Chase H.Q. II

Chase H.Q. II

Overview & History

Released during the golden age of arcade conversions, Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation (often simply known as Chase H.Q. II) represents a gritty, high-octane pursuit thriller ported to the Sega Genesis era. Originally conceptualized as a coin-op sequel by Taito, the Genesis adaptation drops players back into the driving gloves of elite undercover cops Tony Gibson and Raymond Brookes. Their mission is to ruthlessly hunt down and neutralize international felons driving heavily armed getaway vehicles across treacherous urban and rural landscapes. While the 16-bit hardware necessitated compromises from the scaling arcade visuals, Taito's console version successfully captured the adrenaline-fueled tension of ramming fleeing criminals off the road before a strict countdown timer hits zero.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard racers focused strictly on lap times, Chase H.Q. II is an offensive vehicular combat game. Players navigate a pseudo-3D perspective from behind the police cruiser, dodging civilian traffic, treacherous oil slicks, and hostile roadblocks. Before each high-speed pursuit begins, players receive a briefing detailing their target—ranging from mob bosses to diamond smugglers. The core mechanic relies on aggressively ramming the fleeing suspect's vehicle to drain its structural health bar while managing your own cruiser's damage capacity. To turn the tide, players are equipped with a limited supply of devastating Turbo boosts for closing gaps and Turbo-charged ramming attacks. Once the target's car is sufficiently disabled, a cinematic bust sequence initiates, cementing your victory before driving on to the next adrenaline-soaked stage.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Steer the police cruiser left and right
• Action Keys: Accelerate (X), Brake/Reverse (Z), Nitro Boost (A), Shift Gears (S)
• Enter: Start / Pause