Ascension: The Greatest CoD Zombies Map of All Time

Inspired by ‪@TheSmithPlays‬ and ‪@TimHansenYT‬
Intro footage provided by ‪@Colin3Dart‬
Here is my love letter to one of the most innovative and monumental Call of Duty Zombies maps ever: Ascension.

[@ACarsLife2]

dude ascension without a doubt is my favorite, glad to see its getting some much needed love haha

[@JordanChar]

I haven't finished watching the video but I wanted to let you know that I'm glad you're back. Keep up the good work.

[@bigbadben5176]

I LOVE the resurgence in zombies lately, cool to see this video from you Kiwi!

[@ColossalKiwi]

100%! Thanks for the support!

[@beyondtrash1627]

WAIT, WHAT!!!!! I had no idea you'd already made a zombies video! It's a good thing you linked it at the end of your Call of the Dead video, lol!!

[@judethedude2155]

Indeed!

[@ColossalKiwi]

I see you're a man of culture, Mr. COD.

[@judethedude2155]

@@ColossalKiwi Not Only Is the Map Iconic But it is Also Part of the Bo1 Campaign and theres lots of things to interact with on the map!

[@neardeathexperience2095]

@@ColossalKiwi I don't agree that acceion being the best but a top 3 best map

[@BOZAK115]

Dude, I shit you not I am on Black Ops 1 right now, literally playing Ascension, and I was also watching Time Hansen and TheSmithPlay's videos about two hours ago. This is some supernatural shit.

[@DrunkGnu]

now I’m remembering back when you returned to YT, and started a livestream where you played Zombies Chronicles with some mates. the good times

[@danielhuisman1996]

God I loved playing this!! I'd let my friends run trains at the easier locations and I'd run at the turret that's close to the starting room. It was tight but I could do it! My personal favourite was honestly the icy one with George Romero. New weapons, the water ice mechanic, cool routes, a special zombie you had to take into account the whole time, the changing weather, the different pack and punch locations, the lighthouse and zipline, the new deadshot perk, zombies spawning outright into the map for the first time, a really elaborate easter egg sequence, god it was just the best! I've played that map soooooo many times.

[@ColossalKiwi]

I love Call of the Dead! It might just be my second-favourite map.

[@Scarecrowbooger]

12:48 You know that First Strike poster makes a lot more sense when you think about Ascension, Five and Dead Ops being the on disc experience for Black Ops Zombies. Think of the poster saying Black Ops Zombies instead of First Strike and it totally makes sense for the Winter's Howl and the DG-2 to be featured on the poster as both weapons were originally meant to appear on Five instead of just the Winter's Howl. The Space monkys also fit in with the Cosmic Silverback. Damn how come I've never thought of this before!?

[@meddi4709]

finally someone gets it

[@ericfernandez1965]

It's a really good game I love it bo1 is my favorite

[@yunix2396]

