Hudson Hawk is a platformer based on the 1991 comedy/action film of the same name. The player takes on the role of Eddie Hawkins, known as "Hudson Hawk," the world's greatest cat burglar. After ten years in prison for a robbery gone wrong, Eddie is released, intending to go straight and retire. Unfortunately, fate has other plans.
Years ago, Leonardo Da Vinci created a machine that converted common lead into bronze. However, it had an unexpected effect: it turned the lead into gold. Da Vinci broke the crystal that powered the machine into three pieces and hid them in three of his works. Ultra-rich psychotic yuppies Darwin and Minerva Mayflower have found out about the machine and own one piece of the crystal. They need Eddie's services to get their hands on the remaining crystal pieces.
The game follows Eddie as he navigates through various locations, including Rutherford's Auction House in New York, the Vatican, and Castle Da Vinci in Italy. Along the way, he must dodge an assortment of enemies, such as security guards, guard dogs, janitors, crazed nuns, paparazzi, and kids on bikes. Eddie uses his baseball as a tool to subdue enemies, distract guard dogs, and trigger switches. He can also crawl to avoid shots and use ropes and pipes to shimmy across to avoid traps.