How to Get the Nazi Zombies on "Call of Duty: World at War"

By Seth Amery

Updated September 22, 2017

"Call of Duty: World at War" developers Treyarch truly put its personal spin on the series with the inclusion of a Nazi Zombies gameplay mode: The first time the mode was ever available in the series. Unlocking this game mode, which has you fending off a zombie invasion, involves different prerequisites depending on the version of the game you're playing.

Unlocking Nazi Zombies Mode

The unpatched, launch version of "Call of Duty: World at War" on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC has clear requirements for unlocking the additional zombies game mode: finish the game in any difficulty setting and sit through the entirety of the staff credits. Once the credits finish rolling, you'll be able to start playing the new mode immediately. In a downloadable patch, the publisher removed this requirement, letting gamers play Nazi Zombies immediately without the need to finish the single player campaign. Re-release copies of the game, such as the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits version of "World at War," include this patch by default.

Unlocking iOS Zombies Mode

On iOS devices, this mode exists as a separate app: "Call of Duty: World at War - Zombies." When you first load the game, you must complete the first level in which a dying man offers you a tutorial, designed to help you survive on your own. Once you survive the tutorial, however, the game plays similar to the console and PC versions. The major difference is the controls, and three controls options exist: the default touch screen mode, a dual stick mode designed to mimic a controller and a tilt mode that takes advantage of the device's inner accelerometer.

Versions Without Zombies

As the iOS app makes evident, not all copies of "World at War" are the same; in fact, the mode doesn't even exist on some versions of the game. For example, in the Wii version of "Call of Duty: World at War," the mode is entirely absent. The same is true for German copies of the game regardless of the platform, due to strict rules about the portrayal of Nazis. Not only is the mode missing from the game in offline mode, but gamers playing a German version of the game can't join a game of Nazi Zombies that a different region is hosting.

Tips for Survival

Surviving this mode is tough without preparation and help; a solo venture is the most dangerous of all since it means you're the only one fending off zombies throughout the entire building, Playing with four players is ideal and gives you the best chance for survival. The first round won't prove too difficult even with your poor starting weapon; however, look to upgrade your gun before unlocking any new areas. Avoid items that instantly kill all zombies until you reach later levels; you'll lose much-needed points if they're used early on due to the lower number of zombies present. On the other hand, scrounging for points isn't quite as important after the first 20 rounds, so you can stop stressing over the Double Kill pickup that a hostile group is blocking.

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