User blog:Legos-Rule-15/Opinion of the Zombies Series

The Zombies series has been a very popular gamemode in the Call of Duty series. I agree with this, but am very much disappointed that the series has ended. I am a huge fan of Zombies, so here are some of my opinions of all the maps.

These are my experiences of Zombies. I am not basing this entirely on my skill, but the gameplay on the maps and how Treyarch has evolved (usually) Zombies throughout the years. These are my thoughts on Zombies, so please don't criticize me.

Nacht der Untoten
Nacht der Untoten is a great introductory map for the Zombies theme. It debuted the universal Mystery Box and Ray Gun afterall. The map is very easy, even too easy. The few number of zombies per round makes the rounds progress faster, but at the same time gives you fewer points. The other reason it is too easy is because the zombies don't attack through the barriers.

The Mystery Box has become a symbol to zombies. However, the flaw with it in this map, and all other World at War maps, is it having Bolt-Action Rifles inside. Afterall, why spend 950 points for a Kar98k when you can buy it in the next room for only 200? The Sniper Cabinet is almost the opposite of the Mystery Box. Instead of giving you the chances of obtaining an LMG or M2 Flamethrower, you will always be given a scoped rifle. Unfortunately, 1500 points for a scoped Kar98k seems a bit high when you have the Mystery Box available. If I had to buy any other weapon, I would spend the 1500 on a Trenchgun or Thompson.

Nacht der Untoten was a really good map, even if it doesn't have the Power Switch. It is fast paced and easy. A very basic map compared to other maps. The only problems with it seem to be the ease of the map and the absence of many utilities. Besides these minor difficulties, it is a fun map to play with friends. My favorite part of it is the radio next to the Mystery Box where you can play songs from campaign. This map is what started Zombies. Without it, I wouldn't be on this wiki.

Verruckt
There were a lot of changes made between this map and its predecessor. There were a lot of things added to the zombies experience. For starters, it was quite a lot bigger than Nacht der Untoten. Another thing that changed were the zombies' behavior. They were more aggresive. They ran faster and could now attack through barriers.

One thing that stands out was the map layout. Whereas in Nacht der Untoten you had to open only one door to get the Mystery Box, now you had to open anywhere from 3 to 5 doors. A unique feature was the map having two spawn areas separated by a door, which could be opened only by turning on the power.

That is my next topic: the Power Switch. There were many things that the Power Switch contributed to the gameplay. Besides opening the door between the spawn areas, it turned on the four Perk-a-Cola machines. The perks allowed you a better survival chance on this map, especially since the zombies you faced were more aggresive. Without Juggernog and Speed Cola, you have quite a disadvantage over the undead. And since their debut, they were essential to any and all zombies players. Double Tap Root Beer and Quick Revive were also useful, albeit not as much as the other two. Double Tap was actually quite beneficial in this and the other World at War maps, mostly due to a majority of the weapons having a slower rate of fire. Quick Revive though, was only good on Co-op, much like the map itself.

There a few other features that added to the game. One was the Electro-Shock Defenses, which was quite if you needed a time to reload, revive, or purchase an item. There were a few weapons added to the map, of these being the Bouncing Betties and PPSh-41. The Bouncing Betties were always useful if in trouble.

Overall, Verruckt is an excellent map, and somewhere on my top map list. It is a lot better than Nacht der Untoten, and makes for a different playing field. It contributed to the zombies theme more than any other due to the zombies' behavior, Power Switch and Perk-a-Colas. Without them, zombies would be either too difficult or too easy.

Shi No Numa
Shi No Numa was a memorable map. It debuted some great things, but it didn't really stand out above Verruckt. Only two things that carried on to other maps debuted. The first was the Wunder Waffe DG2. It is an amazing Wonder Weapon, but has a few drawbacks. Of these being that there is serious splash damage. Another problem was that there was low ammo, even if a single shot could kill 12 zombies. The main thing is that you receive fewer points from these kills, which I find only problematic if you need perks. The other feature was the Original characters. They had more character than the Marines in the previous maps, and really started the whole story for zombies. Without them, there would probably be no maps later on or they would feel very empty, even boring. The plot is what gave me such an interest in the theme.

The worst problem in this map was the swamp, as your mobility was slowed down significantly. The other thing people will argue about is that there are perks and traps, but you don't have to turn on the power to use them. I find this rather a burden, because in place of the Power Switch, you have to worry about random Perk spawn locations. Unlike Verruckt where you have Jugg in the same spot every game, Shi No Numa makes it so you have to find it and other Perks you want. I don't know how many times I have had enough points for Jugg, and instead Double Tap Root Beer or Quick Revive spawns.

