The Megadrive/Genesis exclusive, Chase HQ II, was developed by ITL Co., Ltd. and published by Taito in 1992. It is an enhanced, multi-vehicle adaptation of the classic 1988 arcade game, with similar gameplay to its parent.

The most obvious new feature in Chase HQ II are the three new vehicles that you can choose from at the beginning of each stage. There’s a sports car, a four-by-four, and a semi truck (ie. just the cab from an articulated lorry). Each vehicle has its pluses and minuses and they are shown before selection.

In-game there are also a number of other new features that have been added to spice up the gameplay. There are crossroads, with traffic moving across you and ramps that enable you to clear them in a single jump; there are weather events, like lightning storms, and ocean waves that crash into the road; and there are obstacles in the road that you need to avoid to prevent delays.

Just like in the original Chase HQ there are tunnels, forks in the road, undulations (hills and dips in the road), strict time limits, helicopters, and Nancy giving you instructions prior to starting. The tunnels in this are pretty good and battles with target vehicles extend into them, which is a subtle new feature.

Overall, Chase HQ II is a fun game to play, although it doesn’t differ too greatly from the first game. That said: Megadrive/Genesis owners didn’t get a version of the first Chase HQ, so this sequel is a more than adequate replacement.

More: Chase HQ II on Moby Games