Sometimes it’s nice to take a break and unwind after playing some of the more intense, blockbuster, Hollywood-esque releases with a game that simply exists to make you smile. Some of the more lax platformers, such as Kirby, are an excellent example of such games.  But for me, the crown goes to Typing of the Dead for the Sega Dreamcast.

Sure, zombies coming at you unrelentlessly sounds nerve-wracking in theory; but the sheer joy that comes with typing words and phrases that for the most part are rather odd and comedic assuages a good amount of the tension that should really be there in a game of this nature. There’s truly no reason to take this game serious, so there’s fun to be had regardless of whether you win or lose. Even a gamer of the most intense and serious flavor would be hard-pressed to not crack a smile while playing Typing of the Dead.

Though ambitious in concept, Typing of the Dead does a good job of remaining very tongue-in-cheek throughout. Admittedly, the game is essentially House of the Dead 2 with shooting swapped for typing.  The plot remains the same, but the mindset the game is approached with is altered entirely. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would approach the concept of typing to eradicate zombies as “serious business.”

Even the greatest work of art is not without its flaws, and Typing of the Dead is no exception. While I could dance around the issue and find a way to sugarcoat it, I’m just going to come out and say that the voice-acting is terrible. Like, comedically terrible.  It’s not something I could have hidden, because it becomes immediately noticeable when the first boss speaks.  The similarity to Donald Duck’s voice is all too surprising, and diminishes the tension in what could have been a battle of truly epic proportions.

While most people like to boot up Wii Sports or Mario Party to entertain guests, I always find myself setting up Typing of the Dead for all of my friends; just so they can bask in the sheer novelty factor of the game.  At first they usually protest and tell me that the concept is terrible, but after my entreaties they’re willing, albeit reluctantly, to give it a shot. Without fail, each and every one of them came away humbled by the experience, and I still receive “Thank You” cards to this very day.

Games of this nature seem to usually sell for bloated prices on Ebay, but for some reason this gem is oft-overlooked, and for that reason is attainable for the meager sum of roughly $15 dollars. You’ll need to track down a Dreamcast keyboard as well, but those can be purchased for around $10 if you really hunt (which you should).