Damn, what a way to branch out. Hell yeah Kiwi. Good to see you posting. However, I would like to add my own reason as to why I don't agree with Ascension being the best. Bear with me as this will be very long. To be fair though, I love the points made by you on this map. Jimmy Zelinsky is great at casual zombie maps and is why many come back to BO1, before he shat the bed with BO2. This map takes alot of real world events and adds those elements in. It took place during the space race and is the reason as to why the design reflects that era of History. It essentially acts as the Russian equivalent to to Germany's Group 935 works on element 115. America and Japan had their own as well, Japan's Divison 9 that dealt with nature. However, for what Ascension does to push zombies forward, I believe Mob of The Dead is the best at what Zelinsky does and Blundells take on zombies. Firstly, easter egg story. The story and characters are the best in the series to date. Ultimus crew was hilarious and charming, but are essentially cliche archetype that delve into one trick ponies. Mob has characters of that time period, 1920s prohibition, that are understandable and in some ways relatable, even if they are terrible people as they are mobsters. Sal, Billy, Weasel, Finn all are trapped in a never ending purgatory that pits them against the undead in Alcatraz for the sins they have committed and are condemned to relieve this cycle or break it. This map has 2 different endings that can change based on the players preference for which side of the characters they agree on, and flips easter egg stort on its head by facing off against a player who is playing as Weasel. And there's compelling reasons as to why one would prefer to end it or continue. Second, level design and aesthetic. The map seamlessly ties the story into the design of the map. Blood soaked walls, firey hell scape, and its unsettling atmosphere really sell the feeling of isolation, despair, and regret. But not only that, the way you can really much go any which way to explore the map and collect the items for the flight towards the Golden Gate bridge. There is no stoping you from going to the showers, rooftop, cafeteria, or docks after you open up the starting room. A smart player can easily navigate the map with ease and know how to get everything from zombie shield parts and plane parts. And as such is a very free-flowing map that feels like you are escaping from prison,which is based off history once again. The map offers so many viable training parts such as the mention cafeteria, rooftop, the bridge, and showers; the docks have a great escape route with the gondola, underground sections that lead to docks and back up to the showers. And thirdly, game mechanics. Afterlife is an amazing alternative to not having Quick revive as you have three in solo and always refills after completion of a round, can shock zombies away from you so to revive yourself, allows the player to choose which perks and doors to unlock at any given time which gives player agency and control over the maps pace. Traps that can be upgraded to be more effective. Small little easter eggs for better weapons like golden spork and the Hell's Retriever which can be upgraded to the Redeemer, both can be charged to take out multiple zombies in one throw and is only a cool down type special weapon to replace monkey bombs. And Brutus, oh is he a great way to add chaos to your game and can keep you on your toes if you get reckless. Locking perks, mystery boxes, destroying windows, but isn't to frequent to be a problem. He can be handled pretty well, a Retriever can knock his helmet off and is easier to kill because of it, but can have multiple spawn in later rounds. Now, the wonder weapon is a little fancy here as you can acquire it from the box or through another small easter egg for free. The Blundergatt has multiple forms, and is very versatile. It can be regularly Pack-a-Punched for the sweeper, or can be formed to the acid gat and Packed to To Vitriolic Withering, both of which can lure zombies away once fired and explode after time. Essentially a monkey bomb but as a gun with more ammo. A new perk, Electric Cherry which after reloading shocks and stuns zombies close to you, giving time to recover from close calls to move pass big hordes. This was a long one, and quite frankly I wish I could've explained it in more succinct detail, but I don't want carpel tunnel. I truly believe Ascension has offered lots to players and is a key stepping stone in Zombies, but later maps took these fundamental concepts and played around more in unique ways. From Origins, Buried, Shadows of Evil, Der Eisnendrache, Gorod Krovi, Ancient Evil and IX, these maps have cemented themselves as the best maps in Treyarch Zombies, so having Ascension as one of the greats is a no brainer. I hope you got the time read through this comment Kiwi, as long as it is I want this to be more of a discussion for others to offer a valid reason to why a certain map is better or has had more impact, but in any case please continue making content man. I will happily be around.🙂

[@burnur8526]

I dont even write that much on my finals jeez

[@yunix2396]

@@burnur8526 Yeah, I really love call of duty zombies and wanted to get my thoughts out there.

[@ColossalKiwi]

Damn, thanks for contributing so much to the discussion. I agree with pretty much everything you said about Mob of the Dead - it's definitely one of the greats. Aesthetically, the whole theme of the map is astounding. The truth is that Ascension and Mob of the Dead are two completely different experiences that are somewhat difficult to compare. One perfected the old formula whilst the other revolutionised the new formula for zombies. For me, one of the key differences in Ascension's favour is accessibility; if I was to load up a game of Mob of the Dead today, it would take me quite a while to remember exactly how to Pack-A-Punch and I'd probably have to look it up again, whereas I can jump into a game of Ascension without worrying about part locations etc. and get straight into the action. To be fair though, I haven't played BO2 zombies in quite a few years.

