Bolt is based on the animated movie of the same name, starring Bolt, a dog who plays a TV show character with super powers, and his owner Penny. However, the game takes place within the fictional TV series, not following the story of the movie. The plot revolves around rescuing Penny's father from Dr. Calisto, an evil villain.
Playing through the 25 missions, control regularly switches between Bolt and Penny. Bolt's sections focus on melee combat, using super powers (limited by an energy bar) and regular attacks against multiple enemies at once.