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Classic Games

Chase H.Q.

Ram the criminals

Chase H.Q. combined OutRun-style racing with vehicular combat, tasking players with chasing down criminals and ramming their cars until they surrendered.

arcadecommodore-amigacommodore-64sinclair-zx-spectrumpc-engineracingactiontaito1988

Overview

Not content with merely racing, Chase H.Q. gave players a mission: catch criminals and wreck their cars. Taito’s arcade hit combined the speed of OutRun with the satisfaction of vehicular justice. The countdown timer created urgency, the criminal chases provided drama, and ramming expensive sports cars to scrap delivered cathartic destruction.

Fast facts

  • Developer: Taito.
  • Genre: Racing/action hybrid.
  • Protagonist: Detectives Tony Gibson and Raymond Broady.
  • Vehicle: Black Porsche 928.

Gameplay structure

Phase Objective
Chase Reach criminal within time
Ram Damage criminal’s car
Arrest Criminal surrenders
Next stage New target, new car

Criminal targets

Stage Criminal Vehicle
1 Ralph, Idaho slasher White sports car
2 Carlos Red sports car
3 onwards Escalating threats Various

Turbo system

Mechanic Effect
Turbo boost Limited speed bursts
Strategic use Save for ramming phase
Replenishment Between stages

Home conversions

Platform Quality Notes
PC Engine Excellent Near-arcade
Amiga Good Solid port
C64 Ambitious Ocean conversion
ZX Spectrum Impressive Given hardware

Series entries

Title Year
Chase H.Q. 1988
Chase H.Q. II 1989
Super Chase 1992

See also