The entire game is viewed and controlled from the cockpit of the VIXIV. Pressing 
moves the tank forward, and its speed rises from STOP, LOW, MED, HIGH to TURBO. TURBO is the fastest speed, and requires fuel (see Items). Pressing 
slows the speed, or puts the tank in reverse, and pressing 
and 
changes the tank's direction. A compass located directly below the front cockpit shows the four cardinal directions. The two black diagonal lines located on either side of the compass are sonar radars. These lines turn white when enemies are detected, and begin to flash when enemies are very close by. The radar screen, located at bottom center, shows the location of the tank at center in relation to enemies and objects. The black area indicated is the area viewable from the cockpit, and the white dots represent objects and buildings. The flashing dots are enemies.
Pressing the 
button shoots two laser beams simultaneously, which is the most basic form of attack in the game. The beam is shot towards the crosshairs at the center of the screen when no targets are present. When a target is within a reasonable distance, an aiming cursor appears, and the beam will always hit the target indicated by this cursor. Most objects can be destroyed with a few laser shots, but objects that emit a metallic sound when hit cannot be destroyed with the laser. Pressing the 
button uses the more powerful weapon equipped at the radar base. See the Weapons section for a full description of weapons that can be equipped.
Enemies and objects will sometimes leave behind a powerup or item when destroyed. These are automatically picked up by the tank's tractor beam when the player moves nearby. The specific target needed to complete the mission can be located with the finder. This is a white arrow that appears at the bottom of the screen, and moving forward with this arrow at the center will always lead the player to the specific target.
The grid on the lower right hand corner is a simplified map of the entire level. The map shows the player's current grid location, previously visited areas, and radar base locations. In certain missions, some parts of the grid will flash to indicate the location of nuclear silos or radar bases that are under attack. The planet Tetamus 2 consists of a rectangular map, divided into 8 areas, which are useful for tracking down specific enemies or buildings. If a player moves across an edge of the map, the tank will emerge from the opposite side of the rectangle. Pressing the 
button will pause the game, and show a more detailed map of the planet.
The map contains four entrances to underground tunnels which can be used to move between areas without having to encounter enemies. If the mission has a time limit, the clock stops while the player is moving through any of these tunnels. However, hitting a tunnel wall will damage the tank's shield. The player can still move forward will hitting tunnel walls, but running into a chain link fence will cause damage and force the tank backwards, so a certain amount of caution is needed while proceeding through. Speed cannot be increased or decreased in the regular control scheme while traveling underground, but grinding the tank against the ceiling will cause a slight decrease in velocity, while grinding it against the floor will cause a slight increase in velocity.
The VIXIV also has flight capabilities. Lifting off one of the pyramid-shaped objects at TURBO speed will send the tank into the air. Speed cannot be adjusted while the tank is in the air, and flying requires fuel (see Items). Some of the field objects located at ground level will fade away from view while the tank is in flight.
The controls for the game are highly sophisticated and difficult to master, so a training mode is provided to familiarize the player with the controls. The training mode devotes a mission to each basic skill, and is so extensive that the player will have naturally learned the controls upon completion of all of the training missions. This allows the player to learn the basic controls quickly and efficiently without having to use the instruction manual. The actual game cannot be played without completing this training mode first. If the player has previously completed every training mission, an option is given to proceed directly into the actual game or review the basics in the training mode.