Watch it, Blinky! 'Pacman 99' battle royale game chomping to Nintendo Switch

Ready to take a trip down memory lane and be the last Pac standing? Now's your chance to put your chomping chops to the ultimate test as Nintendo is unleashing Pac-Man 99, a new multiplayer online game exclusively available for the Nintendo Switch that will pit Pac fans in a pellet-filled battle royale to the death.

As you can see in the surprise teaser announcement the video game behemoth dropped on Twitter, Pac-Man 99 takes its visual cues from Namco's original Pac-Man arcade game but features not one but 99 players munching their way around the maze, eating pellets and chasing down ghosts.

But there's some 21st century twists, chief among them is the Jammer Pac-Man. Once you eat a Power Pellet, turn the ghosts blue and chomp them, Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde are sent to attack other players in the form of Jammer Pac-Men, which "jams" your opponents by bumping into them and slowing them down, making them vulnerable.

But there's always a chance for a comeback. Devour a line of stationary sleeping ghosts causes them to multiply and form a ghost train. Eat a Power Pellet and chomping the slumbering specters creates a "ghost nightmare" that will overwhelm your foes, hence the battle royale angle. Such a strategy, promises Nintendo, sets the stage for victory.

Go in for the kill by utilizing four power ups that will gain you an edge – like doubling your speed or sending extra jammers – or try targeting options like Knockout that will give opponents on the verge of losing a knockout blow. The winner is the one who survives to become the Best of 99 – i.e. Pac-One.

Talk about Pac-Man Fever!

And as a bonus, Nintendo is mining the nostalgia further by offering up optional themes for purchase that enables players to change out the graphics and theme music with those from other classic Namco games including Galaga, Dig-Dug and Xevious.

Pac-Man 99 is available to download for the Switch starting today, April 7 and is free for as a special offer for Switch online members.