Antz Extreme Racing is a Mario Kart-style kart racing game based on the 1998 animated film. Compared to the console version, the GBA title has its own tracks and modes and displays the tracks through "Mode 7"-style 2D scaling and rotation.

The game contains six different racers (all characters from the film), each with different ratings in speed, brakes and weight, and twelve tracks, only the first eight of which are unlocked from the start. The game's main mode is the 4 Seasons championship, taking players through the twelve tracks consecutively, with finishing in first place a must to advance. Progress is saved via passwords awarded after a win. Further modes are Quick Race (a standard race on unlocked tracks), Head to Head (a one-on-one race against a random opponent on a random track) and the Game Link mode for two-player match-ups via link cable.

As many kart racers, the game features a variety of power-ups for collecting on the tracks and using during a race. These include turbo boosts, fireflies (self-seekers launching to the front), stun nuts (thrown to the back), bubble gum traps, protective helmets and more. There are also health power-ups since ramming into obstacles decreases health as indicated by a leaf that grows shorter with each hit. Also on the tracks are green items that act as currency. Between races, these can be spent to buy additional power-ups in a store.