Players control the Crude Busters by jumping, dodging and attacking their way through legions of enemies. Because the main characters are muscle-bound brawlers, they have the ability to pick up objects well beyond their own weight (e.g. cars and traffic lights) to use as weapons.[2] They can do the same to most enemies as well. While playing co-op, it is also possible for one player to pick up the other to use as a projectile. Each player has a life bar, which decreases each time they're hit. Some enemies can grab onto the players and drain their life. A player loses a life when his life bar reaches zero. If the hit that finishes a player is an explosion or flame, he slumps to the ground burnt. The life bar can be fully refilled between stages, with a cut scene showing the player(s) punching a "Power Cola" vending machine causing sodas to fall out which they drink, those vending machines also featured in most stages as replenishment points.