in addition to several themes. [8] Special DLC themes were released separately, which change the look of the graphics to the likes of other classic Namco arcade games, featuring themes based on Galaga , Dig Dug , Xevious , The Tower of Druaga , The Return of Ishtar , Metro-Cross , New Rally-X , Mappy , Genpei Tōma Den , Cosmo Gang the Video , Yokai Dochuki , Dragon Buster , Valkyrie no Densetsu , Rolling Thunder , Dragon Spirit , Wonder Momo , Baraduke , Toy Pop , Bravoman and Sky Kid . An all-in-one bundle labelled the Deluxe Pack was released on the same day, containing all DLC. [10] Additional themes based on Namco games such as Hopping Mappy , Warp & Warp , The Tower of Babel , Wagan Land , Tank Battalion and Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti were released for free post-launch.

On May 16, 2023, Bandai Namco and Nintendo announced that the game would be discontinued on October 8, 2023, though players that own the Mode Unlock DLC will be able to continue playing the offline modes after the game's servers shut down. [11] [12] The paid DLC themes and Mode Unlock DLC were delisted in August and September respectively.

Reception

Pac-Man 99 received a 76 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: パックマン99, Hepburn: Pakkuman 99

Related Research Articles

<i>Pac-Man</i> 1980 video game

Pac-Man, originally called Puck Man in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all the dots inside an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating large flashing dots called "Power Pellets" causes the ghosts to temporarily turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points.

<i>Ms. Pac-Man</i> 1982 video game

Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade video game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is a spin-off sequel to Pac-Man (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's wife, the player is tasked with eating all of the pellets in an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating the larger "power pellets" lets the player eat the ghosts, who turn blue and flee.

<i>Pac-Man Vs.</i> 2003 video game

Pac-Man Vs. is a 2003 maze video game developed by Nintendo and published by Namco for the GameCube. In the game, one player takes control of Pac-Man, who must eat all of the pellets in the maze, while the others control the ghosts to try to catch them. The objective is to be the first to reach a set number of points, selected before the game begins. The player controlling Pac-Man uses the Game Boy Advance to play, while the others use the television to control the ghosts. The game requires the GameCube - Game Boy Advance link cable in order to play.

<i>Pac-Man Plus</i> 1982 video game

Pac-Man Plus is an arcade game that was developed by Namco and released by Bally Midway in 1982. It is part of the Pac-Man series of games.

<i>Super Pac-Man</i> 1982 video game

Super Pac-Man is a 1982 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Midway, and is Namco's take on a sequel to the original Pac-Man; Midway had previously released Ms. Pac-Man, which Namco had little involvement with. Toru Iwatani returns as designer.

<i>Pac n Roll</i> 2005 video game

Pac 'n Roll is a 2005 platform video game developed and published by Namco for the Nintendo DS. The game features a 3D Pac-Man that players control by rolling him through the playing field using the touchscreen. Transformed into a ball, Pac-Man embarks on a journey with his fairy companion, Krystal, to rescue his friends from Golvis and the ghosts.

<i>Pac-Attack</i> 1993 puzzle video game

Pac-Attack, also known as Pac-Panic, is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Versions for the Game Boy, Game Gear and Philips CD-i were also released. The player is tasked with clearing out blocks and ghosts without them stacking to the top of the playfield — blocks can be cleared by matching them in horizontal rows, while ghosts can be cleared by placing down a Pac-Man piece that can eat them. It is the first game in the Pac-Man series to be released exclusively for home platforms.

<i>Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness</i> 2000 video game

Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness is a maze chase video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 2000. It was later released for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance. A remake of Ms. Pac-Man (1982), players control the titular character in her quest to stop a witch named Mesmerelda from stealing the Gems of Virtue. The game was well-received upon release, with critics applauding its simplicity and faithfulness to the arcade original. A sequel was in development around 2006, but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

<i>Pac-Man World</i> 1999 video game

Pac-Man World is a platform video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. Controlling Pac-Man, the player must complete each of the game's six worlds by collecting keys to free his captive family members, and reaching the end of each stage. The plot follows Pac-Man's enemies, the ghosts, crashing his 20th birthday and kidnapping his friends and family to bring them to their homeland of Ghost Island — with his birthday in ruins and his family in trouble, Pac-Man sets out to rescue them and defeat the ghosts.

<i>Pac-Mania</i> 1987 video game

Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating large flashing "Power Pellets" will allow Pac-Man to eat the ghosts for bonus points, which lasts for a short period of time. A new feature to this game allows Pac-Man to jump over the ghosts to evade capture. It is the ninth title in the Pac-Man video game series and was the last one developed for arcades up until the release of Pac-Man Arrangement in 1996. Development was directed by Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani. It was licensed to Atari Games for release in North America.

<i>Pac-Man Championship Edition</i> 2007 video game

Pac-Man Championship Edition is a 2007 maze video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It has since appeared on several other platforms, including iOS, Android, and the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable as a PSP mini title available on the PlayStation Store. It is an HD reimagining of the original Pac-Man arcade game; players navigate Pac-Man through an enclosed maze, eating pellets and avoiding four ghosts that pursue him. Clearing an entire side of the maze of dots will cause a fruit item to appear, and eating it will cause a new maze to appear on the opposite side.

