Hihou Densetsu: Chris no Bouken

A scientist named Arnold Steiner researches the ancient civilization of Indios in Central America. However, following a breakthrough discovery, Steiner mysteriously disappears. His daughter Chris travels to Central America in search of her father, and steps into an intimidating world of monsters and conspiracies.

Hihō Densetsu: Chris no Bōken is a platformer. Chris is armed with a dagger and cannot use any other weapons or gadgets to protect herself. However, the dagger can be upgraded by collecting colored orbs dropped by enemies. Depending on their combination, the dagger can be used as a long-ranged weapon, firing projectiles or acting as a boomerang. The protagonist's health is measured with hearts; a stage must be restarted if Chris runs out of all five of them. Enemies would sometimes leave hearts and coins behind; the latter add an extra life to Chris if she collects a sufficient amount.

A boss enemy awaits at the end of every second stage. Other features include moving and disappearing platforms, deadly traps such as spikes, mine cart-riding, and a strict time limit for each stage. The story is advanced through anime-style cutscenes between stages.