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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mavis Beacon was never this much fun!, February 17, 2001
When I first heard about this off-the-wall remake of Sega's arcade smash hit "The House of the Dead 2," I said to myself, 'They've got to be kidding.' Now, after having played the game, I say to myself, 'Why didn't they bring this out sooner?'Graphically, the game is identical to its gun-based predecessor ... this means it's almost impossible to tell the arcade version and home version apart. The characters have been upgraded to reflect their new "weaponry" (snicker, snicker); Dreamcast backpacks and strap-on keyboards. Some of the evil undead now carry mallets and other unusual objects along with their standard knives. Fans of HOTD2 will find themselves laughing uncontrollably at how tongue-in-cheek this variant is. The gameplay is very straightforward. Type or die ... zombies, monsters or other minions appear with a word or phrase in front of them. Type in the phrase as quickly and accurately as possible in order to eliminate the creature. Sometimes you only have to enter one or two letters ... sometimes sentences with punctuation. The words used can be totally random in nature, or can follow a theme. Power-ups appear and disappear quickly, and range from the essential (life-ups) to the helpful (dictionaries, which lock in a theme for a series of words) to the silly (one powerup transforms your player into a zombie, complete with keyboard). If you can scare up a second keyboard, don't pass up a chance at two-player mode. The gameplay remains the same, with both players having a chance to complete the typing phrase to defeat the monster. Under the target word/phrase are two more copies of it, one for each player. Whoever types in the phrase first gets credit for it. This may indeed be the first truly competitive typing game, so on that alone the game receives bonus points. Target selection is still a key component here. Just like before, you need to eliminate monsters before they can harm innocent citizens. Some of these rescues required superhuman reflexes with a light gun ... just imagine what you'll need with only a keyboard. (It can be done, though.) As I already touch-type, I view "Typing of the Dead" as more of an unusual diversion than a typing coach. It does feature instruction in how to touch-type, and can definitely help brush up on your skills (some of the teaching modes tell you which keys you miss most frequently). Unfortunately, as the game carries a Mature rating, it may not be an appropriate choice for parents who are looking for an entertaining way to teach their kids typing. Overall, "Typing of the Dead" is one of the most unique videogame experiences I've had. The price is more than reasonable, the game itself is incredibly addictive, and keyboarding skills are something everyone can use.
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