Fighting Vipers features a similar style of gameplay to Sega AM2's more renowned Virtua Fighter series, specifically Virtua Fighter 2, using simply guard, punch and kick attack buttons with a focus on combo moves. The Saturn version uses its three extra buttons for three smaller combos.
Each of the 9 characters featured in the game wears armor that can be broken off by opponents, leaving them more vulnerable to taking damage.[11] A human shaped meter in the top corners of the screen monitors damage to the armor. Walls surround each arena, caging the combatants in, allowing for attacks in conjunction with them (bouncing off etc.).[12] If a knockout attack is strong enough, characters can knock their opponent over, on top, or straight through the walls.[7]
The Saturn port of Fighting Vipers added Playback Mode and Training Mode, both of which are now used widely in the fighting genre. Players could save their matches and play them again in Playback Mode, while Training Mode talked the player through the moves of each character one-by-one.
