# Choro Q HG 4

ChoroQ (known as Choro Q HG 4 in Japan) is a PlayStation 2 game published by Atlus in the US, Zoo Digital Publishing in PAL regions and Takara in Japan. It was developed by Barnhouse Effect. The game is marketed as a "Car-PG": a hybrid of driving and role-playing video games.
Choro-Q HG 4 (known as "チョロQ HG 4" in Japan, and as Choro-Q in all other regions), is the fourth and final video game in the "HG/High Grade" series. It was developed by Barnhouse Effect, exclusively for the PlayStation 2 console. It was published by Atlus in the US, Zoo Digital Publishing in PAL regions and Takara in Japan. The game delves deeper into the story aspect compared to other games in the Choro-Q series. Other games with predominantly story-driven content include Choro-Q Wonderful!, and Choro-Q Works.

## Plot

At the start of the game, the player is asked to select one of three colored garages (blue, green, or pink). Choro-Q HG 4 supports up to 3 different save files per memory card, with each save file being allocated to the three different garages. These three save files are able to send and receive parts and money back and forth via the Bulletin Board.
The player is then asked to select a gender (male or female), and one of three keychains (archway, car, or teddy bear). Finally, the player can choose between six different starter bodies (these change based on gender) and finally, is prompted to name the protagonist.

### Chapter 1 - First Introductions

The game begins with a brief introduction to the world, known as Choro-Q Island. 20 years ago, a Grand Prix was held on the main island of Gapecotch. The story describes how an accident occurred at this Grand Prix, and then cuts to a race, shot in sepia tone, following three racers as they race at the High Speed Oval. The point of view is from a character named Norahike, and he is initially confused as to where he is, and is unable to gain control over himself, suggesting that this is a dream or flashback of sorts. Eventually, they reach a corner, and one of the two racers, Norkia, spins out, hits the barrier, causing an explosion. This causes Norahike to wake up, revealing that it was part of a dream. He expresses confusion as to why he was having a dream like that, and questions to himself what Norkia was trying to tell him. A sense of foreboding comes over Norahike, as he begins to suspect that "something is going to happen..."
After the cutscene fades to black, another scene begins. The protagonist exits their chosen garage and goes for a drive. Eventually, a blue Toyota Celica races past the protagonist and introduces themselves to the protagonist as their rival, named Barat. He pushes the protagonist to become a racer with him until they agree, thus completing Event 1, the first event of many, that are used to signify story and side-quest progression throughout the game. From here, the protagonist is left to their own devices, with the option of driving around Brachy Town, or returning to their garage to begin racing. The story will not progress until the protagonist scores their first podium (top 3) in the Beginner Cup. Alongside the main story, there is a wealth of side-quests available from the very beginning throughout Brachy Town, and even towns unlocked later in the game (Poqui Town and Nyaky Town), which are unlocked by reaching 45kQm and 130kQm in total distance travelled respectively.
Once the protagonist scores their first podium (top 3) in the Beginner Cup, they will receive a letter from Barat. It describes how there are some road racers in the Northeast of Brachy Town. Visiting this corner of town during the night will prompt an encounter. The road racers are revealed to be Bidalt and Daktan of the Tough Chicks, that have been challenging local Choro-Q to a race, and taking their money if they lose. This will also be the fate for the protagonist if they lose, so winning this race is important! After the protagonist beats Bidalt, the camera then changes to a familiar figure driving towards them, Norahike, who arrives at the scene, scaring away the two Tough Chicks members, who describe him as a "crazy old racer", before speeding off in the opposite direction.
Norahike scolds the protagonist for wasting their talent on stupid games, and to dream big. He tells the protagonist that he will listen to their problems, and will act as a coach for the player throughout the story. Throughout the game, Norahike will instruct the protagonist on how to progress to the next stage of the main storyline, giving hints, or outright telling the protagonist what to do. After meeting Norahike, the protagonist will receive a letter from Letoba, the owner of the local cafe in Brachy Town. After reading the letter, visiting the cafe will prompt Letoba to tell the protagonist about the Emperor of the Races, a successful racer who won a series of victories in the past, but then later disappeared. Letoba tells the protagonist that this person races when they feel like it, and that the protagonist might encounter them someday.
After hearing this story, the protagonist will leave, upon which a new letter from a schoolkid named Eskan will appear in their inbox. Reading it will prompt Eskan to appear outside the Brachy School during the day. Talking to him will prompt a street race that the protagonist must win to progress forward. After beating Eskan, the protagonist will have completed all necessary Brachy Town events needed to progress the story.

