Chase H.Q.

Chase H.Q. is a home conversion of Taito's popular arcade machine, prepared for the ZX Spectrum by Britain's Ocean Software in the late 1980s. The player takes on the role of a police officer from the special Chase Special Unit, and the task isn't merely to catch up with the criminals but to literally ram their car until it breaks apart. The game is split into several consecutive cases, where a dispatcher announces the type of crime at the start of each mission, and the player must first accelerate enough to catch the fleeing car at all, then knock it out of action with repeated rams before the strict time limit runs out.

Technically, it's a typical late-era Spectrum action title — the color palette is limited, but the vehicle animation and sense of speed were solid for their time, helped by the bold striped background evoking a road rushing away under the wheels. The player could collect bonuses that extended the time and use a short speed boost to catch up with more distant targets. The theme music and crash sound effects were among the memorable elements players still recall today, even though the Spectrum's sound chip had only limited possibilities for quality audio and loading from tape between attempts stretched out play sessions. Gradually increasing difficulty and ever-faster opponents forced players to improve their distance judgment and reaction speed, turning short rounds into a surprisingly demanding test of patience.

At the time of release, it was one of the commercially successful conversions of an arcade classic, and the game helped cement the genre of chase-based action on home computers, later followed by an official sequel, Chase H.Q. II. Ocean Software was at the time one of the most important European publishers of arcade licenses, and Chase H.Q. is a typical example of their craftsmanlike approach to conversions. Today Chase H.Q. comes across as a brisk, straightforward arcade game without unnecessary complications — ideal for short play sessions focused mainly on adrenaline and quick reflexes rather than deep systems.

Why play it: For players craving a brisk, straightforward arcade game without unnecessary complications – a chase full of adrenaline and quick reflexes, ideal for short play sessions.