Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms has a very interesting history. From the originals on GameCube and handheld versions on the DS; the Wii and Wii U ports of CoD games has a unique flair to them, and surprisingly not just because of the Motion Controls. Especially starting with World at War, that was the first CoD on a Nintendo Console to have Online. It felt as if Wii owners were getting their first taste of the full Call of Duty experience. While the graphics were obviously downgraded and no Zombies nor DLC were present, it was still a very legit and engaging online experience.

   After that during the launch of Modern Warfare 2, the Wii got the original CoD 4 instead with a team over at Treyarch picking up the ball to release a version to the motion console. Modern Warfare Reflex Edition felt like the whole CoD 4 experience because it basically was. A really well done port to a console that didn’t have the highest focus on Shooters, but was very appreciated by the Wii FPS Community.

   Yet the best Call of Duty experience would come afterwards with the release of Call of Duty Black Ops in 2010. While a magnificent game on its own, it gave Wii owners closest to the full CoD experience as they could possibly get. Not only did we finally get to play Zombies, but we were able to use a regular controller to play, and also use headsets to talk to other people online which believe it or not was pretty mind blowing on the Wii back in the day. Of course there was still quite a bit left out due to the hardwares constraints and the small dev team such as:

- The other Zombies maps besides Kino Der Toten
- the Emblem Editor
- Face Paint
- The Camera Spike
- Flamethrower Attachment
- As well as the Valkierie Rocket, Chopper Gunner, and Gunship Killstreaks
- Oh and anybody within the community will never forget the infamous yet oddly endearing not gold, but “Mustard Camo”

   Nevertheless most of that did not matter compared to what we did receive. Black Ops on Wii even received Double XP weekends and Nuketown 24/7 events which was awesome. One surprising difference in the Wii Version was the map Havana, which was missing the end sections of the map. However, this actually made it more compact and faster pace, similar to the likes of Nuketown and Firing Range which actually made the map even more exciting.

   The only huge bummer was the fact that the Wii never got any DLC Packs despite the instruction booklet saying it was coming. There were so many people that wanted to see the First Strike Pack make it into our little but wonderful port of the game. That did not happen, Yet all in all Call of Duty Black Ops for the Nintendo Wii was a solid port that seemed to push the boundaries of what the Wii could do as much as it possibly could. There was even a surprisingly high player base on the Wii, not rivaling the likes of the Xbox 360 or PS3, but still a good number of players online on its own.

   MW3 did make its way to the Wii and it did include just about all the features that Black Ops brought to us, such as controller support and voice chat. The only real issue it had was a slight problem with aiming and minor connection issues but overall was another solid version of CoD. Later on the Wii U would receive Black Ops II and Ghosts, which were very solid versions of those games. Especially with the graphical improvements of the Wii U, it was a very nice upgrade. They also did in fact get their Pre Order Bonus Maps albeit later on: Nuketown 2025 and Free Fall respectively, which was a delightful inclusion. However like the Wii, Wii U players did not receive the rest of the DLC including Map Packs.

   Since then there has been no more Call of Duty’s that have appeared on Nintendo consoles. No more on the Wii U, none on the 3DS, and zero have yet to make their way onto the Switch. It’s understandable to an extent, due to the fact that you would have to make a modified version of the newer installments of CoD for it to work on the Switch. However it is quite jarring that this has not happened, reason being that they actually came to the Wii in the first place so why not now?

   The thing is though is that the Switch is obviously a VERY popular console, and believably the addition of a CoD game would work very well on the Switch more so now than ever compared to the Wii. The online is better than its ever been for Nintendo, and Local Multiplayer would work wonderfully with it doubling as a handheld and the fact that you can take it on the go. So it seems the best idea would be to port one of the previous Call of Duty’s to Nintendo’s System. It would take less time, and be less of a strenuous project, while not having to downgrade or adjust any features from a newer CoD. At that point you have to decide which one, after all Call of Duty is one of the greatest franchises in Video Game History with many great installments. Then you have to think, why not pick the game that was the best on the Wii in the first place, one that left the biggest impact on Nintendo consoles. Except finally give Nintendo players the full CoD experience with no missing content, limitations, and/or downgrades.

   Why not bring Call of Duty Black Ops to the Nintendo Switch. It’s a match made in heaven. Even if you don’t care so much about the history lesson of Call of Duty on Nintendo’s hardware, many people would love to be able to play the original Black Ops again and in a fresh new way on the Switch. It has one of the best and most immersive Campaigns in CoD history. The Multiplayer is so genuinely loved and top notch in quality, not to mention it’s an absolute blast. If that’s not enough, the first Black Ops is where Zombies really took off full speed with many terrific maps and ideas. They even added all of the great World at War Zombie Maps in DLC, so you get all existing Zombies Maps at that time in one perfect package.

   Call of Duty Black Ops deserves to flourish once again, especially for the Online aspect. The question is, is this exactly likely? Maybe not, however it is a great possibility. Porting the Xbox 360/PS3 version of Black Ops to the Switch with all the DLC would make a perfect 40 dollar package that many would buy and play. On top of this, 2020 will be marking Black Ops 10th anniversary so the timing is more perfect now than ever. With the possible release of a new Black Ops this year as well, it would make sense to revisit where it all began with fresh new eyes. Just like CoD 4 Modern Warfare Reflex did coming to the Wii when Modern Warfare 2 was released on other consoles. It’s at least worth a shot, so let’s try and make this happen. Call of Duty Black Ops for Nintendo Switch!