A vertical scrolling shooter vaguely reminiscent of 1942, D-Force has players piloting a helicopter through hostile skies, blasting away at enemy ships, killer birds and other cannon fodder. The cannons, missiles and other weapons are upgradeable via power-ups, and a huge boss awaits players at the end of each of the game's 10 short levels. The action is typical for a game of this type, and the graphics and sounds are about average for an SNES title. What gives the game a shred of uniqueness is a special Exploration Mode, which often puts enemies on a different plane than that of the helicopter. This forces gamers to utilize the L and R buttons in order to adjust the altitude of their craft.