Lock 'n' Chase
Encyclopedia
Lock 'n' Chase is a maze arcade game
developed and published by Data East
in Japan
in 1981, and was later published in North America
by Taito
. The game was later licensed to Mattel
who produced the Intellivision
and Atari 2600
home console versions in 1982 and an Apple II
version in January 1983. Telegames
later re-published the game for the Atari 2600 after acquiring rights from Mattel. Data East released a Nintendo Game Boy version of the game in July 1990. Lock 'n' Chase was Data East's response to Pac-Man
.
and collect all the coin
s and, if possible, any other treasure
that may appear. The thief must then exit the maze (a vault
) without being apprehended by the Super D (policemen). The thief can open and close doorways within the maze in order to temporarily trap the Super D and allow him to keep his distance from them. Only two doors can be closed at a time. The Super D policemen are named Stiffy, Scaredy, Smarty, and Silly.
Coins (depicted as dots) are worth 20 points each. In every level of Lock 'n' Chase, there exist money bags that appear in the center of the maze randomly. Money bags are worth 500, 1000, 2000, and up to 4000 points, respectively, for each time they appear. Each level also has a specific treasure that appears near the center of the maze (much like the food items in Pac-Man
). These treasures include the following items (listed respectively by level): top hat
, crown
, briefcase
, and telephone
. The first three of these treasures are worth 200 points, 300 points and 500 points, respectively. Additional treasures and their point values are revealed as the player completes successive levels.
This game was released in two different arcade game versions in the US. One was part of Data East's DECO Cassette system, a convertible system designed to change games out quickly by using a cassette and special key. It was also licensed to Taito for release. The Taito version used a dedicated motherboard
and no cassette, and was made in very small quantities for a 1981 title (estimates by collectors place it at around 1200 units). This was the last Taito cabinet released in the "old style" cabinets; Taito's next arcade release, Qix
, changed over to the familiar Taito cabinet style used until the mid-1980s.
The original Lock 'n' Chase began to appear at home in 2010, included in the Nintendo Wii release Data East Arcade Classics and a release on the PlayStation Network. The Game Boy version was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console during late 2011.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed and published by Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1981, and was later published in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
. The game was later licensed to Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
who produced the Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
and Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
home console versions in 1982 and an Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
version in January 1983. Telegames
Telegames
Telegames, Inc. is a North American video game company based in Gun Barrel City, Texas, with a sister operation based in England.Telegames was well known for supporting not just modern game systems but also classic game systems, after they've been abandoned by its manufacturer. Effective September...
later re-published the game for the Atari 2600 after acquiring rights from Mattel. Data East released a Nintendo Game Boy version of the game in July 1990. Lock 'n' Chase was Data East's response to Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
.
Gameplay
The game's main character is a thief. The object of the game is to enter a mazeMaze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
and collect all the coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s and, if possible, any other treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
that may appear. The thief must then exit the maze (a vault
Bank vault
A bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents can be stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, just like a safe...
) without being apprehended by the Super D (policemen). The thief can open and close doorways within the maze in order to temporarily trap the Super D and allow him to keep his distance from them. Only two doors can be closed at a time. The Super D policemen are named Stiffy, Scaredy, Smarty, and Silly.
Coins (depicted as dots) are worth 20 points each. In every level of Lock 'n' Chase, there exist money bags that appear in the center of the maze randomly. Money bags are worth 500, 1000, 2000, and up to 4000 points, respectively, for each time they appear. Each level also has a specific treasure that appears near the center of the maze (much like the food items in Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
). These treasures include the following items (listed respectively by level): top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
, crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
, briefcase
Briefcase
A briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
, and telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
. The first three of these treasures are worth 200 points, 300 points and 500 points, respectively. Additional treasures and their point values are revealed as the player completes successive levels.
This game was released in two different arcade game versions in the US. One was part of Data East's DECO Cassette system, a convertible system designed to change games out quickly by using a cassette and special key. It was also licensed to Taito for release. The Taito version used a dedicated motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
and no cassette, and was made in very small quantities for a 1981 title (estimates by collectors place it at around 1200 units). This was the last Taito cabinet released in the "old style" cabinets; Taito's next arcade release, Qix
Qix
Qix is an arcade game, released by Taito America Corporation in 1981.-Gameplay:The objective of Qix is to fence off, or “claim”, a supermajority of the playfield...
, changed over to the familiar Taito cabinet style used until the mid-1980s.
The original Lock 'n' Chase began to appear at home in 2010, included in the Nintendo Wii release Data East Arcade Classics and a release on the PlayStation Network. The Game Boy version was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console during late 2011.