The purpose of the grand prix is to determine who is the best racer; thus, they use specially designed karts that equate all contestants in terms of ability.

The usage of items to attack opponents and improve one's own condition is an integral part of the gameplay, and adds an element of kart racing games.

As the meter increases, the player traverses the Digimon's evolutionary line, becoming more powerful and ultimately gaining the ability to use a special attack.

The action-oriented boss battles involve defeating a generally static Digimon using items scattered throughout the areas, which are not designed as race tracks.

[2] Characters' racing abilities differ through their ranking in three areas: speed, handling and acceleration.

The game uses the Mode 7 engine to create three-dimensional gameplay on the handheld console otherwise incapable of such a feat.

[1] Digimon Racing received mixed reviews from critics upon release; it has a score of 62% at Metacritic[10] and 63.67% at GameRankings.

[3][4] Aside from the familiar format, critics praised specific aesthetic points such as the graphics and music (GameZone's Michael Lafferty)[7] and the tracks' layouts and themes (Lee).

[3][4] Nintendo Power stated that "[t]he racing action is similar to that of other kart games, but the Digimon influence adds a fun gameplay edge.