Bomberman Hardball is divided into four games. Battle mode (the standard Bomberman game), is joined by tennis, golf and baseball games. At the center of all this is the Living mode, a character building feature in which the player can design a Bomberman for use in any of the battle modes.

Battle Mode is the centerpiece of this and all other Bomberman games. This mode is essentially the standard Bomberman formula; in the game, players navigate grid-based mazes, planting bombs in an attempt to hit other players (while avoided being hit by a bomb themselves). There are several different variations of Battle Mode, although they all center around the standard Bomberman gameplay.

Classic Battle: A standard deathmatch-type game.

Star Battle: Collect the most stars.

Crown Battle: Find the crown in the level to win the game.

Point Battle: Earn the most points by killing opponents

Replay: Watched game sessions saved to memory card.