Chase H.Q.

Chase H.Q.

Overview & History

Originally tearing up arcades in 1988 by Taito, Chase H.Q. was ported to the TurboGrafx-16 in 1990 by Now Production. Eschewing standard racing tropes, this title casts players as undercover vigilantes mixing high-speed pursuit with vehicular combat. You step into the shoes of Tony Gibson, an aggressive driver, alongside his partner Raymond Miller, a sharpshooter ready to deploy firepower. Together, you patrol the highway in a heavily modified red Porsche 928, tasked with intercepting and disabling ruthless fleeing felons before they reach the city limits. The TurboGrafx-16 HuCard adaptation impressively captures the breakneck velocity and tension of the coin-op original, delivering an intense, adrenaline-fueled showdown on wheels across five distinct, hazard-filled districts.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Progression relies on a strict time-attack structure. Each of the five stages forces you to navigate relentless traffic, sharp turns, and hostile roadblocks while a countdown timer ticks away. Along the way, glowing green cars appear; ramming them grants precious time extensions. Once you catch sight of the criminal's vehicle, the perspective shifts into a rugged demolition derby. You must repeatedly ram the fleeing target's bumper while avoiding their aggressive counter-attacks, such as dropping oil slicks or shooting backward. A boss health bar tracks the target car's damage threshold. As you batter their chassis, sparks fly until the engine finally smokes out. To seal the deal, Raymond arms the Turbo-Zooka—allowing you to launch a definitive rocket blast into the criminal's trunk to force a cinematic arrest sequence complete with classic digitized voice samples shouting "Accidental? No way!"

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Steer the Porsche, navigate menus, and select options
• Action Keys: Accelerate (Button I), Brake (Button II), and Fire Turbo-Zooka (Select/Run combos)
• Enter: Start / Pause