### Chapter 2 - Gaining Credibility

After completing Event 5, the protagonist must unlock Poqui Town by driving a total distance of 45kQm. Upon doing so, the protagonist will receive a letter from Draoga, the older brother of Eskan, telling the protagonist to come visit the Hang-out. Approaching the location in Poqui Town (during the night) will start an encounter with the leader of the Tough Chicks, where another street race will commence. Beating Draoga will prompt the gang leader to try and recruit the protagonist, and regardless of their response, they will have earned the respect of the Tough Chicks and will have begun to make a name for themselves throughout the town.
Draoga will write to the protagonist, stating that he hopes to see the protagonist finishing 3rd place or higher in 3 different Holiday Cup races. After reaching this goal, Barat will send a letter regarding an inventor in Poqui Town. He recommends that the protagonist visits him during the day. From here, Event 20 will begin, wherein Zeltaf, a self-proclaimed genius, conducts an experiment that immediately descends into chaos. After surviving the experiment, the protagonist earns the respect of Zeltaf, who will henceforth offer the protagonist a variety of useful advice and items.
After this, the protagonist must travel a total of 100kQm to progress the story. Regardless of how the player chooses to reach the mileage objective, the main story will not progress until the 100kQm goal is reached. After reaching this milestone, the protagonist will receive a letter from Barat, challenging them to a race around Poqui Town. The race against Barat consists of 3 laps around the outer border of Poqui Town. Beating Barat will require parts worthy of winning Holiday Cup races. After winning, the protagonist gives Barat their key chain that they chose at the start of the game, and in return, they receive CD 11, Barat's theme song.

### Chapter 3 - Joining a Team

After racing each other around Poqui Town, the next step is to join a team. After the protagonist places 3rd or higher in all 6 Holiday Cup races and all 5 Beginner Cup races, the protagonist will receive another letter from Barat, explaining that teams are looking for new recruits, and that the protagonist should try visiting a team.
During the day, the protagonist is then able to attempt to join a team. Throughout the 3 towns in Gapecotch, there are Works buildings which serve as headquarters for the three main teams of each town. but the protagonist can only choose between Team Ranolfka of Brachy Town, or Team Sovass of Nyaky Town. Once the protagonist achieves a Rank C time or higher for their chosen team, they will be welcomed in as a member, and will gain access to the prestigious Pro Cup. The protagonist is required to race in one Pro Cup race to progress the story.
Another key event in Choro-Q HG 4 is also unlocked through reading "Zeltaf's Letter / Adjustment", received after the protagonist joins a team. From here, the protagonist must keep visiting Poqui Drinks at night, where Gedluna, the bartender, will eventually introduce them to Lafnek, a mechanic, who will aid the protagonist in fine-tuning their performance. The benefits offered by completing this event include access to Parts Synthesis, which gives the player access to the best parts in the game.
After taking part in the Pro Cup, the protagonist is now able to enter the Grand Prix from their Garage menu, by visiting the works team menu on odd-numbered months. Progressing forward 1 month will then begin the Grand Prix, where the player will be locked into a 5-race long tour of the world. They will not be allowed to shop online or leave their garage during this time. These races contain elements of endurance racing, with 5 laps of racing, and chassis and tire degradation, which can be fixed by driving through the pit lane situated alongside the start/finish line. After finishing their first Grand Prix, the protagonist will receive a letter from Barat, explaining that he will be at the next Grand Prix the protagonist chooses to enter.

### Chapter 4 - The Rivalry Reaches its Peak

The Grand Prix against Barat is a unique selection of races that only occurs once, regardless of where the protagonist finishes in the standings. The reward for placing 1st is missed if the protagonist does not win on their first attempt, so it is important to win if the player is aiming for 100% completion! The performance levels of the other racers are identical to the protagonist's first Grand Prix, with the exception that Barat does not drive as aggressively as the usual Team Pomnik drivers.
Barat will prove to be a relatively formidable opponent in these races, often rivalling the performance of the faster drivers. During the fourth race, as the race leader ends their third lap, the screen will fade to black, and what appears to be Barat's inner thoughts appear on screen. The dialogue changes depending on whether he is ahead or behind the protagonist, and it serves to show his determination to win the race. After the Grand Prix, both rivals are seen celebrating in the paddock area, where Barat's response will change based on where the protagonist finishes. In any outcome, he will tell the protagonist that they'll meet again, before the Grand Prix ends.
After 1 month passes from the Grand Prix against Barat, the protagonist will receive a letter from Norahike, telling them that he hasn't seen Barat at any races recently. After another month passes, Norahike will send another letter explaining that Barat is in Murtica Hospital in Brachy Town, and that they should visit him. Doing this will prompt a cutscene to start, where Barat will explain that he is having a problem with his gear, presumably from racing too much. He thanks the protagonist for visiting him, and reminds them to keep improving their skill. The protagonist must attempt to visit him again afterwards to progress the story.

