The game uses a side-view perspective and sends the aircraft continuously to the right. The objective is to survive each stage, defeat enemy waves, collect weapon power-ups, and destroy the end-of-stage boss.

Players can move freely within the screen area and must manage projectile patterns, terrain hazards, and enemy approaches. Stages are linear, with weapon progression coming from pickups rather than a persistent upgrade tree. A two-player mode is available on the Genesis version.

Stay near the center of the screen when possible so there is room to react to enemies entering from either side. Avoid collecting unfamiliar power-ups automatically if the current weapon is already reliable.

Learn boss attack cycles and prioritize survival over maximum firepower. In two-player games, maintain separate vertical positions to reduce accidental collisions and avoid concentrating both aircraft in the same danger zone.