Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Chase H.Q. II retains the high-octane, time-pressured pursuit mechanics that fans of the original Chase H.Q. will immediately recognize. You are once again thrust behind the wheel on multi-lane freeways, tasked with tracking down five notorious criminals before the clock runs out. As you close in on your quarry, ramming plays a pivotal role—each successful bump brings you closer to disabling the target vehicle and making the arrest. The thrill of slamming into a fleeing car at high speed delivers an adrenaline rush that few titles in the arcade-racer genre can match.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

Where Chase H.Q. II distinguishes itself is in its vehicle selection. Rather than a single police interceptor, you choose from a sports car, a 4-wheel drive, or a semi truck. The sports car offers blistering acceleration and tight handling but lacks brute force when it comes to body damage. In contrast, the semi truck lumberingly barrels down the freeway, slower off the line but capable of inflicting devastating blows on criminal vehicles. The 4-wheel drive sits in the middle, balancing speed, handling, and impact power. This choice adds a strategic layer: do you outrun your target or outmuscle it?

The freeway itself is more than just a stretch of asphalt. Barricades come suddenly into view, forcing you to weave through traffic or risk a damaging collision. Enemy vehicles will sometimes fire back, peppering your windshield with bullets that threaten your progress. And then there’s the helicopter threat: it periodically hovers overhead, dropping bombs that turn the road into a high-stakes obstacle course. Managing turbo boosts—limited to three per stage—against these challenges keeps the gameplay loop exciting and encourages replaying levels to master each vehicle’s strengths.

Graphics

Visually, Chase H.Q. II leans into a vibrant, arcade-style aesthetic that feels true to its late-’80s origins. The freeway backdrop shifts through desert, urban sprawl, and coastal zones, each rendered in a bold palette that pops on screen. While polygon counts are modest by today’s standards, the detailed sprites and parallax scrolling backgrounds give a sense of speed and depth that still impresses. When you home in on a target, the camera zooms dynamically, emphasizing the collision animations.

The three selectable vehicles each have distinctive designs and color schemes, making it easy to spot your choice at a glance. Enemy cars and obstacles are similarly varied—criminals drive flashy sports cars while generic traffic consists of sedans, trucks, and motorcycles. Explosions and sparks when you collide or when bombs detonate are accompanied by bright flashes and simple particle effects, which heighten the intensity without overwhelming the screen. Overall, the visuals strike a satisfying balance between clarity and spectacle.

Performance-wise, the frame rate remains steady even in the most chaotic moments, ensuring controls feel responsive when weaving through traffic or lining up a ram. The user interface is clean and unobtrusive, displaying your remaining time, turbo count, and current vehicle damage in corners of the screen. Though there are no modern shaders or post-processing filters, Chase H.Q. II’s crisp pixel art and smooth scrolling deliver a timeless arcade look that will resonate with both nostalgic players and newcomers seeking straightforward, no-frills action.

Story

Unlike narrative-driven racers, Chase H.Q. II’s story is lean and functional: five criminals on the run, each committing high-speed felonies that only you can stop. There’s no cutscene drama or character backstories—just succinct mission briefs that set the stage for the next chase. This minimalist approach keeps the focus on gameplay, much like classic ’80s arcade cabinets where story served purely to frame the action.

Still, a sense of progression emerges as you move from stage to stage. The suspects become increasingly brazen, employing heavier vehicles and more aggressive tactics—like calling in helicopter support or racing through tighter road sections. The narrative thread is simple: catch them all. Yet the mounting challenge creates an implicit story of escalation, where each victory feels earned and each failure prompts a “just one more try” mentality.

Though you won’t find plot twists or memorable characters, the premise of high-stakes freeway law enforcement provides enough context to justify—and intensify—the core gameplay loop. The immediacy of the setup, combined with terse on-screen messages (“ARREST THE SUSPECT!”), fuels the urgency at every stage. For players who value action over exposition, Chase H.Q. II’s streamlined story is more than adequate.

Overall Experience

Chase H.Q. II delivers a pure, unadulterated arcade chase experience that remains as compelling today as it was decades ago. Its vehicle-selection mechanic infuses the familiar formula with fresh choices: each run feels distinct depending on whether you opt for speed, power, or versatility. The balancing act between turbo management, traffic navigation, and enemy aggression keeps you engaged across all five stages.

The difficulty curve is well tuned—early pursuits serve as tutorials, allowing you to get accustomed to each vehicle’s handling. By the final stage, you’ll be weaving through dense traffic while dodging bombs and incoming fire. Learning when to deploy your turbo and which vehicle suits your playstyle best becomes key to shaving precious seconds off your time. This progression fosters mastery and replayability, enticing players to revisit earlier stages in pursuit of perfect runs.

For modern gamers, Chase H.Q. II offers a nostalgic glimpse into arcade racing’s golden era without feeling antiquated. Its straightforward objectives, immediate feedback, and concise mission structure make it ideal for quick pick-up-and-play sessions or longer retro gaming marathons. If you’re seeking high-speed thrills, strategic vehicle choices, and relentless freeway pursuits, this sequel stands as a worthy successor to the original and a standout in classic arcade racing.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10