This is a top-scrolling shooter that graphically looks a bit like a Xevious tribute graphically, but it doesn't have the multiple layers of targeting, your normal shots can hit ground targets as well. Which is good, because it's pretty unforgiving. You die in a single hit, start back at the beginning after death, and your ship has a rather large hitbox. The enemy fire comes pretty quick and accurate, and almost all the ships can shoot in a 360 degree arc.

Arrow keys move your ship, Shift shoots (tap, holding doesn't work), and Z fires your rockets/bombs, which you have limit ammo for displayed on the left-hand side. Escape instantly quits the game, a feature it has in common with the sequel.