You were retreading steps you'd already taken through the triumph that is the eccentrically translated dialogue, stilted dubbing and batshit plot of House of the Dead 2. The delight of the original Typing of the Dead was twofold. Now you have learned the phrase 'nostril oil', and so have your fingers.

As with the original Typing of the Dead on the Dreamcast, words pop up in front of your foes, you type the words, and each correctly entered letter sends a bullet flying into a mutant, zombie, or giant insectoid's brain. Now developers Modern Dream have given this gawky, spirited shooter the Typing of the Dead treatment: that is to say, they have made a cute typing tutor out of it. However, it was very satisfying as a lightgun-esque on-rails shooter, even if it didn't quite hit the same mark as the absurd dialogue of the classic House of the Dead 2: 'G'S BLOODSTAINS?!'

The writing for Sega's 2009 Wii exclusive, The House of the Dead: Overkill - later released for PS3 - was similar over-the-top broschlock that was above average for a game, but way below par for a Tarantino homage. Games haven't done Quentin Tarantino much of a service, really. I imagine the nervy film director playing the 2009 console game Wet, his trembling hand scrabbling for his small carved totem of Uma Thurman, the mantra 'this is forgettable this is forgettable this is forgettable' running around and around his head. 2013 may be the Year of Luigi, but 2009 was the Year of Tarantino-Inspired Games.

Typing of the dead