Cliff Hanger is an interactive animated movie based on laserdisc technology and features gameplay similar to Dragon's Lair. Cliff Hanger features limited interaction, as you "guide" the hero of the story, an international super-thief, through an array of treacherous situations. Players don't fully control the movement on the screen; instead, they must hit the correct direction or button at the exact moment the hero is in peril. In addition to moving the joystick in one of four directions, you also occasionally control the character's hands and feet with two appropriate buttons.

Unlike Dragon's Lair, Cliff Hanger uses pre-existing footage from a Japanese animation series known as Lupin, named after the titular thief. Cliff Hanger incorporates scenes from two different Lupin movies, splicing them together to form one storyline for the overall game. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide