Chase H.Q. was released into arcades by Taito in 1988 and turned the classic idea of a racing game into an adrenaline-fueled chase after criminals. The player sits behind the wheel of a Nissan 300ZX police car and gets a radio tip from dispatcher Nancy about a fugitive to catch on a highway full of civilian traffic, then must literally smash the target's car by ramming it repeatedly until it breaks apart right in the middle of the road.
Unlike the racing simulators of the time, there's no track full of rivals or finish line here, just a single goal — catch the fleeing car before the time limit runs out, then ram it until the bodywork falls apart into burning wreckage. This chase-and-destroy formula influenced later arcade titles and kicked off the entire Chase H.Q. series, which continued with further installments, a remake, and home console and computer versions around the world, including the sequel Special Criminal Investigation.
The game also became known for its energetic audiovisual presentation — a roaring engine, police radio chatter, and tense music that gave the chases a cinematic pace reminiscent of eighties action shows. Although the driving model is simplified and focused more on pace than realism, the tension of the approaching countdown and the disintegrating car body made it one of the most popular arcade games of the late eighties, valued by arcade operators for how quickly it turned players over at the cabinet.
Why play it: Chase H.Q. offers a unique sense of a cinematic police chase, where the goal isn't to win the race but to catch and stop the crook.
Game 94 of 258 for Arcade
