Each character is capable of sliding to avoid hazards and perform a dash maneuver to damage enemies. The players can obtain new weapons from treasure chests and barrels, which include alternate shot types: fire cards, an energy axe, a twin shot, a sideshot, a thunder burst, and a shock sphere. Additional items can be found within chests and barrels, or dropped by defeated enemies. Both Flynn and Floyd can collect up to a hundred dominoes to gain an extra life. Each character has a life gauge that allows the player to take two hits from an enemy before losing a life. However, obstacles such as pits or spikes will instantly kill a player.
