The most commonly asked questions are listed below with potential solutions. If there is something we missed, contact IGN via the email link at the bottom of the page.
Questions that have proven answers (archived on this page) will be ignored. Remember some of the answers are associated with the achievements and trophies section ... since, well, what relevance would having a floating question-answer on this page?
Common Questions & Answers
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WTF do I do at the hill at Defence of Khe Sanh?
You interact with two yellow-black fuel drums to stop the enemy at the hill. The drums are not marked (the trench is), so you need to locate the two barrels by sight (they are atop the bottom-most bunkers; the ones near the trench). Tip them over by going up to each one and using context action.
You outpaced the scripted events and the allied bots aren't moving to push the game forward. Restart from the checkpoint. If that doesn't solve the issue, you need to restart the whole mission. Next time, don't move too far/too quickly, and let your allies move with you. Does this go against the tactics in Veteran where you need to go forward when there's a break in the enemy spawns? Yes. Yes it does.
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Is the Nintendo Wii version the same as the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 version?
Yes, with the exception that the Wii version of Black Ops lacks the top-down Dead Ops game, some split-screen modes, and the Pentagon level for zombies (the map simply called 'Five').
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For story mode, do enemies stop spawning in this game?
Yes -- but only in certain scenes. In about half the battles, the spawn caps are not present, so you have to contend with infinite enemies.
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S—, how to I beat this on Veteran?
Slow and steady progress (under cover and sprinting) towards a goal to trigger the next scene or the level end. Remember that while enemies are infinite in certain cases, there are scripted encounters where you only deal with limited numbers of enemies.
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Are there any secrets in the game?
Yes. On the main menu, alternately tap the Triggers (Xbox 360) or the 1 (or 2) shoulder buttons (Playstation 3) on the first controller. For the Nintendo Wii, shake the remote and the nunchuku side to side. When about a half-dozen taps or shakes are inputted, your character will stand up.
From there, locate and identify a black and white computer terminal on the wall behind your chair. You can enter various codes using the on-screen keyboard (you can also use a USB keyboard on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360). For a complete list of codes that may be entered, please visit IGN's cheats site.
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What does collecting audio intel do?
Gives you extra audio to listen to on the main menu. Remember ... Draaay-go-vitch
JFK, if he wasn't assassinated, would've been great comedy material for Johnny Carson.
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How many players can I have playing on one console (for MP and zombies)?
For the Playstation 3, you can only do 2-player split-screen for zombies and a guest (or fake profile) for multiplayer; the Xbox 360 allows for more players (both modes) but there are stability (and frame rate) issues.
If you want a smooth experience, do a one player to one console set-up. Just remember two things -- one, the same connection at a residence may not all be able to connect to the same game. And two, for some systems (like the Playstation 3), extra players who sign on may only be using fake guest profiles. No achievements or trophies will be earned for guest profiles.
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Can I play Zombies with a friend?
You can play Zombies with a friend on Xbox Live, Playstation Network, LAN/console-to-console (applicable to both systems) and split-screen/single-console (both systems, but limited to two players). For the Nintendo Wii, it is split-screen only.
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Is there an end to either Zombies or Dead Ops?
Nope. Endless wave. You asked for horde, you got the horde. Note that the horde is not The Horde™ from She-Ra.
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How do I turn on the power in Zombies Mode "Five" map?
Keep opening up access to different parts of the map. You will find the generator sooner than later. The switches in the control room (once it has power) may be activated to turn on the teleporters on the map. Remember that the Wii version does not feature this level for Zombies mode.
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How do I set up a LAN game?
Have a LAN/WAN in your current location or start making trips to buy category-5 cables (straight-through) and using a small network hub to create your own gaming LAN.
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Can I pick my character in Zombies?
No. Characters are randomly assigned in Zombies. This isn't a videogame like Left 4 Dead ...
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How close is COD: Black Ops to actual history?
It is loosely based on actual events in history (for example, the Bay of Pigs "invasion"); however, some events may be looked upon as fanciful fiction. Shooting up a Russian spacepad and blowing up a Soyuz rocket would've likely instigated World War III.
On the other hand, subtle sabotage of fuel lines (loose fittings, shoddy rubber, open liquids valves) by a mole or highly placed agent works far better (and is more cost-effective) than sending in an armed crew of SpecWar grunts to blow s— up. It can be made to look like an accident ... and blood money was suspected.
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Who killed JFK?
We would like to call your attention to the next slide. Back and to the left ...