<i>Pac-Man Battle Royale</i> 2011 video game

Pac-Man Battle Royale is a 2010 maze battle-royale arcade game in the Pac-Man series. Developed and published by Namco Bandai Games, it was made in celebration of Pac-Man's 30th Anniversary. The game sees up to four players control multi-colored Pac-Men as they try to compete to be the last Pac-Man standing.

<i>Pac-Man Championship Edition DX</i> 2010 video game

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is a 2010 maze video game published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, later ported to Steam and iOS. It is the sequel to the 2007 game Pac-Man Championship Edition, which was the last game developed by series creator Toru Iwatani. The player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots in the maze while avoiding colored ghosts that pursue him. A bonus item will appear once the player has eaten all dots on one side of the maze, causing the layout to change. Several additions were made over the original, such as bombs that send all ghosts to the regeneration box and sleeping ghosts that will give chase when Pac-Man moves past them.

<i>Pac-Man Museum</i> 2014 video game compilation

Pac-Man Museum is a 2014 compilation title developed by Mine Loader Software and published by Bandai Namco Games under the Namco label. It is a compilation of 9 Pac-Man games, with additional features such as achievements and online leaderboards.

<i>Pac-Man 256</i> 2015 video game

Pac-Man 256 is an endless runner video game developed by Hipster Whale and 3 Sprockets and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is part of the Pac-Man series and is inspired by the original Pac-Man game's infamous Level 256 glitch, as well as Hipster Whale's own game Crossy Road, which previously featured a Pac-Man mode. The game was originally released as a free-to-play title for iOS and Android on August 20, 2015. In June 21, 2016, Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver released a version of the game for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, featuring additional features like multiplayer for up to 4 players, a new power-up, and no longer having to wait a certain amount of time to get power-ups, and instead having to eat a number of Pac-Dots.

<i>Pac-Man Championship Edition 2</i> 2016 video game

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a maze arcade game in the Pac-Man series which was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 15, 2016; an updated version featuring an exclusive 2-player co-op mode, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus, was released for Nintendo Switch on February 22, 2018. It was developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and is a direct sequel to Pac-Man Championship Edition, making it an indirect follow-up of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+.

<i>Pac-Man</i> 40th Anniversary Celebration of video game series

The Pac-Man 40th Anniversary was a celebration of the Pac-Man series of video games since the release of the arcade cabinet Pac-Man on May 22, 1980. Bandai Namco celebrated the anniversary through business ventures with video games, events, clothing and other forms of merchandise. The anniversary took place throughout 2020, and ended in early 2021.

Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle is a battle royale maze game developed by Heavy Iron Studios. The game was originally released for Google Stadia on November 17, 2020. On January 18, 2023, the game was shut down when Stadia ended its service. On October 10, 2023, Bandai Namco announced an expanded version of the game called Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs, which was released on Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X/S on May 9, 2024.

<i>Pac-Man Museum+</i> 2022 video game compilation

Pac-Man Museum+ is a 2022 compilation video game developed by Now Production and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Being a sequel to the 2014 compilation title Pac-Man Museum, Pac-Man Museum+ includes 14 games from the Pac-Man series, with additional features such as missions and online leaderboards.

References

  1. ↑ "Pac-Man 99 Arrives Tomorrow On Nintendo Switch From Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc". Gamasutra . UBM Technology Group. April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (April 6, 2021). "Pac-Man 99 Is a Battle Royale That's Arriving on Nintendo Switch Online Tomorrow". IGN. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  3. ↑ "加入者限定特典｜Nintendo Switch Online｜Nintendo Switch｜任天堂". 任天堂ホームページ. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  4. ↑ "GAMES│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More". GAMES│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  5. ↑ R. Lawler (April 7, 2021). "'Pac-Man 99' battle royale launched on April 7, 2021 on Nintendo Switch". Engadget . Verizon Media. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Byford, Sam (April 6, 2021). "Pac-Man 99 is a new battle royale game for the Switch". The Verge . Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ Romano, Sal (April 6, 2021). "Pac-Man 99 announced for Switch". Gematsu. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Pac-Man 99 Arrives Today on Nintendo Switch From Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc". Gamasutra . 2021-04-07. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  9. ↑ Knezevic, Kevin (2021-04-06). "Pac-Man 99, A Battle Royale-Like Pac-Man Game, Out For Nintendo Switch On April 7". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  10. ↑ "PAC-MAN 99". PAC-MAN 99 | バンダイナムコエンターテインメント公式サイト (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  11. ↑ "GAMES│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More". GAMES│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  12. ↑ Brian (2023-05-17). "Pac-Man 99 online service shutting down in October". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  13. 1 2 "Pac-Man 99". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  14. ↑ Hester, Blake (2021-04-09). "Pac-Man 99 Review – A Great Game To Play While Doing Something Else". Game Informer . Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  15. ↑ Macy, Seth (2021-04-14). "Pac-Man 99 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  16. ↑ Cartwright, Jon (April 8, 2021). "Pac-Man 99 Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Erskine, Donovan (2021-04-17). "PAC-MAN 99 review: Winner winner blue ghost dinner". Shacknews . Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.