Gameplay
Games generally follows standard basketball rules; a full game consists of four quarters, with four minutes each. Each team has two players, and the objective of the game is to outscore the opponent until the final buzzer sounds. A player can call for his teammate to pass him the ball or to shoot it in this battle royale.
If the game results in a tie after four quarters, a sudden death overtime period is added, in which case the next basket to go in will win the game for the team who scored it. The overtime period is one minute long.
The difference between Arch Rivals and other basketball titles is the ability to freely punch an opposing player without penalty and steal the ball away. The referee will only call a foul for a shot clock violation. Also unique to the game are various on-court hazards such as soda cans and candy wrappers thrown onto the floor. If a ballhandler steps on those, he falls onto the floor allowing his opponent to steal the ball from him. Players could also fall over the referee in the same way as the objects on the floor, as well as steal the ball with a maneuver called the "flying leap" where the player would jump forwards at the opposition ball carrier. If the maneuver missed, the player would roll along the floor. If successful, the player would tackle the opposition holding the ball. In the Arcade version the "flying leap" would pull the oppositions shorts down, revealing the opponents underwear. On home ports of the game, these graphics were left out.
Players
There are eight playable characters, each with a unique characteristic. They are:
- Blade: A crowd pleaser
- Hammer: Rebound king
- Lewis: Top shooter
- Mohawk: Tough & mean
- Moose: A real champ
- Reggie: All-American
- Tyrone: Defensive giant
- Vinnie: A great player
Teams
The teams in Arch Rivals are selected at random, with Player 1 playing as the home team and Player 2 (or the computer) as the away team. The teams in the arcade version are Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Natural High, and Brawl State.
Also, the game could be set up to reflect the names and colors of local teams through the custom "Hometown Heroes" feature.
Presentation
Whenever a basket is scored (for either two or three points), there are many random scenes that may be played. One scene has the coach yelling at his players, another features players from the other team groaning in disgust, and two scenes have cheerleaders shouting: "Go team go!"
Sometimes, the backboard can be shattered with a rim-rattling slam dunk. This effect was later carried over to the much better-known NBA Jam.
The TV studio depicted in the game is that of the fictional WIDB-TV. It is shown after the end of each quarter and also at halftime. In addition, after the first and third quarters, a "Coaches Corner" screen also appears, providing tips on how to become a better player. The cheer-leading squad performs the halftime show. The final stats are shown at the end of the game, showing how many points the human-controlled player scored, and also the number of steals and rebounds, and shooting percentage.