Bomberman Hardball is an action game with four different game modes: Arena, Tennis, Golf, and Baseball. The three sports games tend towards the "fun-sport" category (relatively simple controls and physics), but are still grounded in the real rule set: there are no power-ups or special moves.
The gameplay is varied across the modes. In the sports games, Tennis , Golf , and Baseball , the player follows standard controls for their respective genres. Arena , on the other hand, features the classic Bomberman gameplay: multiple characters walk around in overhead maps and lay bombs to kill each other.
The game also includes additional modes such as star battle, crown battle, and point battle, which offer different challenges and objectives. Each match can be customized with settings like handicap, number of power-ups, or time limit. The Living Mode allows players to create a custom character and watch AI-controlled matches, while up to four players can participate in matches.