Throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Taito’s crime busting Chase HQ series rarely strayed from the limelight, gaining regular re-releases and sequels. This was particularly true of the 1988 arcade original, which ended up gracing 13 different formats. The ZX Spectrum version was especially well regarded, often cited as one of the microcomputer’s very best games.
The Super Nintendo and Game Boy saw the release of Super Chase HQ in 1994, and it seems that middling review scores saw the start of the franchise’s decline. The SEGA Saturn was lucky enough to receive an arcade collection in Japan, but despite the franchise’s rich history, and the Saturn’s future not yet decided in 1996, not a single European or American publisher aquired the rights for a western release.
Super Chase HQ wasn’t the last outing in the franchise to grace the west, however. 2000 saw the release of the Dreams Co. developed Chase HQ: Secret Police on Game Boy Color, which managed to make it to America through Metro3D and was released in Europe by Taito themselves. Again, despite the arcade original and its conversions causing a stir through the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Secret Police didn’t make much of an impact. On a system that Nintendo barely supported and was rife with low effort licensed games, it was arguably deserving of more attention.
For the uninitiated, Chase HQ puts you in control of a high-speed police cruiser and involves shooting and ramming felons off the road before they either escape or your fuel runs dry. All the while, there’s the need to pay attention to the road, avoiding civilian vehicles and hazards. The key to success relies largely on using speed boosts proficiently, not just to catch up with criminals but to also cause extra damage when ramming them off the road.
Secret Police makes a few minor changes. Now also seems like a good time to mention that it can be played on an original Game Boy, as it isn’t a Game Boy Color exclusive, coming on a black backwards compatible cart. You’re able to choose a driver and vehicle from a choice of five, each with a proficiency such as shooting and speed, and must initially intercept criminals on a top-down map screen. This adds a tactical aspect, as you may need to use a speed boost to catch a criminal before they escape. Once caught, a police chase commences.
These play out like a typical 8-bit racer – think Rad Racer on NES, or the Master System version of Outrun – and see you steering left and right while avoiding hazards. You’re able to shoot – with a limited supply of bullets – and have three speed boosts by default. The bottom of the screen also shows your distance from the perpetrator – who are wanted for such acts as jewellery store robberies and bank heists – and also informs of upcoming bends in the road. The need to press ‘B’ to shoot means you’re forced to take your finger off the accelerator for a second, while having to press ‘Select’ to boost is at first unintuitive. The lack of buttons on the Game Boy is obviously to blame here, rather than the developer’s knowhow.
Another downside is that the music is rather repetitive in addition to being ill-fitting, sounding better suited to something with an ancient Japan setting. If somebody told me it was originally for GBC re-release of Taito’s Legend of Kage, I would have believed them.
None of this is too distracting thankfully. Secret Police shifts at a fair old lick, the top-down interception scenes are demanding and well implemented, and taking down criminals is rather satisfying – especially when ramming them at over 100mph. There’s a good use of colour too, with each playable officer (Michael, George, Dominic, Leon, and Jane) having a uniquely coloured stylized vehicle.
One surprise Secret Police has in store is that it’s rather easy. The ten stages are short, lasting around five minutes each, and continues are infinite. If a felon manages to escape during a chase scene, you’re able to simply deploy another vehicle and carry on, with their health-bar remaining partly depleted. It definitely has that arcade-like feel to its sense of progression, potentially beatable in a single sitting. Today, that’s kind of appealing. Back in 2000 when this launched for £25-£30, not so much.
Although Secret Police managed to garner a few positive reviews at launch, including a 6.9 from GameSpot, it didn’t make much of an impact. You have to wonder if the drab European box art played a part in that, featuring a blurred dashboard and a hard to decipher logo. It definitely didn’t scream excitement, and it’s kind of sad to imagine that it was doubtlessly outsold by the Hot Wheels and Matchbox tie-ins released on the handheld. If you still have access to a Game Boy Color, Secret Police is one to consider next time you hit the road.