Back when old Mr Biffo was at school, typing - like cooking, sewing, and personal grooming - was considered to be a thing that only girls did. Indeed, the only boy in the entire school to take typing as an 'O' Level was his pioneering friend Steve.
Steve's decision may have raised some eyebrows at the time, but even though Biffo never needed a typing course to develop a 65 words-per-minute typing speed, he probably would've benefitted from one, given that he now suffers from crippling RSI in the fingers and wrists and elbows - whereas Steve's digits remain flexible and limber.
Of course, we live in more enlightened times, and the line between genders has never been more blurred - indeed, modern boys are more likely to be found picking flowers, skipping in meadows, or befriending bluebirds, than punching one another in the throat, or playing war, or throwing bricks at old televisions.
Outside of, say, text adventures, there have been precious few games that have used typing as a control method. Indeed, we can only think of Sega's bizarre Typing of the Dead (and "thinking" was as far as our research went). We somehow missed it when it was released online four years ago, but there's another out there: Z-Type. Johnny-come-latelys we may be, but we're hooked.
Steve's decision may have raised some eyebrows at the time, but even though Biffo never needed a typing course to develop a 65 words-per-minute typing speed, he probably would've benefitted from one, given that he now suffers from crippling RSI in the fingers and wrists and elbows - whereas Steve's digits remain flexible and limber.
Of course, we live in more enlightened times, and the line between genders has never been more blurred - indeed, modern boys are more likely to be found picking flowers, skipping in meadows, or befriending bluebirds, than punching one another in the throat, or playing war, or throwing bricks at old televisions.
Outside of, say, text adventures, there have been precious few games that have used typing as a control method. Indeed, we can only think of Sega's bizarre Typing of the Dead (and "thinking" was as far as our research went). We somehow missed it when it was released online four years ago, but there's another out there: Z-Type. Johnny-come-latelys we may be, but we're hooked.
CATCH SOME ZZZZZs
Taking old-school shoot 'em ups as its starting point, Z-Type was described by its creator Dominic Szablewski as an "experiment", rather than a game (it is a game, though).
Part Galaxians, part Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Z-Type's enemies descend from the sky, each dragging a word with them.
Eliminating the enemies requires typing out the words, before the invaders descend onto your stupid head; once you've started typing, you need to finish before you can move onto the next word. Occasionally, a bigger ship will regurgitate a string of individual letter missiles - naturally, these motherships will have a longer word attached, or may generate a second word after the first is typed away.
Providing you're not a complete typing incompetent, it's all absurdly addictive - and best of all, you get given your typing speed at the end of each session, allowing you to lord it over people with stubby fingers. Go play here.
Taking old-school shoot 'em ups as its starting point, Z-Type was described by its creator Dominic Szablewski as an "experiment", rather than a game (it is a game, though).
Part Galaxians, part Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Z-Type's enemies descend from the sky, each dragging a word with them.
Eliminating the enemies requires typing out the words, before the invaders descend onto your stupid head; once you've started typing, you need to finish before you can move onto the next word. Occasionally, a bigger ship will regurgitate a string of individual letter missiles - naturally, these motherships will have a longer word attached, or may generate a second word after the first is typed away.
Providing you're not a complete typing incompetent, it's all absurdly addictive - and best of all, you get given your typing speed at the end of each session, allowing you to lord it over people with stubby fingers. Go play here.
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