Shoot the Rapids allows you to paddle a canoe down various courses of gates on a river and try to complete them within a time limit. The game is viewed from above with the river scrolling vertically up screen when you move and on the river are different speeds of currents. As you move through the starting gate, you must move the joystick (or keyboard) left and right gently to build up a rhythm to move forward and to turn you hold the opposite direction down. To move backwards you hold the fire button down as you paddle left and right. In the corner is a clock with the time moving round and you must complete the course without missing any gates within this time limit or it is game over. Hitting the sides of the river with the stern or bow just slows you down wasting valuable time but hit it with the side of the canoe and you sink.