The Typing of the Dead
Encyclopedia
The Typing of the Dead is an arcade game
(later ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
and PlayStation 2
), released in 1999 based on The House of the Dead 2
. While the latter is a standard light gun shooter, Typing replaces the gun with the keyboard
.
While the game is an educational game
, as it requires players to enhance their typing skills to be successful, it has been praised by critics primarily for its comedic content.
The Typing of the Dead has been described variously as a remake or mod
of the original House of the Dead 2. Like the original, Typing of the Dead is styled as a first-person rail shooter game, but substitutes shooting zombie
s and other enemies with typing out words or phrases to kill them. When enemies appear, they are accompanied by a box showing a word, sentence or phrase which must be typed to neutralize the enemy. The length, and complexity, of the phrases increase during the game's progression. Other features retained include the challenges of saving survivors, which will alter the path the player character will take to his final destination, and the secrets/bonus items hidden throughout the game.
All levels contain specific challenge areas, where the player is required to kill a certain number of zombies in limited time, and are ended with a boss battle using some sort of alteration of usual gameplay (e.g. a long phrase, typing the correct answer to a question etc.) The console ports have two modes, "Original" and "Arcade," for the main storyline, as well as "Tutorial," "Drill," and "Boss" modes for additional typing training. Other changes are mostly superficial, including replacing the weapons wielded by zombies with harmless items and equipping the AMS agents with keyboards attached to backpack Dreamcasts with oversized batteries (even on the PC version), and one of the bosses, The Tower, has three heads instead of five heads.
s is soon traced to "Goldman," a banking tycoon and scientist who is attempting to end human control of the earth. Much of the game revolves around destroying Goldman's creations, concluding with the final boss
of "the Emperor." There are three possible humorous ending sequences, dependent on how the final questions asked to defeat the Emperor were answered.
Bungee Ending- This scene is also similar to the first one, but as Goldman falls halfway, a bungee string can be seen attached to his leg. The scene plays backwards as Goldman can be seen standing back at where he was, giving out a laugh. In order to achieve this ending, one must type out honest and untruthful/strange answers when he is asked the questions in the boss fight.
Superman Ending- This scene is similar to the first one, but as Goldman bids farewell to the narrator, he raises his hands up as he rises to the sky. In order to achieve this ending, one must type out untruthful answers when he is asked a question in the boss fight.
The Typing of the Dead was first released for arcades in Japan in 1999 with a special arcade cabinet equipped with dual QWERTY
keyboards. The game was one of the first developments by Smilebit, a developer team from Sega
which had recently spun off as a new company.
The first home console release was made for the Japanese Dreamcast market on March 30, 2000. The North American release was made the following year in January. A PC
port was produced by Empire Interactive
, and released in September 2001.
The most recent port of the game was for the PlayStation 2
, titled The Typing of the Dead: Zombie Panic. This version was released exclusively in Japan in late December 2004, and was packaged with a USB keyboard. The game was mostly unchanged, disappointing observers hoping for an update of the graphics, although the Dreamcast backpacks were replaced with PS2 backpacks and new "minigames" were incorporated into the main story.
The game was made available on GameTap
in October 2007.
A sequel game, The Typing of the Dead II, was released in arcades in 2007. This version was a revision of The House of the Dead III
, and has only been released in Japan as of 2008. Sega has also announced production of English of the Dead, another revision of House of the Dead 2 for the Nintendo DS
, designed as a language-learning game.
A revised PC version of the game, The Typing of the Dead: Featuring Minna no Shuushoku Katsudou Nikki, features a 'Job Hunting' mode designed to help people find jobs.
On September 27, 2010, ScrewAttack
released a fangame of The Typing of the Dead, titled Texting of the Bread, for iOS. It involves a girl, voiced by Corey Pettit, fighting zombified gingerbread men with milk.
One area of the game which was generally criticized, to varying degrees, was the quality of the graphics, which had not been updated from the original House of the Dead 2 's arcade version. PC World
was so unimpressed with the game's premise they listed it as a runner up on a "Top Ten Worst Games" list.
Game Informer has named the game the weirdest game of all time.
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...
(later ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
), released in 1999 based on The House of the Dead 2
The House of the Dead 2
The House of the Dead 2 is a light gun arcade game with a horror theme and the second game in the The House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Sega for video arcades in 1998 and later ported to the Dreamcast and Microsoft Windows, and also found on the Xbox as an unlockable bonus in...
. While the latter is a standard light gun shooter, Typing replaces the gun with the keyboard
Keyboard (computing)
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
.
While the game is an educational game
Educational game
Educational games are games that have been designed to teach people about a certain subject, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play...
, as it requires players to enhance their typing skills to be successful, it has been praised by critics primarily for its comedic content.
Gameplay
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
of the original House of the Dead 2. Like the original, Typing of the Dead is styled as a first-person rail shooter game, but substitutes shooting zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s and other enemies with typing out words or phrases to kill them. When enemies appear, they are accompanied by a box showing a word, sentence or phrase which must be typed to neutralize the enemy. The length, and complexity, of the phrases increase during the game's progression. Other features retained include the challenges of saving survivors, which will alter the path the player character will take to his final destination, and the secrets/bonus items hidden throughout the game.
