Lock n Chase

A maze, a heap of gold bricks and a quartet of tireless detectives on your heels. Lock 'n' Chase is an arcade jewel that at first glance looks like just another Pac-Man clone, but very quickly shows that it has its own cunning idea. Instead of merely running away, here you hold a tool for literally locking your opponents behind bars.

You play as the thief Lockjaw, who dashes through a maze, collects gold and tries to avoid the police. The crucial mechanic is the movable doors in the corridors, which you can close behind you to block your pursuers. The chase thus becomes a far more tactical affair than in classic maze games, because good timing of the closed doors can turn a hopeless situation to your advantage. Once you collect all the gold, the way opens to the next round at a faster pace.

Originally it was an arcade machine by the Japanese company Data East, which reached home consoles thanks to a port for the Mattel Intellivision. It is precisely the Intellivision version that is among the favorites, because the game's rhythm and colorfulness suited this machine's abilities well. Maze games were an extremely popular genre at the time, and Lock 'n' Chase stood out in the flood of Pac-Man imitations precisely through that door mechanic and its emphasis on collecting treasure.

In its day it was a title that offered players a pleasant alternative to the established hits and showed that even in a crowded genre there is room for an original idea. The chase is brisk, the difficulty rises pleasantly smoothly, and every closing of a door at the right moment brings a small sense of satisfaction. The game managed to maintain tension while remaining accessible even to less experienced players.

Today Lock 'n' Chase is a reminder of the golden age of arcade mazes, when dozens of studios competed for attention with a simple but endlessly variable concept. For fans of retro gaming it is a pleasant refreshment that shows how a small gameplay innovation can breathe new life into a genre.

Why play: If you like Pac-Man-style maze games but want a pinch of tactics on top, the mechanic of closable doors will grab you and not let go.