- Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
- Release Date: Apr 7, 2021
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Apr 18, 2021PAC-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.
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Apr 8, 2021PAC-MAN 99 may seem initially daunting with mechanics it simply doesn't explain but once you experiment and learn by fire, it won't take long to realise its true potential. Arika and Bandai Namco has barely touched the formula of this 41-year-old classic, and yet with just a few new layers it feels like a brand new game. We've invested more time than we care to admit into the previous '99' entries and it's clear PAC-MAN 99 is destined for evergreen greatness.
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Nintendo Force MagazineOct 6, 2021Being a free game (outside of DLC options), it's a very welcome distraction from the grief of losing Super Mario Bros. 35. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 20]
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Apr 21, 2021Overall I’m really enjoying Pac-Man 99. It’s a great pick-up and play title for when you have just a couple of minutes and are looking for something to do. The gameplay is fast-paced, competitive, and surprisingly addicting. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, there’s no reason not to give the game a shot.
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Apr 8, 2021Pac-Man 99 is not only an excellent battle royale game; it's also a lovely homage to all things Namco with tons of charming themes to play with. Throw in some clever single player challenge modes and you're left with one impressive package.
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Apr 22, 2021Pac-Man 99 is not without its faults, but developer Arika made a wonderful experience that brings the iconic Pac-Man gameplay into modern times with a battle royale that is very tough to put down.
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Apr 22, 2021Pac-Man 99 is gaming in its purest form, marrying classic arcade nostalgia with a dynamic multiplayer twist that makes it hard to put down.
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Apr 19, 2021Pac-Man 99 follows deftly in the footsteps of Nintendo’s Tetris 99 to provide a near-perfect multiplayer Pac experience. Pac-Man 99 is absolutely worth the download. It melds intense online competition with classic single-player gameplay to create a wholly new, yet utterly familiar experience. The extra content is superb, if overpriced. Just the same, whether you opt for the free version or spend for the extra content, there’s no shortage of fun to be had.
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Apr 15, 2021With a slew of new mechanics and strategic forks in the road thrown into the mix, Pac-Man 99 is another resounding success at converting a timeless classic into a stressful-but-exciting multiplayer outing.
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Apr 14, 2021Who knew the classic formula of Pac-Man could be reinvented in such a way? 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. Whether you are itching for one short session or a marathon of close calls and satisfactory victory, this battle royale cannot come recommended enough.
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Apr 14, 2021Pac-Man 99 is an exceptionally entertaining Battle Royale boasting a genius incorporation of speedy matches and on-the-fly strategy. Its default, free mode, is where players will be spending most, if not all of their time duking it out, while it’s pricey, paid packages are tough sells that offer very little in the realms of replayability or meaning. I personally recommend sticking to the free version, but if you find yourself wanting some more variety, no matter how slight it is, those extra modes are there for you to pick up.
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Apr 14, 2021What is perplexing, if anything, is the selling price of the add-ons, frankly exaggerated for a bunch of content that is anything but something really special.
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Apr 15, 2021To summarize it all. Pac-Man 99 is my favorite of the Nintendo battle royals (Goodbye to Mario 35). It is fast paced; it is fun, and it is addictive. You will catch yourself turning a 10-minute quickplay into a 2-hour power run to be the champion. It may get repetitive as these types of games tend to do, but if you enjoy Pac-Man and miss arcades and high score competitions then please try it. Remember its free… sort of.
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CD-ActionNov 19, 2021Until now there was only one sensible way to play Pac-Man – the Championship Edition. Pac-Man 99 is a new viable option. Even though the presence of other players is barely noticeable and the whole trick gets old quite fast, the game is simply more interesting than the basic version of the classic. [06/2021, p.39]
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Apr 9, 2021To enjoy Pac-Man 99, I had to accept the frustrations that came with learning its systems. While it does an embarrassingly poor job of explaining the hows-and-whys of its mechanics, once you figure them out on your own, it's a good way to fill lulls in your day. Pac-Man 99 has become my go-to when I want to do something else, and I can't think of much higher praise for a game of this caliber. It fills a niche in my life where I can stay occupied with something fun without the need to devote all of my increasingly limited attention to it.
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Apr 9, 2021By taking up the simple concept of Pac-Man while adding multiplayer elements, it offers short games but of rare intensity thanks to its system of ghost trains and its visual effects, even if it means making the action sometimes confusing.
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Apr 15, 2021The mass pac-maning is a fresh breeze in this age-old concept, but it lacks detail as well as fine-tuning and leaves players a bit in the dark in the beginning.
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Ninty Fresh MagazineDec 3, 2021Pac-Man 99’s paid-DLC takes the shine off a decent battle royale. That said, fans looking for an action- packed version will enjoy this immensely. [Issue #4, p.68]
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May 13, 2021The chaos around each Pac-Man 99 match makes you wonder if you have direct control over the outcome or it was just luck. There are times when so much disorder suffocates you, but getting to the top ten or being in the first place is rewarding enough to continue enjoying the experience.
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Apr 29, 2021Overall, Pac-Man 99 offers a solid, simple multiplayer jaunt for short-term bursts of competitive action. It’s a shame that some of the things that are locked behind DLC, but since the game itself is free (with Nintendo Online) it’s hard to complain.
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Apr 23, 2021PAC-MAN 99 is yet another decent battle royale distraction that suffers from the same terrible level of guidance and explanation both Super Mario Bros. 35 and Tetris 99 were guilty of too. While it’s unlikely to become my next big time sink, it might perhaps kill five minutes or so between bigger games every now and again.
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Apr 15, 2021The “free” experience for Nintendo Switch Online members is really quite good, and we recommend giving it a shot. The paid deluxe content, though, feels thin and doesn’t offer a lot for the price.
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Apr 14, 2021Pac-Man 99’s fast and competitive gameplay keeps it fun even if we’re confined to just one maze.
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Apr 12, 2021A fun experiment with too many DLCs and too few tutorials.
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Apr 12, 2021Ultimately, 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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Apr 21, 2021While Pac-Man 99 brings that fun, fast-paced nature of Tetris 99 to yet another beloved franchise, it doesn’t translate as well here. Many of the rules never get explained and poor visual choices make for an occasionally scream-summoning experience, even for a veteran Pac-Man player like myself.
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Apr 15, 2021I’m still often confused about what’s going on, and why, but it’s impressive how the bones of Pac-Man fit so neatly into a battle royale experience, with so much thought put into the use of intel and basic strategy that the skill ceiling is currently hard to fathom. Then there’s the fact that you can have the whole game loaded and be in a full match in just a minute or two. The result is both confounding and empowering. When I win, it’s of course due to my skill, and when I lose? Well, I don’t really know what’s going on, do I?
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Apr 11, 2021Like all of the 99/35 games, Pac-Man 99 is undeniably neat. The confusion on the screen is visually stimulating, and the base maze running remains fun. (There’s also a whole strategy element we’re still trying to wrap our heads around, re: the game’s four distinct power-up modes.) But by cutting out a core element of the Pac-Man formula—the accrual of points, whether in service of extra lives, or just as an end unto themselves—99 loses touch with what has made that little yellow puck such an enduring icon for the last 41 years. After all, not everything needs to be a matter of life and death.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 26 out of 37
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Mixed: 8 out of 37
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Negative: 3 out of 37
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Apr 8, 2021
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Apr 13, 2021
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Apr 12, 2021