All levels contain specific challenge areas, where the player is required to kill a certain number of zombies in limited time, and are ended with a boss battle using some sort of alteration of usual gameplay (e.g. a long phrase, typing the correct answer to a question etc.) The console ports have two modes, "Original" and "Arcade," for the main storyline, as well as "Tutorial," "Drill," and "Boss" modes for additional typing training. Other changes are mostly superficial, including replacing the weapons wielded by zombies with harmless items and equipping the AMS agents with keyboards attached to backpack Dreamcasts with oversized batteries (even on the PC version), and one of the bosses, The Tower, has three heads instead of five heads.
Plot
The plot of the game follows that of House of the Dead 2 almost completely. The story begins on February 26, 2000, where another zombie outbreak has occurred and several AMS agents have been dispatched to investigate. The player can control two characters, James and Gary, who are first sent to find the original game's "G" before being tasked with restoring order. Responsibility for the outbreakOutbreak
Outbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...
s is soon traced to "Goldman," a banking tycoon and scientist who is attempting to end human control of the earth. Much of the game revolves around destroying Goldman's creations, concluding with the final boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
of "the Emperor." There are three possible humorous ending sequences, dependent on how the final questions asked to defeat the Emperor were answered.
Endings
Explosion Ending- After the character defeats the Emperor, he runs up to Goldman just to see him committing suicide by falling off the building. As he lands onto the ground, an explosion can be seen before the game ends. In order to achieve this ending, one must type out honest answers when he is asked a question in the boss fight.Bungee Ending- This scene is also similar to the first one, but as Goldman falls halfway, a bungee string can be seen attached to his leg. The scene plays backwards as Goldman can be seen standing back at where he was, giving out a laugh. In order to achieve this ending, one must type out honest and untruthful/strange answers when he is asked the questions in the boss fight.
Superman Ending- This scene is similar to the first one, but as Goldman bids farewell to the narrator, he raises his hands up as he rises to the sky. In order to achieve this ending, one must type out untruthful answers when he is asked a question in the boss fight.
Credits
Like the usual game-play, one must type out the whole credits and will be rewarded with a dancing zombie breaking open from a test tube. In order to have all zombies broken free, he must type out everything without any mistake. The scene will then cut to various angles of the dancing zombies.Releases
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboards. The game was one of the first developments by Smilebit, a developer team from Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
which had recently spun off as a new company.
The first home console release was made for the Japanese Dreamcast market on March 30, 2000. The North American release was made the following year in January. A PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
port was produced by Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive was a UK based video game developer and publisher founded in 1987. It was closed under administration on 4 May 2009.-About Empire Interactive:...
, and released in September 2001.
The most recent port of the game was for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, titled The Typing of the Dead: Zombie Panic. This version was released exclusively in Japan in late December 2004, and was packaged with a USB keyboard. The game was mostly unchanged, disappointing observers hoping for an update of the graphics, although the Dreamcast backpacks were replaced with PS2 backpacks and new "minigames" were incorporated into the main story.
The game was made available on GameTap
GameTap
GameTap is an American online video game service established by Turner Broadcasting System . Dubbed by TBS as a "first of its kind broadband gaming network", the service provides users with classic arcade video games and game-related video content...
in October 2007.
A sequel game, The Typing of the Dead II, was released in arcades in 2007. This version was a revision of The House of the Dead III
The House of the Dead III
The House of the Dead III is a 2002 light gun arcade game with a horror zombie-survival theme, and the third installment to the House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Wow Entertainment and Sega. It was later ported to the Xbox in 2003, Microsoft Windows in 2005, and the Wii in 2008,...
, and has only been released in Japan as of 2008. Sega has also announced production of English of the Dead, another revision of House of the Dead 2 for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, designed as a language-learning game.
A revised PC version of the game, The Typing of the Dead: Featuring Minna no Shuushoku Katsudou Nikki, features a 'Job Hunting' mode designed to help people find jobs.
On September 27, 2010, ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
released a fangame of The Typing of the Dead, titled Texting of the Bread, for iOS. It involves a girl, voiced by Corey Pettit, fighting zombified gingerbread men with milk.
Reception
Overall, The Typing of the Dead was well received by critics as being an enjoyable game. Reviewers appreciated the absurdist humor that the game's format created, especially in the unusual phrases the game generates during later levels. The sub-par voice acting of the original House of the Dead 2 was also considered to add to this aspect of the game.One area of the game which was generally criticized, to varying degrees, was the quality of the graphics, which had not been updated from the original House of the Dead 2 's arcade version. PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
was so unimpressed with the game's premise they listed it as a runner up on a "Top Ten Worst Games" list.
Game Informer has named the game the weirdest game of all time.
External links
- site for the PlayStation 2 port (Japanese)
- The Typing of the Dead manual
- Audio Atrocities - Voice Acting samples