Operation Wolf popularized military-themed first-person light gun rail shooters and inspired numerous clones, imitators, and others in the genre over the next decade.

Assuming the role of Special Forces Operative Roy Adams, the player attempts to rescue five hostages who are being held captive in enemy territory.

For example, after the jungle stage is completed, Adams interrogates an enemy soldier and learns the location of the concentration camp and hostages.

The arcade cabinet has an optical controller resembling an Uzi submachine gun which the player can swivel and elevate, and which vibrates to simulate recoil of gunfire.

[13] Pulling the trigger allows fully automatic fire, and pressing the button near the muzzle launches a grenade with a wide blast radius against multiple targets.

To complete each stage, the player must shoot a required number of soldiers and vehicles (trucks, boats, helicopters, armored transports), as indicated by an on-screen counter.

Shooting dynamite bombs causes heavy damage to every target on the screen, both enemy and friendly, and a special machine gun power-up allows unlimited ammunition and an increased rate of fire for 10 seconds.

Enemies attack with gunfire, knives, grenades, mortar and bazooka rounds, and missiles; all their visible incoming projectiles can be shot out of the air.

The game was converted to the Amstrad CPC, DOS, NES, Amiga 500, Atari ST, Master System, FM Towns, Commodore 64, PC Engine, and ZX Spectrum.

[42] The home computer conversions topped the UK sales charts in late 1988[43][44] until it was replaced by RoboCop which held the number one position for most of 1989.

[41] It presents a novel light gun shooter basis for the prisoner of war (POW) rescue mission with massive violence, killing masses of enemy soldiers.

[50] The game popularized first-person light gun rail shooters and inspired numerous clones and imitators during the late 1980s to early 1990s.