Pac-Man 99

1. Kiera44

   Apr 8, 2021

   10

   This game is honestly a timeless classic is really fun, then add some Nintendo magic and a battle royale to it and it is a perfect experienceThis game is honestly a timeless classic is really fun, then add some Nintendo magic and a battle royale to it and it is a perfect experience in my opinion, if you have switch online is an absolute must play.… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
2. MinePlay512

   Apr 11, 2021

   10

   Yes, it may be a classic and it's a battle royale game, but PAC-MAN 99 is basically awesome.

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Zerarch77

   Apr 13, 2021

   9

   Pac-Man 99 is surprisingly one of the best Pac-Man games. It combines design elements of the arcade original, the modern Championship EditionPac-Man 99 is surprisingly one of the best Pac-Man games. It combines design elements of the arcade original, the modern Championship Edition series, and the "battle royale" format of Tetris 99 and Super Mario 35. The result is a game that is relentlessly engaging, intensely challenging, and deceptively deep.
   
   The game has no tutorial or manual, which is a huge oversight because it is harder to learn from gameplay alone than any other Pac-Man game. With that said, the extra rules layered on top of classic Pac-Man successfully facilitate interesting choices during gameplay.
   
   Here are some examples to consider:
   1. You only need to eat half the dots in a round to spawn the fruit that refreshes the maze (and crucially, the Power Pellets). But if you eat all the dots, you'll get a permanent speed boost.
   2. Eating a Power Pellet clears all jammers but not killers. Eating a fruit clears all killers, but not jammers. Killers are more dangerous, but fruits provide no protection from ghosts.
   3. Powerup modes come with drawbacks. "Speed" doubles your speed, but dramatically weakens your attacks. "Train" doubles the sleeping ghosts you wake, but spawns an extra jammer for each. "Stronger" doubles your attacks, but has a short duration and permanently lowers your speed.
   4. Sometimes you must avoid a vulnerable ghost train if you wish to build a stronger attack. But this may slow your dot-eating progress.
   5. When not powered up, you'll have to deal with the four ghosts that each have a unique movement style. Together they form a complex threat.
   
   Each gameplay element has a push and pull. As Pac-man and the ghosts get faster, the powerups last shorter, and jammers spawn erratically, you'll have to make and execute increasingly difficult decisions at breakneck speed. And if you think you can camp near Power Pellets and delay the later rounds as long as possible, you will find yourself moving slower than everyone else while they swarm you with jammers that bring your motion to a standstill as the ghosts close in.
   
   Perhaps the best part of Pac-Man 99 is that virtually all your arcade Pac-Man skills (if any) will carry over. Solid game design is timeless, and Pac-Man 99 is a great twist on a beloved classic.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
5. nusco

   Apr 22, 2021

   8

   After the transcendent Tetris 99 and the disappointing (and now unavailable) Super Mario Bros. 35, Pac-Man 99 is Nintendo's third iteration ofAfter the transcendent Tetris 99 and the disappointing (and now unavailable) Super Mario Bros. 35, Pac-Man 99 is Nintendo's third iteration of the same idea: mash up battle royale with classic games from the 80s. I'm glad to say that this one is another winner, and a potential contender for king of the subgenre.
   
   PROS:
   
   - ADDICTIVE, IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY: Pac-Man 99 has fun, fast action, and hectic risk and reward mechanics that continuously push you forward. Even after dozens of runs, it's hard to say no to yet another go.
   
   - FEELS MORE BALANCED THAN ITS SIBLINGS: Where its two predecessors required monster reflexes or speedrunner-level insight, Pac-Man 99 makes you feel like you always have a chance. And when you die, most of the times you can only blame yourself.
   
   - IT'S PAC MAN: Most classic arcade games are just curiosities today. Not Pac-Man. It's truly a timeless classic that's still as fun to play as it always was, especially with modern touches like the satisfying "ghost trains".
   
   CONS:
   
   - SURPRISINGLY GREEDY: You already need Nintendo Online if you want to play multiplayer battle royale. To play additional modes, you're asked to fork out good money on top of that.
   
   - STILL A BIT THIN: Like other games in the same mold, Pac-Man 99 has no real sense of progress. It's nice for a while, but the tight "one more go" loop eventually gives way to a nagging feeling that you're just wasting your time.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. Adasc2906

   Mar 11, 2022

   8

   This is a nice alternative after Mario 35 servers were shut down. try cause it's loads of fun

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. Onioncreature

   Apr 23, 2021

   8

   Pac-Man 99 is an interesting twist on the classic arcade game. Like Super Mario Bros. 35 the execution is slightly confused, and takes aPac-Man 99 is an interesting twist on the classic arcade game. Like Super Mario Bros. 35 the execution is slightly confused, and takes a while to get a handle on. It's still enjoyable, but the formula doesn't work quite as well with Pac-Man as it did with Tetris.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. GreatGateway547

   Apr 8, 2021

   5

   I wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but it's a well-presented mess of ideas that ultimately turns the game into one of luck overall. TheI wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but it's a well-presented mess of ideas that ultimately turns the game into one of luck overall. The lack of tutorial, controls on the Joycon and strange ghost AI is only the beginning.
   
   - It's too easy to clear the obstacles off the board because of ease of access to Power Pellets, so most attacks are useless which was a big problem in Mario 35. EXCEPT for the Red Pac Men. If they happen to randomly spawn in a place that boxes you in... good luck. You may get a warning that they're going to appear, but the fast paced nature of the game makes it impossible to plan for their arrival every time, especially as the patterns of the dots that will appear and placement of traps is never the same twice.
   
   - The different power modes feel unbalanced. Since most attacks are just negated with a single power pellet anywwy anyway, why not use Speed mode all the time, especially when there is no major benefit to Standard, Train mode only carries more risk. As for Stronger mode? It instantly takes a Speed unit away from you, which requires you to clear the entire maze of Pac Dots to obtain. In exchange you get twice the attack power... Which will promptly be erased by a power pellet anyway. If anything this one is a power-down!
   
   - Because the ghosts spend a lot of time in their vulnerable state, it's impossible to keep up with which is which when they turn back to normal. They may suddenly change behaviour to what you expected, just because you guessed wrong. The huge trains only mask their identities further, because of how many ghosts start moving in different directions at once.
   
   - The regular ghosts sometimes blend in with the crowd of the trains, making it very hard to see which way they're going next, especially if they suddenly about-face as they sometimes tend to do after a power pellet to readjust their pathfinding.
   
   Perhaps most importantly, it doesn't feel like you're up against other players. Since there's no way of judging how powerful your attacks will be - especially as higher chains don't seem to make any difference - and no way of deciding if you'll send Red Pac Men or just regular jammers, it feels like the game is just tossing things at you and hoping it traps you, rather than you outlasting real opponents like with the superior title, Tetris 99.
   
   Presentation and music wise, the game is fantastic, although the DLC prices seem rather stingy. Were this a full priced game the score would be much more harsh, but mercifully at least it's a free title that won't be going anywhere for a good while, unlike a certain other title...… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful

See all 15 User Reviews