The gameplay and visual style of Battletoads are both similar to those in the Nintendo Entertainment System's version of this title, though the Game Boy release only supports one player. In control of the Battletoad called Zitz, the player must travel through the Dark Queen's lair to try to rescue his two companions from almost certain ruin. Gameplay consists of several levels of side- and vertical-scrolling challenges, some emphasizing timing and finesse and others focusing more on the hand-to-hand, cartoon-styled combat for which the Battletoads are best known.