Giga Wing Generations is a vertically scrolling shooter and the third game in the Giga Wing series. Players control one of four available ships over the constantly scrolling landscapes and need to earn a high score (and survive!) by shooting the various enemies that appear and dodging numerous bullets and obstacles. The game is a "bullet hell" style shooter and there are a significant number of bullets to dodge, sometimes hundreds at a time covering the entire screen.

Each of the available ships has three types of attacks. The first is the basic attack. Next is the reflect force; this acts as a temporary shield and any bullets that are encountered are gathered and then fired back at the enemy. The final attack is a bomb and is the most powerful attack affecting everything on the screen. The four ships each have different attack abilities and flight characteristics. As is typical in arcade style shooters, weapon upgrades can be acquired to increase your firepower.