Each match takes place in a closed arena on top of platforms made of concentric disks, like in the jai alai sequence.

Tron and Sark can bounce discs off the ceiling (similar to the energy ball in the jai alai sequence) with the goal of hitting one of their opponent's platforms.

If successful, the platform flashes briefly and then disappears, reducing the character's movement or possibly causing him to fall and die.

Calling it "one of the first games to attempt a 3D environment", they remarked that the fast-paced and complex gameplay works due to the responsive controls.

They also praised the enemy AI as advanced for its time, though they complained that a head-to-head multiplayer mode was an obvious feature that had not been included.

[12][13] According to Twin Galaxies, David Bagenski of Syracuse, New York, United States, scored a world record 418,200 points on June 28, 1986, during the 1986 Video Game Masters Tournament.