You make your choice between a sand rail, a dune buggy or an off-road truck. Hit the A button to accelerate and hit the trail. In Single play you race against the clock, but take your Game Boy and hook it up with another Game Boy and you race directly with the other player.
The road is rough and turns are slick. The left and right arrows on the control pad are your steering wheel. Your mission is to avoid the obstacles as you race against the clock. Mow down the other cars in your way and you accumulate points.
Each time you overtake another car you are presented with other challenges and opportunities: Capture a flying bottle of nitro and you increase your speed. Capture a runaway tire and you increase your steering ability. Catch up with the soaring clock and time stands still. Catch a bomb and you have fire power! The obstacles are tough and without acquiring these powers it will become impossible to simply maneuver around them and win!