In Pilotwings 64, as with its predecessor, the player must complete a variety of missions using different airborne vehicles. Examples include destroying various ground targets within a limited time using a missile-equipped gyrocopter, navigating through large floating rings placed throughout a city using a rocket belt, taking a picture of a smokestack while riding a hang glider, and firing a chosen character out of a large cannon towards a target several hundred yards away. For each mission, points are awarded based on time, damage, fuel usage, accuracy, softness of landing, and similar criteria.