### Chapter 5 - Challenging the Emperor

After the Grand Prix against Barat, and visiting Barat at the hospital twice, the story progression becomes slightly more convoluted. The next event in the storyline is Event 55, and is among a number of other events that occur at Gedluna's Poqui Drinks bar. These events can clash with each other, making it confusing for players as to when they are able to access this event.
Firstly, the protagonist must have placed 3rd or higher in 5 Pro Cup races, and will need to have visited Barat in hospital, then attempt to visit Barat at the hospital again, but get turned away. Next, they must visit Gedluna's Poqui Drinks bar. However, if the protagonist has opened "Zeltaf's Letter / Adjustment", they must complete Event 50; and/or if they have opened "Gedluna's Letter / Story", they must complete Event 48.
Gedluna will discuss the protagonist's wishes to race the Emperor of the Races. He will tell the protagonist about the owner of a cafe in Nyaky Town, and tells them to find someone named Ania there. The protagonist arrives at Arbuk's cafe, and after a small misunderstanding, Arbuk introduces Ania, and she starts the introduction by pleasantly greeting the protagonist, however, depending on the protagonist's gender, the rest of the encounter will go one of two ways, with Ania becoming extremely rude towards the male protagonist, yet supportive and encouraging towards the female protagonist. Beating Ania in a race around town will result in her handing the protagonist a Letter of Reference, which can be taken straight to Getra Palace to start the final challenge of the Choro-Q HG 4 story.
After finishing Event 63, in order to progress the story, Event 101 must be completed. It is a far more hands-on event which requires the protagonist to visit Getra Palace, and hand the Letter of Reference to Helikost; the main guard of Otto. Helikost will let the protagonist enter the palace, but they must navigate their way through the maze-like hallways to get to Otto. After completing the minigame, the protagonist and Otto meet for the first time. Two two introduce themselves, with Otto stating that the protagonist's name is well-known at the Grand Prix. Otto explains that he is essentially retired; and no longer races at the Grand Prix, but the protagonist insists, stating that Ania claimed that they cannot call themselves a true racer unless they have beaten Otto.
After laughing at the statement, Otto concedes, stating that he will race at the Grand Prix just once, and that he is looking forward to challenging the protagonist. After this event, the protagonist will receive "Otto's Letter / Next GP". Reading it will mean that the next GP the protagonist enters will feature Otto. However, before the GP can start, a cutscene will occur. The protagonist is seen leaving their team’s headquarters, when they suddenly remember to report their progress to Barat, who is still situated at Murtica Hospital.

