Little Samson

A dark prince is freed from his seal by a thunderstorm, and begins to try to take over the world. The kingdom is in peril, and the King orders that the four heroes receive a summon. Four pigeons fly off to meet these heroes, and each reads the summon. From here, the player must navigate all four of these heroes through an introductory course.

From here, the strengths of individual characters must be utilized to get through a variety of courses. Several bosses await the heroes, and it is up to the player's strategy to choose which hero(es) will fight the boss. A few levels have branching exits, taking the player to different levels, although each one ends up taking the player to stages marked by skulls on the map. Here, the player fights one of the four wizards that serve as the dark prince's right-hand men, each of which shapeshifts into a larger boss when defeated (Green shapeshifts into a Cyclops, Blue shapeshifts into a magic-wielding knight, Red shapeshifts into a giant dragon, and Yellow shapeshifts into what appears to be the Grim Reaper).

Eventually, the player reaches what appears to be the dark prince's castle, and faces a golden wizard-knight at the end (which shapeshifts into a demonic skull). If the game is played on Easy, this is the final level. If played on Normal, the dark prince's true stronghold — a castle resting on a giant, green skull — arises, and the game continues for a few more levels, ending with a confrontation with the dark prince himself. In the end, through the utilization of all four characters, the kingdom is saved. All story development is shown through pantomimed animated cutscenes.

Throughout the game the player operates one of four characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The first four stages are each dedicated to a specific character, but upon their completion the player can swap characters at any time for the remainder of the game, and often must do so in order to complete the level. The four characters are as follows:

Little Samson

Known as Lickle (リックル, Rikkuru) in Japan. Samson, for whom the game is named, is the young human protagonist. He is a small, quick character who attacks enemies by throwing bells. He is able to jump higher and further than most characters and has the ability to climb on the walls and ceilings.

Kikira the Dragon (キキラ, Kikira)

Kikira is the second hero. As a dragoness, she has the ability to fly for brief periods of time, making her a valuable character in many jumping-oriented stages. She attacks by spitting fire, which travels in a J-shaped arc. The player can increase the strength of her flame by holding down the B button for longer periods of time (if Kikira is green, then the fireball will be small; if purple it will be medium-sized; if pink, it will be large). She is initially hostile to the idea of Samson being the leader and fights him for dominance, but upon her defeat she relinquishes.

Gamm the Golem (ガンム, Ganmu)

Gamm is the third hero. Big and bulky, he is the slowest of all the characters but his punch is stronger than any of the other characters' attacks. His size is both a benefit (he takes the least damage from enemy attacks, no damage from spikes, and starts with more health than the other characters) and a hindrance (his jumping ability is severely stunted). He is also the only character who can attack in all four cardinal directions.

K.O. the Mouse (コウ, Kō)

K.O. is the fourth hero. He has the least health of any character, but is very quick and a great jumper, and is small enough to traverse some narrow passages that are otherwise inaccessible. Just like Samson he has the ability to climb on the walls and ceiling. He is unique in that he attacks by placing bombs.