An arcade fighting game, Street Smart puts the player in the shoes of the ass-kicking "Karate Man" who travels across the country to participate in the Tag Championship.

The game is played from a side-scrolling third person perspective in which players can move in any direction in a closed arena (limited by the cheering crowds and other street elements). Eight unique fighters must be faced in succession by using punches, kicks, and jumping against the progressively more difficult adversaries.

The arcade version features a cooperative two-player mode, but this was excluded in the PS Mini release. As an unique feature of the Genesis version players can bet money on the outcome of the fights, and if they win they can use that money to upgrade the character stats to suit their playing style. Also added to the Genesis version are a Vs mode and a new special move that depletes part of your lifebar.