Shi No Numa had a lot of debuts, though I find most to be small. Besides the new characters and the DG2, you have to two new utilities: the zipline and the flogger. The Zipline is very useful, but once you arrive at the Doctor's Quarters, you have to worry about going back through the door in which the zombies will need to go through to get to you. The Flogger has its pros and cons to it as well. For one thing, you can crawl under it if necessary. However, this allows crawlers to get through. You can decide whether you find that as useful or as a hindrance. For me, it can go either way, depending on the situation. The only problem is you will die if you run through it, even if you have Jugg, unlike the Shock Defenses. This can be a problem if someone turns it on when you aren't on the other side, due to crawling being slow. Another major thing was the Hellhound enemies. They gave you an extra challenge, and as a reward for the round, you got a Max Ammo. The last major thing was the Trophies/Achievements that you can earn in the map.

Shi No Numa was a fair map. The things it contributed to most was the story. The hidden radios and the debut of the characters gave it a newer feel to zombies, along with the weapons and traps. The other was the Hellhounds. All in all though, the map is as good as Shi No Numa. Those maps contributed to Zombies more than any other, although there is a sole feature absent from both maps. Not the best map, but certainly one of the most memorable and contributing to the zombies franchise.

Der Riese
What can I say about this map? It is amazing, bringing back the best features of last few maps, while adding several new ones as well. The best things it brought back were the Perk-a-Colas, the Electro Shock Traps, the DG2, and the Hellhounds. Some of the things that Der Riese debuted with were the Teleporters, Pack-a-Punch, and the Monkey Bomb. The Teleporters were a great feature. It is an extremely efficient utility for those who need to get to Pack-a-Punch during a round a don't wish to risk getting trapped in a hallway. Of course with this you have to spend 1500 points. I don't usually bother with the teleporters because I would rather spend my points towards something more useful. The teleporters main use is to open Pack, but besides that, it is quite often forgotten by players. Pack-a-Punch is by far the best debut in this map. Afterall, who wouldn't want to upgrade their weapon? The worst drawback is having to connect all of the teleporters before you can use it. The only thing more useful is Jugg. Last, the Monkey Bomb debuted. This Wonder Weapon is useful for players who need to do something without getting trapped, like Pack or revive a player.

Some other things that came with the map were the Bowie Knife and Fly Trap easter egg. The Bowie Knife is devasting, but it only lasts as one hit kill to round 10. After that, it can be quite useless due to the higher multitude of zombies that can be present on the map. And last, let's not forget the Fly Trap. After all, who doesn't want to get a Trophy? Okay, yes, that is the only real purpose of it. There is no reward like points or perks, unlike its successors. Really quite a bad easter egg, unlike the song Beauty of Annhilation.

Like other maps though, Der Riese has its flaws. It doesn't quite have the asthetic detail of Verruckt, nor does it have the gameplay of Shi No Numa. The main flaw is with the difficulty in the map. It is too easy to get to high rounds, and after two or three games in a row where you get to round 20, it gets boring. It just isn't as fast paced as the other maps in World at War, which means it will take a lot longer to get this far.

Nonetheless, Der Riese has brought four great contributions for later maps. Monkey Bombs are always useful, as is Pack-a-Punch. The Bowie Knife isn't as effective in World at War though, due to there being no Ballistic Knife. Last, the teleporters found their use, but were more favorable in Kino der Toten. All in all, it made its fair contributions to zombies, but not as much as Shi No Numa or Verruckt. The only thing that has held it back were the graphics and slow gameplay. Besides this, easily my second most played zombies map.

Kino der Toten
Much like Nacht der Untoten, Kino der Toten is very basic, at least when you compare it to all the other maps in Black Ops. In other words, I love it. Kino der Toten has the gameplay of Verruckt, combined with the features of Der Riese (which had combined features from its predecessors). The map layout is much like Verruckt, having the Power Switch on the opposite side of the map. The only frustrating thing about Kino der Toten is the Mystery Box. Unlike the previous maps, the Box has a random spawn, which can make it difficult to obtain the better weapons in the map. A great thing about Kino der Toten was the Pack-a-Punch being separated from the zombies. The teleporters had more purpose than in Der Riese.

The return of the Electro Shock Defenses was a big pro. In addition, the Fire Trap and Auto-Turret debuted. They were well thought out traps in my opinion. The biggest things that occurred were the debut of Fire Sale and the solo function of Quick Revive. Fire Sale aided whenever the Box was out of reach, and the secondary use of this perk enhanced the experience when playing solo. Let's not forget the Thundergun. An amazing weapon, the only problem I found with it was its low ammo reserve.

The new Nova 6 enemies weren't that great of a debut, however. They hardly made it more difficult to play, and the gas they released upon death was extremely problematic while running a train in certain areas. The new cold-war weapons were a big change when you compare them to the WWII weapons. There were a lot of cool weapons, but even then, I wish more WWII weapons had been kept for the map.

Kino der Toten is one of the