Pac-Man 99 is Nintendo Switch's latest retro battle royale game

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.

Pac-Man is one of the most ubiquitous figures in video game history. His legendary arcade debut is integral to the development of the industry, and no matter how far games have come since his first appearance, fans and developers alike haven't forgotten the beloved yellow orb. Pac-Man has made numerous appearances across the video game space, showing up as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. and even getting his own Minecraft DLC.

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.

The game launches for free to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on Thursday.