The Return of Ishtar, also known as Ishtar no Fukkatsu, is a two-player action-RPG that follows directly after Namco's Tower of Druaga. Ki and Gilgamesh must escape the Tower of Druaga, fighting through the legions of Druaga that are trying to avenge their fallen master.

One player controls Ki and the other controls Gilgamesh. Ki will instantly die if an enemy touches her but she has a ranged attack to keep opponents at bay, while Gilgamesh defeats any enemy he touches. However, Gilgamesh will die if he is forced to take on too many enemies on his own. The aim is to combine efforts to fight through enemies and explore each of the tower's rooms for valuable items.