The game has two modes. There's a single-player adventure mode where you guide one of ten characters (including six unlockables) through 100 bouts that have you either beating up enemies or dodging bombs for a set amount of time. Completing these portions unlocks additional characters, bonus characters and stages for melee mode.
Melee mode is the multiplayer portion. It has ten basic and twelve unlockable characters, and nine basic and fifteen unlockable stages. There are four game types which mirror popular types from first-person shooters. The modes include a knock-out mode where you score the most KOs, a Last Man Standing mode where you're the only player left when others are KOed, a King of the Hill mode where you must defend a glowing patch of ground, and a Keep away mode where you hold a treasure chest and avoid other players.