> I didn't like that it kept track of the number of syntax errors and how long it took me to finish, that doesn't seem conducive to learning/practicing.

I wouldn't want that in an interactive tutorial or training program, but it sounds exactly like something a game would do. It means you can try to beat your previous times, decrease the number of errors next time, or even compare yourself against others. It provides a measure to gauge progress. I'm not usually the type to care about that sort of thing in games, but I know a lot of people are.