For a while, zombies were the talk of the media world, inserted into everything from films, to TV, to games and even books. From the hit series Walking Dead, to Valve's co-op shoot-em-up Left 4 Dead, to even a reworking of Jane Austen's classic novel entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it seemed it was nearly impossible to escape them. However, there was one zombie game which some will remember, but largely seemed to slip through the cracks: Typing of the Dead.
Originally a spin-off of the arcade classic House of the Dead, Typingof the Dead was basically the same thing: an on-rails shooter in which one or two players would battle against hordes of zombies in creepy mansions, or laboratories. Only what Typing did was remove the guns entirely and introduce words. The basic premise was that each zombie or enemy would have a word appear above them and when a player typed that word, preferably as quickly as they could, it would kill said zombie.
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Typing of the Dead coming to the PC Empire Interactive will bring Sega's fast-action typing game based on House of the Dead 2 to the PC this summer. Apr 23, 2001 8:59pm. Description of The Typing of the Dead. The Typing of the Dead is a fun and addictive typing 'game' from SEGA, essentially taking House of the Dead 2 and replacing the player's gun with a keyboard. This review of the Dreamcast version (which is identical to this PC download in every aspect except the PC replaces a couple of game modes with IPX.
Now, a new mod has been released for it which takes that concept one step further by changing the words to reflect classic submissions from the Yahoo! Answers community, which is sadly being shut down soon. The modification will preserve the nonsensical and often hilarious questions and answers that users have been posting for years. Some of these have become notorious memes in their own rights, with such hits as, 'How is babby formed?' 'What is bitcoin and why?' 'I saw a man so beautiful I started crying?' and hundreds more like it being added to the mod.
On the one hand, it's a hilarious mod that takes the cheesy B-movie styling of the original game, and the spin-off, and gives it that internet meme vibe. On the other, it almost immortalizes the archives of Yahoo! Answers in a way that only games can. With a House of the Dead remake supposedly in the works, it looks as though the franchise may make a bit of a comeback at some point. The Typing of the Dead may have only been a small modification to the original series, but it certainly wasn't the last, with the likes of Zombie Revenge and The English of the Dead adding new flavors to the games.
Zombie mods are a tried and true method for extending a game's lifespan. Games such as Red Dead Redemption and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War are popular partly for adding hordes of the undead to their stories. With this new Typing of the Dead mod being released, maybe the world of gaming isn't ready to say goodbye to zombies just yet.
The Typing of the Dead Yahoo! Answers mod is available for free now on Steam.
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Source: PC Gamer
The Typing of the Dead is an outrageous and interesting take on House of the Dead II, an on-rails zombie shooter. Instead of blasting away decaying creatures with a pistol, you'll have to type out words and phrases that appear on your screen. Originally appearing as an arcade game and later ported to the PC, this fun remix of House of the Dead II is equal parts wacky and entertaining. Besides experiencing the main game, there are also several other modes to enjoy. Multiple difficulty levels and an assortment of unlockables keep you coming back time after time, and the unique gameplay is definitely worth checking out.
The main story in Typing of the Dead is similar to a B-rate movie. A few secret agents are investigating an outbreak of creatures, attempting to find a character named Goldman. The voice acting and story is campy and at times downright bad, but it adds a funny charm to the game's wacky nature. On your journey through the game, you'll go through six distinct chapters. Each chapter of the game is an on-rails shooter segment, where your movement is guided and you simply must defeat enemies as they appear. You'll explore a variety of locations, including city streets, experimental labs, and dank sewers. Each place is packed with disgusting and hideous creatures, such as zombies, massive slugs, and chainsaw-wielding psychos. Plot wise, Typing of the Dead may not be the greatest, but it's silly enough to be forgivable.
Luckily, you'll barely care about the plot, thanks to fun and unique gameplay. For the most part, Typing of the Dead is exactly the same as House of the Dead II. You'll blast through locations killing enemies, collecting various powerups while you attempt to avoid taking damage. Instead of shooting enemies, words will pop up over them, and you'll have to type the word as fast as possible. As the game continues, words and phrases become more complex, and things pick up pace. At times things can get quite intense, and at its best, Typing of the Dead is an awesome race against the clock (and your own typing abilities). The best part is, while you're enjoying the zombie-slaying action, you're simultaneously improving your typing abilities. After spending an hour or two playing, my general typing accuracy and speed felt much better.
Unfortunately, the six-chapter story mode is pretty brief. Even on normal difficulty, most skilled typers will be able to clear the game after an hour or so. Luckily, Typing of the Dead contains a handful of additional modes to try out. Besides the main Arcade mode, there is also Original mode. This is a slightly altered version of the main game, with some tweaks to powerups and scoring. You can also check out Drill mode, which is an assortment of fun typing exercises to improve your skills. You can also race against the clock against each of the game's bosses in Boss Rush mode. That's not all; if you complete the game with the right ranking, you'll unlock a few other fun modes as well.
Overall, Typing of the Dead is a unique version of a beloved arcade classic, and it improves upon the original game in some fun ways. The game is tongue-in-cheek, and celebrates its ridiculous nature. There is a good assortment of modes to try, and the core experience is fun enough that it's worth a try. If you haven't checked out Typing of the Dead, you should definitely give it a try!
