In 60 levels you have to rescue as many passengers (dubbed the Dim Passengers) as possible. At the beginning the passengers fall through a tube in the level. Similar to Lemmings you have to find a way for the passengers to the exit of the level. In order to do so, you must blast hindrances such as cargo boxes and bulkheads with bombs or, when no bombs are left, reposition the boxes with a crane. There are also conveyor belts in the levels. If the belt moves in the wrong way, the passengers either can't use it or may even be transported to their dooms, being dropped off into water, fire or steam jets. You can usually choose the direction of the belts by pulling a lever.
Some time after Operation Desert Strike, Ibn Kilbaba, son of Kilbaba Sr., threatens to annihilate America. After his father was killed, the people who were under his control sent his son running off, along with his father's money and nuclear weapons program. Kilbaba, more ruthless than his father, longs for revenge for his father's death and decides to shed the blood of those who killed him, the Americans. Already armed, Kilbaba hires Carlos Ortega to help him set up his nuclear weapons program, deep in South America. Carlos Ortega, the world's most notorious drug lord, also yearns to seek revenge. With his own private army, armed with the most hi-tech weapons, he's ready to fight America at all costs.
Your task is to rescue the Lemmings across 120 levels of fast-paced puzzling. These creatures simply walk blindly through the world in the hope of reaching safety at the end of the level - unfortunately, these levels include steep drops, gaps in the ground, barriers, and rivers amongst other hazards.
You are in control not of any individual Lemming, but of a cross-hair, which can be moved over any of the Lemmings. Along the bottom is a selection of functions that can be assigned to a Lemming, including climbing, floating, and bashing. You must click to select the appropriate function, then click on the Lemming to activate it. Each level has a different range of skills on offer, a different amount of Lemmings, and a different percentage target in order to progress.
The Game Gear port of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, a direct sequel to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, you wander through the lands using multiple forms that each have different abilities. Each defeated boss unlocks a new form that has to be used to advance to a new area, while shops give you access to new equipment for money.