Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Miami Chase instantly throws you into the driver’s seat of a souped-up F40, tasking you with dismantling Miami’s criminal underworld within a tight 48-hour window. As Don Ferrari, your mission revolves around hunting down five notorious crime lords (four in the Commodore 64 edition) by locating their red getaway cars and blasting them off the streets. The moment you clear the red cars, a climactic showdown against the boss in a yellow car unlocks your exit portal for that level.

The core mechanics balance high-octane driving with precision shooting. You’ll weave through city streets at breakneck speeds, cross-referencing your map for red-car sightings while dodging civilian traffic and buildings. Each misfire that clips an innocent vehicle chips away at your time or score, and running afoul of local cop patrols can bring you to a screeching halt—costing valuable seconds you can’t afford to lose. This dynamic offers a satisfying risk-reward tension that keeps every level feeling urgent.

Amiga owners get an added layer of excitement with a two-player cooperative mode, allowing you and a friend to split the criminal takedown duties. The C64 and ZX Spectrum versions stick to single-player action but still deliver intense firefights and racing thrills. Time limits ramp up across stages, ensuring that even seasoned players must constantly refine their routes and shooting accuracy to stay ahead of the clock.

Overall, the gameplay loop in Miami Chase is deceptively simple yet deeply engaging. The mix of driving, shooting, map-reading, and risk management creates a pace that never lets up. Whether you’re dodging city traffic or strategizing your next target hit, the game consistently challenges your reflexes, planning skills, and nerve under pressure.

Graphics

On the Amiga, Miami Chase showcases vibrant, detailed cityscapes drenched in neon hues that capture the sweltering Miami nights. The car sprites are sharply defined, with the F40 gleaming under streetlights as you weave between palm trees and pastel buildings. Explosion animations pack a punch, delivering satisfying visual feedback when you blast a criminal’s ride to smithereens.

On the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, graphical compromises are clear but hardly detract from the core experience. The reduced color palettes and blockier sprites still evoke the same high-speed thrill, relying on bold contrasts to differentiate criminal cars (in glaring red and yellow) from the city’s background. Even on these vintage machines, the frame rate holds steady, ensuring your high-octane pursuits never stutter.

Level design across versions strikes a balance between aesthetic flair and functional clarity. Streets and alleyways are laid out logically on the mini-map, while on-screen visuals match your path to targets. This harmony ensures you’re never lost—or short on target intel—letting you focus on tactics rather than navigation woes.

Special effects, such as dust clouds kicking up from rear tires or the spark show when you brush a building, elevate immersion. They may be simple by modern standards, but in the context of 8-bit and 16-bit hardware, they underscore a well-crafted presentation that enhances both intensity and player engagement.

Story

The narrative premise of Miami Chase may seem straightforward: a tough cop named Don Ferrari racing against time to clean up the city streets. Yet this setup delivers a classic ’80s action-movie vibe, complete with political undertones as the Mayor leverages your success to shore up his re-election campaign. This adds a subtle layer of stakes, reminding you that every criminal taken down keeps the mayor’s promise alive—and the city safer.

Story progression is conveyed mostly through your mission briefing and the changing skyline as you advance through levels. While dialogue is minimal, it’s enough to establish urgency and keep you invested in the outcome. Each cleared sector feels like a narrative win, building momentum toward the ultimate showdown against Miami’s most wanted crime boss.

Multiplayer mode on the Amiga introduces friendly camaraderie into the storyline, as two officers coordinate takedowns and share the pressure of the ticking clock. Though the plot remains linear, cooperative gameplay gives the story a communal feel, reminiscent of buddy-cop films where teamwork tips the scales against overwhelming odds.

Overall, Miami Chase doesn’t reinvent storytelling in games, but it leverages a lean, cinematic premise to great effect. By focusing on adrenaline-pumping objectives over heavy exposition, the game keeps players motivated and maintains a clear sense of purpose behind every high-speed chase.

Overall Experience

Miami Chase delivers an electrifying blend of racing and shooting that still stands out in the retro gaming landscape. The brisk pace, tight controls, and strategic depth required to balance speed with precision shooting create a satisfying gameplay loop that’s hard to put down. Each level feels like a short, action-packed mission with palpable tension as the timer counts down.

Visuals and sound work in harmony to pull you into Miami’s neon-infused streets, whether you’re playing on Amiga’s richer graphical canvas or enjoying the pixelated charm of the C64 and ZX Spectrum. While hardware limitations are more apparent on 8-bit platforms, the core thrill of high-speed criminal pursuit remains undiminished.

Replay value is significant, thanks to escalating difficulty, hidden shortcuts, and the multiplayer mode that doubles the fun on the Amiga. Even after several playthroughs, the urge to shave seconds off your best times and perfect every takedown keeps the adrenaline pumping.

Ultimately, Miami Chase is a must-play for retro enthusiasts, action-game fans, and anyone craving a straightforward, pulse-pounding challenge. Its straightforward premise, compelling gameplay, and charismatic ’80s action flair combine into a package that remains as entertaining today as it was upon release.

Retro Replay Score

6.5/10