Axelay tells the story of a planet that was once peaceful but was devastated by an unknown alien race. The remaining defense force has sent out one last ship, Axelay , to defeat the aliens at their homeworld.
The gameplay is fast-paced and action-packed as you navigate through vertically and horizontally scrolling levels. With the game's use of Super Famicom's Mode 7, backgrounds in vertically scrolling levels create an illusion of depth, making the playfield feel more immersive.