### Finale

Upon the protagonist's arrival at the hospital, there is nobody in the waiting room, so the protagonist, knowing where Barat's room is, decides to go straight there. Upon reaching the room, the voice of Murtica can be heard from the other side of the door.
Murtica can be heard saying that she needs to tell Barat something serious; that he has a serious disease that stiffens the springs. Barat responds by laughing it off, and tells Murtica that he knows about the disease, and that he feels heavy deep inside, and hears a creaking sound. He expresses his understanding that the disease is incurable, to which Murtica can only apologise. Barat responds, saying that it's alright, that he raced to the fullest, and that his rival will race for him. This appears to cheer Murtica up, and she leaves the room.
The protagonist enters the hospital ward after Murtica leaves, placing flowers next to Barat's bed. Barat welcomes the protagonist, telling them that he heard all about the race with Otto. The protagonist, evidently having their excitement taken completely away from the occasion, is silent, and Barat realises that it is because of his disease. Barat states that he won't even let some lame disease get him, and then when he goes, it'll be on the race course. He expresses his determination to race again, and tells the protagonist to remember that. Barat gets the protagonist to promise that they will beat Otto, so that he can then beat the protagonist afterwards. This ends the meeting, with the protagonist leaving with even more determination than they had going inside.
After skipping forward a month, the GP against Otto will begin. When entering the Grand Prix, the team leader of either Team Ranolfka or Team Sovass, Lini or Kaybert, will insist on partnering with the protagonist. This GP is unique in that it consists of only tarmac tracks, with no off-road sections at all, outside of gravel traps. Before the race, the protagonist meets with Otto in the paddock area that has seen many a meeting with the protagonist's various friends and rivals in the past. Otto comments on the protagonist's driving, which he claims to have been watching closely. The protagonist responds with determination, telling him that they are going to win. Otto tells the protagonist that he is leading the world's fastest team, and that he won't make it easy, but is aware that it is ultimately his destiny to be surpassed by someone faster. The two racers steel themselves for what will be a legendary fight.
The Grand Prix proceeds as expected, however, the drama begins halfway through the third race at Trans-Trip. The protagonist’s race camera begins to fade to black, and the viewpoint cuts to the protagonist's teammate, Lini or Kaybert, racing alongside Shutiege of Team Getra. The two collide, with both crashing as a result. Lini/Kaybert is then seen radioing to the protagonist, asking if they can hear them. They tell the protagonist that they are a hero, that everyone is waiting for them to win, and to keep running until they are the last one, before they are interrupted by an explosion. The perspective then cuts back to race coverage, as the QIA Pace Car is seen leaving the pits. The race continues for a lap under safety car conditions, with all the racers following the Pace Car around before it drives into the pits. The race resumes with the accident cleared, and two less cars on the track. After the events of the previous race, Lini/Kaybert is swapped with Luluza/Olstri, and Shutiege is swapped with his brother, Ralf.
The final race takes place at Sky Highway M. The race begins, and Otto immediately gets an unnaturally quick start, which propels him far down the road, heading towards the second corner, before the other racers have even left the home straight. The Announcer responds in shock, and Otto tells the protagonist that he will show them his true power in this race. The protagonist is left behind, however, an event occurs at about three minutes into the race...
Time will freeze, and Barat will make a sudden appearance, talking to the protagonist through what appears to be telepathy. Barat seems to know that the protagonist can't win. He tells the protagonist to close their eyes, and to use their sixth sense. This begins the final push towards the line, where the protagonist must finish the remaining laps of the race with only photopsia-like formations lining the race course. this newfound power gives the protagonist the perfect opportunity to beat Otto once and for all.
After this final race, the protagonist is seen sitting atop the podium, with their fellow racers. Otto tells the player that the goddess of victory must have been smiling upon them, and that he has never had a greater race in his life. Otto remembers the "glory days" with his rivals, clearly remembering the races he took part in alongside Norkia and Norahike. Otto declares that, from now on, he will not return to the Grand Prix, and that the protagonist's glory days will begin. He congratulates the new winner, the protagonist, and the celebrations continue, as the protagonist leaves the podium to join their friends and rivals. Lafnek, Zeltaf, Ania, and Draoga circle the protagonist, each giving their congratulations. Norahike is then seen leaving the paddock, content that the events of the Grand Prix have given him the closure that he needed. He declares that "there is nothing to look back on", and begins to talk to Norkia, telling her that he can finally come and see her.
A QNN Reporter then interrupts the celebrations. The reporter informs everyone that they were just contacted by Murtica Hospital, and that Barat had just passed away. The crowd around the protagonist is silent, as the protagonist shouts "What?!" in shock, before the camera pans away into the sky. Barat's spirit is seen looking down on the protagonist from above, before disappearing into the horizon.
The final scene of the main story takes place during the protagonist's victory parade, where they are paraded through Brachy Town by Korucho and Radnize, amongst several other unnamed ChoroQ. They thank Barat, telling him that they will never forget him.

### Post-game

After completing the final main story event of the game, Norahike, and any relevant quests that involve visiting him, become permanently unavailable. It is highly encouraged that the player completes these missable events prior to entering Otto’s GP.
There are 6 Events that are exclusive to the post-game. These are generally considered to be the final quests that the protagonist completes in the story, and all of them in some capacity bring about closure to the various storylines that have been built up throughout the game. These include a final letter from Norahike, a chance for the protagonist to speak to Norkia, an ending to Otto’s story, and a hidden boss character named Kamikaze, who appears in Royal Cup races after Otto’s retirement.

