Sunburst is a top-down, multiscrolling shooter in which players take control of a space ship and travel through several sun systems, dodging or shooting asteroids and enemies. Enemies emerge from circles that can be found in every system. Colliding with these enemies damages or immediately destroys the ship. Destroyed enemies randomly drop energy pods that remain intact for 10 seconds. Collecting energy pods increases an energy bar shown on the lower left side of the screen. Once it is at maximum, the ship can be flown into the sun to reach the next system.