Older gamers may remember the Sega classic The House of the Dead. The game became an arcade sensation and spawned several sequels and spin-off titles. While most of The House of the Dead games center around light-guns and shooting down countless hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, one spin-off takes an off-beat approach that caught many fans off guard upon release.
The Typing of the Dead is basically a reskin of The House of the Dead 2 that requires players to type various words and sentences to mow down oncoming zombies. The game disguises itself as a mindless action shooter, but hidden underneath its bloody outer layer is an impressive teaching tool that drastically improves a player's typing skills.
Unlike most typing programs, The Typing of the Dead's exhilarating gameplay gives players an enjoyable experience while fine-tuning their typing abilities. The Typing of the Dead presents itself in an entertaining fashion, giving players the impression that they're playing a video game when they are really using educational software.
The game also has a cheesy, B-rated movie style that breaks up its violent gameplay with ridiculous, over the top humor. The main characters strap portable typewriters to themselves and somehow used their advanced typing skills to annihilate hundreds of zombies. The voice acting is incredibly exaggerated, giving it a "so bad it's good" vibe that will induce more than a few laughs. Its distinct characteristics make it one of the most engaging pieces of edutainment on the market.
The Typing of the Dead still holds up more than 20 years after its initial release. All the gory goofiness has aged like fine wine and the typing mechanics are as impressive as ever. While the original Dreamcast version can be hard and somewhat expensive to find, its sequel, The Typing of the Dead: Overkill, is available on Steam and captures everything players know and love from the original, but with a fresh coat of paint.
The Typing of the Dead doesn't get enough credit. Most people think it's just another zombie game when it's actually an advanced typing program that can take a gamer's typing skills to incredible new heights. The game is as entertaining as ever and still holds up as a fantastic typing tool. Players who want to put their typing skills to the test while also massacring hordes of ruthless zombies can do both.