[@yunix2396]

@@ColossalKiwi Thanks for responding. Truth be told I was very much hearing what other would say and I didn't expect you to be here. Black Ops 1 was well known for the more accessible maps of zombies in that era and is why anyone can go through them without having to care for the story or Easter Eggs. You hit the ground running and never stop; I however am not one to overlook these details and I love the chance to see what's in store. It's just that my problem stems from the design of maps after Ascension require mystery box specific wonder weapons, in Ascensions case explosive/splash damage weapons, to complete the Easter Eggs like the Baby Maker in Shangri-la, VR-11 in Call of the Dead, and the hell that is Moon's Easter Egg. A map like Mob is more so the mediator between the relax pace of Zelinsky, and the story telling and innovation from Blundell, as to get to Pack-a-punch isn't so difficult. It's why I claim that Mob does the "get in the action" better for me, As I'm judging it as a whole and as relaxing zombie killing. It's more so preference for each, I have a much easier time in maps like Mob and Origins since Black Ops 2 weapons actually give more leverage and power to the player than the shit I usually get from Black Ops 1. Thanks Kiwi. 🙂

[@DrunkGnu]

Yuni X2 seeing you so enthusiastic about zombies makes me happy. I remember living and breathing zombies, I would never touch multiplayer because I was so entranced by this game-mode. I truly loved it, and I wish I was where your brain is right now - when I was still as passionate as you are about zombies. now, unfortunately not so much. it feels as though zombies has been left in the dark, here’s hoping we get something good in the next few years. cheers guys!

[@JonTheChief]

You kept mispronouncing Tranzit and showed Ascension footage instead of Tranzit footage. Was that an editing error?

[@ColossalKiwi]

Oi

[@ColossalKiwi]

FlickyTuts - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pInPh4Nohdarlas Tim Hansen - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZ2loquYr7Fofa8 TheSmithPlays - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHStanSDi6qGZ8k More CoD Zombies, Dead Island, and Dying Light content on the way!

[@Mrchair734]

ColossalKiwi Tim Hansen is amazing. Never knew you liked zombies. COD zombies that is.

[@scream_junkie]

i loved hearing your opinion about ascension!! and it’s super cool how pat and tim reignited that spark in you! i’d love to see more cod zombies content from you if that’s something you want to do!!!💖💖

[@ColossalKiwi]

Thank you so much for the support! It means a lot!

[@ngman002]

Beautiful video

[@ColossalKiwi]

Thanks Nicholas!

[@spinenjoyer805]

Nice vid bro

[@wolffieplayz4937]

First comment, luv your vids :) 0:41-1:41 that whole sene was amazing 3:33 hahaha that was funny 😂😂😂

[@TheNexusOfEvil]

Ive had ascension from bo3 installed for so long and havent played. Guess i gotta finally play it (though i wont be using bubblegums since i hate em)

[@mrsuicidalpotato7039]

Hate to be late but holy shit I fucking miss when zombies was active. I grew up studying and doing all Easter eggs with friends and solo. What a well made video.

[@twotonetarget]

Awesome video dude. Glad to see you again. I agree with a lot of your points but my overall preference goes to Der Reice.

[@ColossalKiwi]

Thanks! Solid pick, it's in the holy trinity of simplicity!

[@IvoryiGoLDeN]

One of my all time favorite maps. You gave an extremely strong reasoning defending the monkeys

[@patrickwantstodie4894]

New upload? Nice.

[@Wheatt0]

My favorite map is moon but ascension is a close 2nd, also love the zombies content.

[@jacrispy6820]

Ur back yay

[@nathansenora5418]

Brah, what about the elevator! best experience XD

[@ColossalKiwi]

A memorable one, for sure.

[@ryanthomas5874]

Ascension is probably one of my least played maps but I might have to go back and try to go for high rounds

[@ColossalKiwi]

As you can tell, I'd highly recommend giving it a chance and trying out some different approaches to playing it :)

[@ryanthomas5874]

ColossalKiwi my brother always said this was his favorite map so he’ll have to teach me all of the strats

[@erronblack308]

It’s been confirmed actually. It’s Gersh. Edward obviously has hair anyway.

[@DarthVader964]

I miss your videos man. SO good I almost forgot. Personally, I think Call of the Dead is the best zombies map but no doubt asension is top 5. BO3 makes any map too easy with shitty gobblegum.

