Reviews

Chase HQ: Secret Police

By Corey

I remember playing Chase HQ on my SNES, and it was an enjoyable experience. You would control various vehicles while trying to arrest escaping criminals who were in a number of vehicles themselves. A long while back, I received the GBC version of the game. It wasn't anything at all like I remembered playing on the SNES version. This game was horrible. I recently came back to the game, however, and found my experience a little bit different...

Graphics: 7

The visuals in this game are both good and bad. The map mode has very plain and simple graphics. I guess they kind of have to be. The Chase Mode visuals, however, aren't bad at all. You got different scenery in the background (mountains, city, etc.) and it looks rather detailed most of the time. The grass (or whatever it is supposed to be) to the left and right of the road looks weird to me though as it is just lines of 2 alternating colors. The graphics do its job though.

Gameplay: 6

I hate map mode. It ruins the game for me. If it were just Chase mode, this score would be an 8. I'll tell you why I hate map mode. The controls suck. You job is to place 3 undercover cops (out of 5, they all have different strengths like more ammunition or speed) on this map. You have to intercept the criminal before he escapes the city. This would be so simple, except for the fact it's too hard to control your guys. The criminal could be driving directly behind you, but you can't catch him because you aren't allowed to turn around. You also have a heck of a time figuring out what each of your cars is doing. Luckily, you spend little time in this mode.

Chase mode is what this game is supposed to be. Now you take control of one of your cars and actually chase the criminal. In order to stop them, you can either shoot them or ram them from behind. If you find yourself having trouble catching the criminal, you can use a turbo to speed up to him or her quickly. Of course, there isn't just an empty road ahead of you. You'll find boulders, barrels, and other cars in your way. These aren't too hard to avoid though.

I do have a couple complaints, besides the craptastic map mode. First, when you make a sharp turn left or right in battle mode, you cannot see the road ahead of you. This can cost you a few seconds because another car might get in your way. Second, the obstacles in your path do not stop the criminal car. They'll run over countless boulders but never slow down. Ah well, that doesn't matter a whole lot.

I think the Chase mode is addicting and is great for just a quick game. You could play a couple levels at a time, and the game would be worth a purchase. However, map mode gets in the way of this. It can be frustrating letting the criminal getting away a few times in a row just because you can't change the direction of one of your cars.

Sound: 4

I dunno, I always seem to hate the sound in GBC games. Same thing here. Sound effects aren't that great, and at times there doesn't even seem to be any music. Either that or the music fades in and out. My cart could just be messed up though.

Replay Value: 6

The game itself is short. There are 10 levels, but you can finish them very quickly. This game gets old quick too. It's great to pick up and play every so often, but nothing you'll spend hours at a time with.

Bottom Line

Take away map mode and this is a good game. It still is, but that mode just frustrates me too much. Still, if you can find it cheap somewhere and you got a few extra bucks, this isn't a bad game to try.

Final Score: 6 out of 10