Battle Royalehas accumulated popularity growth ever since the early 2010s with one of the earliest examples,PUBG: Battlegrounds. This format sparked the developers’ interest in making small modded game modes within customizable games likeMinecraft. The online king of the Hill structure would exhibit its potential before spreading among more companies, even changing the whole game likeFortnite Save The World.
The astounding success of the battle royale genre has influenced more game companies in the market except Nintendo. They strayed away from the popular trend to focus onsupporting their first-party IPsfor the general Nintendo consumer. That mentality shifted during the Nintendo Switch era, making the company more willing to support the growing fans of battle royales. Many live service titles have found their home in the Nintendo Switch library, including classic series that tried the trending format.
5Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champ
Amazing Time To Chomp
An exclusive from Google Stadia returns to the market asPac-man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champ. Its gameplay design brings a similar feel compared toPac-Man 99but brings more direct confrontation toits influential classic game. This version ofPac-Manis played traditionally but with both ghosts and hostile Pac-Mans roaming through the mazes to take down the player. Any obstacle can be chomped away with a power pellet, exposing the hindrances to the energized Pac-Man, though the other Pac-Mans could use the same. There are even power-ups that can grant special abilities, such as repelling ghosts or attracting them.
UnlikePac-Man 99’s offline modes with local play,Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle Chomp Champ’s only offline mode is training. It’s designed solely for online use, which allows players to play in groups in its online exhibition and ranked mode. Friends on other platforms can join the user for cross-platform play, making matchmaking more effective. Players can even play to earn cosmetics for Pac-Man to wear during battle, including glasses, animal suits, hats, and more.
4Super Bomberman R 2
Explosive Competitive Tension
Super Bomberman R 2is a celebration of the 40th Anniversary of theBombermanseries at its launch. This sequel continues after its predecessor’s shutdown by including its familiar modes, such as 64-battle mode. This battle royale places 64 Bomberman players in different mazes that can close over time, forcing players to move before elimination. The game is split into two phases: movement to avoid hazards and battle to face active opponents. Power-ups are available to affect the player’s explosion radius, speed, bomb placement, and more. The final phase starts after two players are left standing, letting the two end the one-on-one duel for the victorious Bomberman.
The sequel is also continuing the predecessor’s seasonal updates to refresh the Bomberman experience with new content. Players can choose a certain Bomberman or crossover characters from other franchises, includingCastlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Fall Guys, and more.
3Kirby’s Dream Buffet
A Fulfilling Cute Experience
Theultimate galactic pink warriorcan live the dream of eating gigantic treats inKirby’s Dream Buffet. Though he has shrunk in size, he can still eat and use copy abilities to his advantage, such as burning pepper for fire and tornado frosting for a tornado. Kirby will be accomplishing tasks in three main modes: race, minigame, and battle royale. Each main mode can be picked individually or played through the Grand Prix, which includes every mode.
For the Grand Prix finale, up to four players will clash in a battle royale to collect the most strawberries before the match’s end. Strawberries can be collected around the stage or from the competing Kirbys. Its battle royale mode is a lot smaller compared to other battle royales, though more accessible and simple to understand. It even has local play for friends to have a sweet, momentous playthrough.
Tetris 99welcomes many players into a huge strategic battle of wits. The major difference in thisTetrisversion is its overwhelming scope of opponents. The game can beplayed normally like otherTetrisgames, yet it feels the most accessible with its price while being competitive for the number of active opponents. It does require a lot of multitasking, especially when being targeted by multiple opponents that build garbage blocks quickly.
The game is the most accessible at its free price, though its offline modes are locked behind paid DLC. This strictly limits the game to online only, hindering local play. Despite the locked modes,Tetris 99is still satisfying for many to play. A loss feels bad, though its matchmaking is effective enough for players to jump back into action in just a few seconds. It isn’t enough to play justa round ofTetris.
1F-Zero 99
Revived Interest For Speed
F-Zeroreturns as the most aggressive battle royale in Nintendo’s catalog, known asF-Zero 99. The battle royale sets up 99 racers to battle in races with familiar mechanics like power meters, vehicle explosions, and pitstops. It does bring one new mechanic to theseries to widen the optionsto greater heights.
Skyway is a pathway that speeds up any racer in a safer realm above the racetrack. Its predetermined routes make its use more effective at certain moments on each racetrack. It could also be used in a pinch when driving through too many opponents with a low power meter.
The game offers a few modes to play, such as the regular F-Zero 99, special events for wacky conditions, and the Grand Prix, a difficult tournament to race through multiple tracks consecutively. Practice mode is available to learn the racetracks while producing the best routes and options. It isn’t the easiest for anyone to play with its challenging speeds and power management, but it does feel welcoming. Hopefully, this will help boost its popularity enough for Nintendo to gain interest in supportingF-Zeromore.
