Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is a single-player science fiction themed obstacle race where you control Buck Rogers' space ship and must guide it through multiple pairs of pylons throughout the game.
The player's objective is to navigate the ship through sectors, with each sector requiring the player to pass through an increasing number of pylons. The pylons are spaced at the top left side of the screen, and the player must reach a certain number of pylons to progress to the next level. The first requirement is 9 pylons, but this will increase with each new sector.
As you progress through the game, you'll encounter flying saucers that fly in a pattern, robots that fly erratically, and other obstacles that require precise maneuvering to avoid. You can also fire your ship's weapon to shoot down enemy spaceships and pylons. The game ends when you lose all three lives by crashing into pylons or enemy ships, or when the allocated time runs out.