Bombs appear at times and can be used to destroy all nearby tiles/items within a set radius, while gems award bonus points; these must be picked up by burning the fuse tiles on which they are placed, as must clocks, coins, and matches (see below).

Throughout the game and/or at its end, the player is assigned a rank based on score, intended to represent their advancement through the field of pyrotechnics.

Classic Mode is played in levels, each of which begins with a new grid of fuse tiles and requires the player to launch a minimum number of rockets within a set time limit (indicated by a row of lanterns across the top of the screen).

If any column fills completely and the player fails to make room for the next incoming tile above it, the game ends.

The online version of Rocket Mania can be played for free at MSN Games and various other websites, but is limited in levels and extras.

As such, GameSpot scored the title as only 6.7 (out of 10), although some positive aspects which were noted included an easy control scheme and a decent variety of modes.