Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a side-scrolling action game with a T-800 Terminator as the player character.[1] The NES version includes five levels based on the film. The first level is set at a truck stop, where the player must beat up truckers and acquire a motorcycle and gun.[2][3][4] The second level is played from a diagonal overhead perspective, as the T-800 flees on motorcycle from a semi-truck, driven by the T-1000. Driving through a flood channel, the player must avoid debris while simultaneously using the gun to shoot at the oncoming truck, keeping it back a safe distance.[2][3][4][5]
The player then searches for Sarah Connor in a mental hospital, encountering staff members and the T-1000.[6] The player loses energy if they kill any hospital employees, and instead must crouch down and shoot them in the leg, disabling them.[2] The player then travels to Cyberdyne Systems to plant explosives and destroy the facility.[4] A final battle ensues between the two Terminators in a steel mill.[2][3][4] The Sega versions omit the motorcycle level.[7]