<s>
is	O
a	O
maze	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
with	O
battle	O
royale	O
elements	O
developed	O
by	O
Arika	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
through	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
Online	I-Application
service	O
on	O
April	O
7	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Part	O
of	O
its	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
franchise	O
,	O
its	O
gameplay	O
involves	O
up	O
to	O
99	O
players	O
competing	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Application
99	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
through	O
an	O
enclosed	O
maze	B-Application
,	O
eating	O
dots	O
on	O
the	O
board	O
and	O
avoiding	O
colored	O
ghosts	O
that	O
pursue	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eating	O
power	O
pellets	O
causes	O
the	O
ghosts	O
to	O
turn	O
blue	O
and	O
become	O
edible	O
;	O
eating	O
ghosts	O
sends	O
enemies	O
called	O
"	O
Jammer	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
"	O
to	O
another	O
opponent	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
slow	O
them	O
down	O
and	O
eliminate	O
them	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
paid	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
that	O
includes	O
offline	O
play	O
and	O
additional	O
skins	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
based	O
on	O
other	O
Namco	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
echoes	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
;	O
with	O
maze	B-Application
chase	I-Application
gameplay	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
,	O
navigating	O
a	O
board	O
and	O
eating	O
the	O
white	O
dots	O
–	O
called	O
"	O
Pac-Dots	O
"	O
–	O
he	O
comes	O
across	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
doing	O
this	O
,	O
four	O
ghosts	O
are	O
eventually	O
released	O
at	O
different	O
intervals	O
and	O
will	O
begin	O
to	O
chase	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
,	O
each	O
in	O
their	O
own	O
unique	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
four	O
corners	O
of	O
the	O
maze	B-Application
are	O
large	O
flashing	O
dots	O
called	O
"	O
power	O
pellets	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
consumed	O
by	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
the	O
ghosts	O
will	O
turn	O
blue	O
and	O
flee	O
;	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
can	O
eat	O
the	O
ghosts	O
during	O
this	O
brief	O
period	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
one	O
player	O
chooses	O
to	O
target	O
another	O
,	O
every	O
ghost	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
eats	O
will	O
cause	O
a	O
"	O
Jammer	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
"	O
to	O
be	O
sent	O
to	O
the	O
opponent	O
,	O
which	O
will	O
target	O
their	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
and	O
slow	O
them	O
down	O
on	O
impact	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
be	O
removed	O
by	O
eating	O
a	O
power	O
pellet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Red	O
variants	O
of	O
the	O
Jammer	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
will	O
eliminate	O
the	O
player	O
on	O
impact	O
,	O
and	O
become	O
still	O
when	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
a	O
power	O
pellet	O
active	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Red	O
Jammer	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
are	O
eliminated	O
when	O
the	O
player	O
eats	O
a	O
fruit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
eating	O
a	O
certain	O
amount	O
of	O
Pac-Dots	O
,	O
a	O
bonus	O
fruit	O
appears	O
,	O
and	O
generates	O
a	O
new	O
maze	B-Application
when	O
eaten	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
sleeping	O
ghosts	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
continue	O
attacking	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
given	O
a	O
multitude	O
of	O
abilities	O
to	O
give	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
to	O
add	O
a	O
layer	O
of	O
strategy	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
make	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
move	O
faster	O
or	O
be	O
stronger	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
target	O
any	O
opponent	O
they	O
choose	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
players	O
that	O
are	O
in	O
particular	O
situations	O
;	O
they	O
are	O
given	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
send	O
future	O
Jammer	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
to	O
an	O
opponent	O
who	O
is	O
about	O
to	O
be	O
knocked	O
out	O
,	O
players	O
that	O
are	O
attacking	O
the	O
main	O
player	O
,	O
and	O
players	O
that	O
have	O
the	O
most	O
knockouts	O
(	O
KOs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pac-Man	B-Application
99	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Arika	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
previously	O
designed	O
the	O
similar	O
battle	O
royale	O
games	O
Tetris	B-Application
99	I-Application
and	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
35	I-Application
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pearl	O
Lai	O
,	O
brand	O
manager	O
of	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Entertainment	O
of	O
America	O
,	O
believed	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
concept	O
as	O
it	O
combined	O
multiplayer	O
battle	O
royale	O
gameplay	O
with	O
the	O
already	O
competitive	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
social	O
media	O
on	O
April	O
6	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
five	O
days	O
after	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
35	I-Application
,	O
and	O
released	O
the	O
following	O
day	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
for	O
consumers	O
who	O
have	O
purchased	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
Online	I-Application
membership	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alongside	O
release	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
purchasable	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DLC	B-Protocol
was	O
released	O
in	O
separate	O
forms	O
:	O
the	O
Mode	O
Unlock	O
DLC	B-Protocol
comes	O
with	O
offline	O
and	O
extra	O
modes	O
such	O
as	O
private	O
matches	O
and	O
score	O
attack	O
modes	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
several	O
themes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Special	O
DLC	B-Protocol
themes	O
were	O
released	O
separately	O
,	O
which	O
change	O
the	O
look	O
of	O
the	O
graphics	O
to	O
the	O
likes	O
of	O
other	O
classic	O
Namco	O
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
featuring	O
themes	O
based	O
on	O
Galaga	B-Application
,	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
,	O
Xevious	B-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Tower	I-Application
of	I-Application
Druaga	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Return	I-Application
of	I-Application
Ishtar	I-Application
,	O
Metro-Cross	B-Application
,	O
New	B-Application
Rally-X	I-Application
,	O
Mappy	B-Application
,	O
Genpei	B-Application
Tōma	I-Application
Den	I-Application
,	O
Cosmo	B-Application
Gang	I-Application
the	I-Application
Video	I-Application
,	O
Yokai	B-Application
Dochuki	I-Application
,	O
Dragon	B-Application
Buster	I-Application
,	O
Valkyrie	B-Application
no	I-Application
Densetsu	I-Application
,	O
Rolling	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
,	O
Dragon	B-Application
Spirit	I-Application
,	O
Wonder	B-Application
Momo	I-Application
,	O
Baraduke	B-Application
,	O
Toy	B-Application
Pop	I-Application
,	O
Bravoman	B-Application
and	O
Sky	B-Application
Kid	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
all-in-one	O
bundle	O
labelled	O
the	O
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
containing	O
all	O
DLC	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
themes	O
based	O
on	O
Namco	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Hopping	B-Application
Mappy	I-Application
,	O
Warp	B-Application
&	I-Application
Warp	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Tower	I-Application
of	I-Application
Babel	I-Application
,	O
Wagan	B-Application
Land	I-Application
,	O
Tank	B-Application
Battalion	I-Application
and	O
Splatterhouse	B-Application
:	I-Application
Wanpaku	I-Application
Graffiti	I-Application
were	O
released	O
for	O
free	O
post-launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pac-Man	B-Application
99	I-Application
received	O
a	O
76	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
on	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
indicating	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
