165 minutes of glorious Der Riese

As we revisit Black Ops Zombie Mode

It is possible that yesterday Graybush and I played Zombies. It is also possible that we managed to dupe Coxxorz into joining us. What can I say, he should read his Xbox Live invites more carefully.

That's how we ended up playing Der Riese for two hours and forty five minutes. I would rather not say what time we started playing so that I can blank out the memory of what time we finished. I needed a lot of coffee to get moving this morning.

Two nights previously (stay with me, this makes sense) Graybush and I had revisited Call of the Dead and I was surprised by Graybush's question at about Level 8. "Has that perk machine always been there?"

I ran over to join him at the bow of the ship and discovered a perk-a-cola machine that we had not seen before. Well, technically, we had seen it before. On the Moon.

One of the new perks added for the Moon map was Mule Kick. The Mule Kick perk ...allows the player to hold three guns at once. It costs 4000 points to buy, making it the most expensive Perk-a-Cola available to date.

But we had never seen this perk machine in Call of the Dead or in Shangri-la where we found it a little later that same evening.

Last night Coxxorz, Graybush and I found it in Der Riese

The Mule Kick perk-a-cola machine in Der Riese

It was also available in Verruckt. Graybush and I saw it there before Coxxorz joined us.

The Mule Kick perk-a-cola machine in Verruckt

Apparently Treyarch in one of their many updates had inserted the Mule Kick perk-a-cola machine into all of the previous map packs. Something we had not noticed until this week. I wonder if it is in Nacht der Untoten? Darn, I'll have to play more zombies to find out.

It did make me realize just how long it has been since Graybush and I have played zombies. Too long. Way too long.

Apparently since September 27th. According to my extensive research that is the update that added Mule Kick to the old maps. I do find it hard to believe that we had not noticed before now but there it is.

We figured that being able to carry a third primary weapon would be useful in surviving longer. Particularly the additional ammo.

And it did. Kind of.

Generally what it meant for us was we ran out of money faster than normal, that we could have even more empty weapons than normal, that switching to a specific weapon took just enough extra time it allowed zombies to get closer (too close), that upgrading three weapons was harder than upgrading two weapons, that if you have two light machine guns and the wuffe-wuffe it is impossible to move fast, and most importantly, if you went down it cost a lot more than normal. Not only did Mule kick cost $4000. You lost one of the three weapons when you went down. You lose your perk so you can only carry two weapons. Somehow you always lost the weapon you most wanted to keep. Tickle trunking for a third gun cost $950 each until you get a good weapon and upgrading it cost $5000. So at least $10000 not including juggernog and speed reload.

Coxxorz spent three levels in a row with two empty guns and one new one. He had needed to be revived and never quite got enough money to get back to all perks and all new weapons. After I went down at Level 20 my seemingly plentiful $32000 depleted down to $9000 before I was ready for the next level. I never quite got back to that amount of cash again.

We did have a lot of fun learning these lessons. Graybush and I were a little rusty but we both got entertainment watching Coxxorz get lost at least once each (and every) level. "I don't play this a lot!" It's the only way I know!" "Where the hell is speed reload?" The litany went on. And on.

My favourite part of the evening was spotting Master Chief. NO really. I was running through the boiler room to get upstairs when I could have sworn I saw Master Chief against the wall. I went back and found him again. My exclamation of "I just saw Master Chief!" was greeted with derision until I called them over and showed them my discovery.

Master Chief? Is that you?

Sure, it's no Jesus on a piece of toast but there is a definite similarity to Master Chief. Intentional? Probably not. But I don't remember ever seeing it before and I have been through that room a lot. Anyway, I digress.

Did the new perk help? Yes. It got us to Level 29 with three players. Which is pretty good particularly when one of the three players is Coxxorz.

Level 29. Not bad at all.

Level 29 involved everyone running out of ammo with all three weapons. A lot of running around the map in circles. A lot of buying weapons off the wall. And worse the discovery that after three quick teleports in succession you can not teleport again no matter how many times you press X. According to the Call of Duty Wiki, "There is a delay between using the teleporters, as they need to recharge." Well. Good to know. NOW.

Look at that! Mule Kick is in Nacht der Untoten! That's pretty impressive as it never had any Perk-a-cola machines before.

And there was no sign of Master Chief in the original World at War Der Riese no matter how much I squinted.

No sign of Master Chief here

Note: It was hard but I had to play solo Zombies just for this story.