Piano Solo: This is Chase H.Q.! (Chase H.Q. Main Theme)
0This is my piano solo arrangement of the main theme from the 1988 arcade video game, "Chase H.Q.," entitled, "This is Chase H.Q.!" The ending to my arrangement references how it sounds when the screen first pops up in attract mode.
It is sometimes seen as a spiritual successor to Taito's earlier Full Throttle. The player assumes the role of a police officer named Tony Gibson, member of the "Chase Special Investigation Department". Along with his partner, Raymond Broady, he must stop fleeing criminals in high-speed pursuits in a black Porsche 928.
Chase H.Q. was ported to many home computers by Ocean Software in 1989, including versions for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Amiga and Atari ST. Taito produced versions for the Family Computer (1989), Game Boy (1990), Master System (1990), TurboGrafx-16 (1990), Game Gear (1991), and Saturn (1996). It was released for PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2007 as part of Taito Memories II Volume 2.
The game was a commercial success, becoming Japan's highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1989 while also becoming a hit overseas for arcades and home systems. The game was also well received by critics. It was followed by three arcade-based sequels: Special Criminal Investigation (1989), Super Chase: Criminal Termination (1992) and Chase H.Q. 2 (2007). Two spin-offs were also released: Crime City (1989) and Quiz H.Q. (1990).
At the start of each level the player is informed who they are pursuing, a great distance away: They must apprehend the criminal before their time limit expires. The criminal's car is constantly moving away, so if the player repeatedly crashes or drives too slowly, the criminal will escape. At some points during the game the road splits, and the correct turn must be taken; otherwise, it will take longer to catch the criminal. When their vehicle is reached, the time limit is extended; the vehicle must be rammed a number of times until the criminal is forced to stop, then is arrested.
The game includes five levels. Both the initial time limit to reach the criminal and the time extension to ram the criminal are 60, 65, or 70 seconds (depending on the dip switch setting; the dip switches can also be set so that the player can have three, four, or a maximum of five nitro boosts). The dip switch settings can also be set as to how many credits you must insert to continue the game when time expires, and whether the criminal's health bar resets upon a continue, or whether it remains where it was. (The bar starts out green when the player starts ramming into the car; it changes to yellow the further up it gets, and eventually turns red.)
When Nancy at Chase HQ (at the start of every level) calls on the radio, the frequency is always 144.X (various) MHz. This is actually the 2-meter band of amateur or ham radio frequencies. Also, during the game, a helicopter will appear, and the person flying it will radio to the drivers which way the target vehicle is going. If the player drives the wrong direction, it will take much longer to reach the criminal.
Although superficially similar in technology to Sega's Out Run, Chase HQ features significant technical advancements over that title in the presentation of perspective, hills and track splits.
Villains and the cars they drive:
1. Ralph, the Idaho Slasher (White Lotus Esprit)
2. Carlos, the New York armed robber (Yellow Lamborghini Countach)
3. Whole gang of Chicago pushers (Silver Porsche 959)
4. L.A. kidnapper (Blue Ferrari 288 GTO)
5. Eastern Bloc Spy (Red Porsche 928)
The last villain's car is always listed as unidentified.
This arrangement © me and me alone
Original music written by Takami Asano
Chase H.Q. © 1988 Taito Corporation
Theme I attempted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXRIC6HB8rQ
Full game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPjdjddz80