The object of the game was to collect gold cups to move on to the next level. Since the original 1988 publishing of Dangerous Dave on UpTime, there have been three sequels and three ports of the original to other platforms.

The idea of Dangerous Dave came to John Romero under the influence of Super Mario. There are definitely similarities that are easily noticeable, such as the secret levels, the level design, the monsters, and the jumping. The mission is to guide Dave through ten levels, collecting trophies in the hideout of his enemy, Clyde. Romero says that among all Dangerous Dave sequels Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion is "the best Dave ever created". In 2008 Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion was ported to cell phones.