Mizubaku Daibouken is a cute and colourful single-player scrolling platform game from the same stable that brought the classics "Bubble Bobble", "New Zealand Story" and "Rainbow Islands" to the gaming world.

The game features 'Hipopo the Hippo'; a strange Platypus-Hippopotamus hybrid who must fight his way through a large number of enemy-packed levels in search of his missing girlfriend - rescuing other Hippo-like creatures that await trapped at the end of each level.

Hipopo is armed with magical water globes that can be thrown at enemies to trap them. Once trapped, the enemies can then be kicked to kill them. Enemies left unkicked will soon free themselves and return to their pursuit of Hipopo. Holding down the fire button increases the size of the globes and power-ups can also be picked-up that increases the globe size further still.

The level design makes full use of the game's water-based theme, with moving platforms, collapsible floors, boats and water-wheels all making an appearance. Small plants also appear on certain levels that can be "watered", causing them to grow and form new platforms. Some plants are hidden and only appear when an area is watered. These usually contain doors to secret rooms and areas.

At the end of every 2nd or 3rd stage, Hipopo must defeat a large end-of-level guardian. Once the guardian has been defeated, two doors will appear, allowing players to choose which route they wish to take next.