Like so many other arcades of the time, in Phoenix the player drives a ship anchored to the bottom of the screen being able to move it only horizontally.

On this occasion, in addition to the laser shot, the player has a button that activates a protective barrier for a few seconds and can thus repel the attacks of enemy hordes. During the time that the protective barrier is active (approximately one second) the player remains immobile and will not be able to use this shield again until after five seconds.