[@ColossalKiwi]

You know what? Call of the Dead might just be my second-favourite. Thanks for the support! BO3 zombies still did a lot of things right and at least the gobblegums are mostly optional. I love both BO1 and BO3 zombies, but they're just such different experiences.

[@mistrjt9213]

I love these kind of opinion videos vs those who repeats press releases. 👍

[@pakiy7941]

zombies seems to be making a comeback in 2020 and with dl2 on the way...oh boi

[@zemirukaiba]

I completely agree with you! I think the most fun zombies experience is from shangri la and moon combined.. Shangri la is hard but so fun, and every round you complete feels like an achievement, and moon is so versatile with the hacker. Bo3 ruined them both imo, especially moon, the worst remastered especially if you play solo and you cant keep a crawler

[@pakiy7941]

Hopefully Pat from TSP sees this before uploading his zombies retrospective episode about ascension and gives it the credit it deserves because i found out so much new shit about the map after watching this

[@ColossalKiwi]

I'm looking forward to seeing his take on this map! I felt a bit shady beating him to the punch, but I figured people would just accuse me of copying if I upload after him and we happen to have similar opinions. Glad you learned some new stuff about the map!

[@balls825]

Agree entirely I prefer the Bo3 version however it feels nicer

[@christopherwinqvist8149]

Hold up, you`re a big fan of Treyarch zombies ASWELL?? My two favorite games in one youtuber, would you look at that.

[@burnur8526]

it's pretty swell

[@grilledstone2922]

Hmm yes

[@dariuspk2850]

Bruh this came outta nowhere

[@InterpolBulliedMe]

fuck yea you're back

[@jayismlg3478]

Ascension is not perfect. I don't think it's the greatest map of all time either, but it's definitely a great map and you provide good arguments. Nice video.

[@agame08-22]

Do myth busters for all the zombie maps like at least 3 episodes for each match and it would also be cool to collaborate with Code Name Pizza

[@agame08-22]

And mabye the Smith plays

[@ColossalKiwi]

That'd be dope. I think my one BO3 zombies mythbusters video was even before Pizza started doing them.

[@jamsynczzz]

PLZZZZ DO MORE COD ZOMBIES VIDEOS!!!

[@ColossalKiwi]

Oh I definitely will! This was such a fun trip down memory lane.

[@UndertaleFan-cx2mc]

I think it's the greatest BO1 map. I think Der Eisendrache is greater, but Ascension, for BO1, was the biggest map seen yet.

[@KVN-1000]

Tranzit is the greatest map ever

[@neardeathexperience2095]

I don't agree but its a top 5

[@DavidDavid-sw4cl]

I have Xbox 360 it doesn't let me play any of the maps besides Kin der toden and Five. Why is this?

[@ColossalKiwi]

The rest of the maps are purchased via 4 separate map packs/DLC.

[@DavidDavid-sw4cl]

@@ColossalKiwi thank you

[@danielf7473]

Why did the misson broken English have the thunder gun?

[@ColossalKiwi]

The Kowloon mission in the campaign?

[@danielf7473]

@@ColossalKiwi yeah thats it sorry I've haven't play bo1 in years broken English is the name of the trophy/achievement

[@Dirvinator]

Imma have to respectfully disagree with you there.

[@ColossalKiwi]

Totally fair. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the video :)

[@Dirvinator]

@@ColossalKiwi Oh the video's great, as per usual. Simply put I sucked on this map back in the day. Hated the monkeys. Hated the Black & White gimmick. To this day I still detest alot of the Black Ops 1 maps being hampered by bad choke points. By the time it came back for BO3 in the Chronicles DLC I had lost interest so didn't really give it another go.

[@ColossalKiwi]

Completely understandable - BO1 maps sure did have plenty of quirks that made you either love or hate them.

[@neardeathexperience2095]

@@ColossalKiwi I like all b01 maps

[@Jaws-jg9zj]

*sniff* *reads title* i smell controversy. Ascension sucked ass dude, try playing tranzit. Best map 👌. Nah jk, best map was buried 🚫🧢