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Each Densha de Go title contains actual train (or tram) routes based on real services in Japan. For the most part, the user's task is to drive the train and adhere to a very exacting timetable, including stopping at stations to within as little as 30 cm of a prescribed stopping point, ideally within half a second of the scheduled arrival time.

As a train conductor in a populous Japanese city, you are responsible for bringing a legion of salarymen, school tykes and kogals to and from their daily rounds. Pull into a station and watch the ridership step lively onto and off your train. Keep an eye on your schedule and hit the platforms just right for perfect scores and happy riders. Your train journeys take you from the morning to afternoon to night and weather conditions affect your ability to control your train. Rainy weather means the tracks will decrease braking efficiency and you'll have to adjust your speed and brakes accordingly. Players travel through Kyushu, Kanto and Kinki on the Kagoshima, Sasaguri and Sanyo main lines.

Three districts, six lines, and 16 different engines are available as you attempt to make it to the station on time through careful manipulation of the special DDG controller (now with separate whistle pedal peripheral).

The big technological advancement in DDG3, along with the expected graphical improvements that PS2 makes possible, is the addition of more realtime progression elements in the game. Day and night will pass realistically (you can start in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night), and the weather will change depending on the time of day, the season, and the region you're passing through. That will affect gameplay, since rain will make the track slippery and affect your acceleration and braking performance.

The Shinkansen Controller for the PS2 comes with a LED screen display of speed and controls and a foot pedal to blow the horn, whereas the Shinkansen Controller for the Wii lacked these features, replacing the LED screen with a representative sticker. The Wii version of this controller commands much higher prices than the PS2 version by virtue of relative rarity.