The game has two modes: single-player adventure mode and melee mode. In single-player adventure mode, you guide one of ten characters through a series of 100 bouts to progress. Completing these bouts unlocks additional characters, bonus characters, and stages for melee mode.
Melee mode is the multiplayer portion of the game. It features ten basic and twelve unlockable characters, as well as nine basic and fifteen unlockable stages. There are four game types: a knock-out mode where you score the most KOs, a Last Man Standing mode where you're the last player left, a King of the Hill mode where you defend a glowing patch of ground, and a Keep Away mode where you hold a treasure chest.