Tumble Pop is a platform game similar to Bubble Bobble. Your character has a vacuum cleaner attached to his backpack, and you must use it to suck up enemies into the backpack and shoot them back out before they break out. Enemies will often give out letters that spell out the word TUMBLEPOP . If the player collects all the letters, the current level is bypassed and a bonus game will be played where money, extra lives, and other items can be collected.
The gameplay revolves around navigating through levels, sucking up enemies, and avoiding obstacles. The vacuum cleaner is used to suck up enemies, which are then shot back out at the player's opponent, causing damage. As the player progresses through levels, they will encounter various bosses that must be defeated using a combination of sucking up enemies and dodging attacks.