## Land

Choro-Q Island is occupied by five islands, Gapecotch, Dalniche, Outpalya, Conzlart, and Bidampalc. However, Gapecotch is the only freely explorable location and has three towns featuring distinctive architecture, named Brachy Town, Poqui Town, and Nyaky Town. There are also several unique locations featured in various minigames, such as Japan-style mountain roads, highway roads, and distant desert islands.
There are also several large interiors to explore, such as a haunted house, a poorly-maintained chocolate factory, and a maze-like palace. Gapecotch also plays host to 3 of the 13 different racetrack locations in the game, specifically, Sky Highway, Uptown Resort, and High Speed Oval. The latter also features heavily in racing related cutscenes.
Each town several important landmarks that play host to the 111 different events that occur throughout the game, as well as shops, team headquarters, and other interactable characters and buildings. To travel to different towns, there are tunnels connecting each town that will unlock once the player has driven a certain amount of kQms to open the Brachy-Poqui Tunnel (45kQm) and the Poqui-Nyaky Tunnel (130kQm). The Nyaky-Brachy Tunnel will require two memory cards with a specific event activated at Baykany's Congress.
The other islands are completely inaccessible outside of races, however, there are various locations and events dedicated to some of these islands, such as the Dalniche Embassy, and a congressional vote to open a track in Conzlart.

## NPCs

‘’Choro-Q HG 4’’ is one of many Choro-Q games that has NPCs that are interactable, with many playing a significant role in its gameplay. In each town, a unique list of roaming NPCs will cycle out during each instance of the player entering the town, either through tunnels or leaving a building. Some of these NPCs are Grand Prix racers, such as Luluza, Niebo, Bernice, Nyakki, and Keish. Some NPCs, especially in Brachy Town, will tell the protagonist basic gameplay information, while others will provide lore about specific characters, or their relations to them. NPCs inside houses will have specific dialogue and events, which often (but not always) depend on the season, a specific month, or the time of day. These events may also fail to occur due to clashing events, or due to the fact that the protagonist hasn’t completed the prerequisite event(s) needed for the event to occur. Further information on events can be found here. The NPCs’ dialogue will often change depending on how far into the story the protagonist is. This is not the case for all NPCs, and many of them have dialogue changes tied to specific side-quests or other miscellaneous game progression features, such as upgrading the protagonist’s garage, or joining certain groups, or teams. Their dialogue is dynamic relative to the story, and helps the world of ‘’Choro-Q HG 4’’ feel alive and reactive to the actions of the protagonist.

### Teammates

Alongside ‘’Choro-Q HG 2’’, this game also features a teammate system once the protagonist joins a team. Depending on whether the player chose to join Team Ranolfka or Team Sovass, the protagonist will either race alongside Lini/Luluza, or Kaybert/Olstri respectively. The protagonist must choose one of the two teammates to race alongside during the Grand Prix. Depending on the month, teammates will have a different status that can be good, bad, or neutral that will affect their driving in the Grand Prix. The protagonist can choose to visit Yarg’s Church to pray that their teammates’ performance will improve. Teammates' parts can also be swapped out with three options to improve their driving in the Grand Prix, these three options generally correspond to certain terrain, with “‘’’Plan Go-Go’’’” providing street racing parts, “’’’Plan Clever’’’” providing water and snow parts, and “’’’Plan Random’’’” providing all-terrain parts. These parts do not affect the protagonist.

## Two-player Games

Choro-Q HG4 features a two-player mode. In ‘’Race Battle’’, players are given a selection of 20 different preset cars with pre-determined parts to choose from. They are able to lightly customise their cars with certain parts, such as changing from automatic to manual transmission, changing the horn or wheel parts, and equipping water and snow parts. They are also able to change their controller settings, and return to change their car at any point. “Select Course” will progress the game to another menu, wherein a selection of 9 tracks is displayed, with three courses of short, medium, and long length. In ‘’Mini Game’’, a selection of 9 mini-games adapted from the main game are available to choose from, that utilise the unique minigame maps from the story, with certain areas locked away to simplify navigation.

## Reception

Aggregate score :
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 48/100 |
Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| 1Up.com | B− |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 2/10 |
| Famitsu | 27/40 |
| Game Informer | 6.25/10 |
| GameSpot | 4/10 |
| GameSpy | |
| GameZone | 6.7/10 |
| IGN | 2/10 |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | |
| X-Play | |
The game received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of three sevens and one six, for a total of 27 out of 40.