Basically, it plays just like every other fighting game except for the fact that the commands for different attacks aren't like anything you are used to. The fighting in Dark Tournament is pretty simplistic. If that is the case, go find another game because Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament isn't for you. And if you aren't already a fan, then that long sentence likely confused and frightened you. If you are reading this review you are likely already a fan of the show so there isn't really any reason to spell out all of the little details such as the fact that Yusuke died in the first episode and became a demon fighting spirit detective who enters the Dark Tournament to do battle with the evil Toguro brothers. Since this game follows a fairly specific period in the show, if you aren't already a fan of Yu Yu Hakusho this game isn't for you simply because you won't know what the heck is going on. Similar to the DBZ games, events that took dozens of episodes to play out on the show are shrunk down into bite sized chunks for the game. The story follows a young student named Yusuke and his friends as they work their way through the Dark Tournament. The result is a game that is just playable enough that fans will like it, but not a good enough fighting game to appeal to anyone else. Much like DBZ's Budokai games, though, Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament focuses more on fan service than being a solid fighter.
Both series focus on groups of powerful fighters taking on all comers and that is why they both would seemingly translate very well into a fighting videogame.
The main difference is that there is a whole lot more fighting and a lot less screaming about power levels in Yu Yu Hakusho. Yu Yu Hakusho is a lot like Dragon Ball Z.