Chase H.Q.

Chase H.Q. from 1989, ported to the Commodore 64 by Ocean Software based on the original Taito arcade machine, casts the player as police officer Tanner, who pursues fleeing criminals in an unmarked sports car. Each level has a time limit to catch up with the fleeing car, and once it's reached, a short but intense phase of ramming into it follows, until it stops — the game thus combines pure racing with an action element of collisions, where the criminal's car must be repeatedly rammed so that its bodywork falls apart and the chase ends in an arrest.

On the C64 the game offers a view from behind the car and heavy traffic that must be dodged at full speed, while the timer counts down relentlessly and forces the player to take risky passes between vehicles at the edge of what's possible, because failing to reach the suspect's car within the limit means the end of the mission and having to try it again. A distinguishing feature is the turbo button, which can briefly catapult the player forward and save an almost lost run to the scene, though its use is limited and needs to be saved for the most critical moment. The briefing at the start of each mission and the energetic music give the game a strong atmosphere of an action police series, further underlined by a short animation of getting into the car before the chase starts and a quick display of the map marking the pursuit route.

Chase H.Q. was among the successful arcade conversions to eight-bit machines, and its simple but adrenaline-fuelled concept — catch up, reach, ram — proved successful enough to spawn several sequels on other platforms that developed the same principle of short, escalating chases against the clock. On the Commodore 64 the game is praised for its fast pace and directness, thanks to which it still works today as a short, intense gaming session without the need to learn complicated rules, making it a good choice even for players who just want to try a retro game for a few minutes between other activities.

Why play it: If you want a short, adrenaline-filled chase without having to learn complicated rules, it works as a quick gaming session even today, ideal for a few minutes between other activities.