The Mystery Box is a wooden box with two flashing golden question marks and a blue glow emitting from the box (a yellow glow on Shi No Numa and no glow in Nacht der Untoten and Verrückt). In order to open the Mystery Box, the player must be next to the box and press and hold the "action" button (F on PC, X on Xbox 360, A/Y on the Wii, and Square on PS3). When the action button is pressed, the available weapons will randomize until a weapon is chosen. This process takes about four to five seconds. If the weapon is not picked up within 10 seconds, the box will reset and it will be able to be opened again in two seconds. It costs 950 points to use and, disregarding whether the weapon selected is or is not taken, there is no refund. If the player receives the teddy bear, the player will retain their points and the box will disappear momentarily until it respawns somewhere else with the exception of Nacht Der Untoten.
The Mystery Box appears in all the Zombie maps except Dead Ops Arcade. In Nacht der Untoten, the Mystery Box is located in the "Help Room" and will never move. Verrückt is the first map to have the box move and is the only map for the empty box spawns to be rubble instead of three boxes with the teddy bear on top of them. In Verrückt, its original spawn is in the generator room. In Shi No Numa, its original spawn is located the room below the spawn room. In Der Riese, it spawns in front of the generator. In Ascension, its original spawn is located the room with the power switch and the launch activation button. In Kino der Toten, "Five", Call of the Dead and Moon, it spawns in one of several set locations (specified in each levels' respective article). In Shangri-La, it spawns either at the waterfall, or next to one of the water geysers underground, near the pad. In Shi No Numa, Der Riese, Kino der Toten (albeit less visible), Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-La and Moon, its location can be determined by a trail of light from the sky, showing where the box is located. In Kino der Toten, its location can be determined by a green light on the map above the box/box spawn point when the power is activated, which is mostly useful when it changes to another location. It is also possible to see the blue light above the box in Kino der Toten, but is nearly impossible to do, as it can only be done in the alley, (which is also fairly tall, making it difficult to see over the main area) and as the map is very bright, making the blue light very transparent to the sunlight. However, inside it is a bit less difficult to find. If it is in the theater, then it can be seen through the balcony in the room just right from the starting room. If it is inside the room between the alleyway and the spawn, it can be seen through the window upstairs. In "Five" and Ascension, the TV screens located near the box/box spawn point will display the location of the Mystery Box.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops (Nintendo DS), instead of a rectangular box, the Mystery Box is shaped like a locker and has a rusted metallic color rather than a brown wood color.
Using the Mystery Box is common due to its lower cost compared to most wall weapons and the chances of obtaining more powerful weapons than on the walls. Examples of the more powerful weapons include the Wonder Weapons, MG42, HK21 and PPSh-41. In Black Ops, the Mystery Box can only give weapons which aren't on the walls.
With the Fire Sale power-up, the Mystery Box only costs 10 points and is available at all spawn locations.
CommandoFile:MapMysteryBox.jpgThe map of the theater. The green light shows where the Mystery Box is in Kino der Toten. (the power must be turned on first)
Crossbow (unavailable on iPod/iPhone) (only one player can have it)
CZ75 (with or without Dual Wield, on Wii, only Dual Wield) (only full-auto single pistol on iPod/iPhone)
Dragunov (unavailable on Wii) (unavailable on iPod/iPhone)
File:MysteryBoxTV.jpgThe television screen on the side of the Mystery Box spawn location, which displays where the Mystery Box is and appears in "Five" and Ascension.
In all maps except the Call of Duty: Black Ops (DS) Zombie maps and Nacht der Untoten, it is possible to obtain a Teddy Bear from the box. The teddy bear causes the box to shake, rise up, vanish and teleport elsewhere on the map with no useful weapon dispensed; a voice in the background laughs at the player; first was from a child, then the other one which is maniacal-like. The 950 points are also refunded to the player (except in the iPhone/iPod Touch version). It is interesting to note that in Verrückt, the box respawns only in an area that the player has opened unless only one room has been opened. This does not apply to the Black Ops version.
In Kino der Toten, the location is revealed on the wooden maps with green lights on its current location, while in Shi No Numa, Der Riese, Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-La and Moon the box can respawn anywhere, but is marked by a beam of light, yellow in Shi No Numa, and blue in Der Riese, Kino der Toten, Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-La, and Moon. In "Five" as well as Ascension, the box's location is shown on small television screen above each possible box location. At some locations, some players actually hope to get the Teddy Bear, as the box may move to a more convenient place.
In Shi No Numa, it will move to one of six locations, the four huts, its original location, and in the Warning Room.
In Der Riese, it will move to six potential spots. Across from the M1897 Trenchgun, in the room with the Thompson, in each of the teleporter rooms and its original spawn.
In Kino der Toten, the location of the mystery box is indicated by a green light on a black board outlining the entire map near every mystery box spawn. The player can also find the location of the box by going to the alleyway and looking up in the air for the blue column of light, just like in Der Riese. However, as mentioned earlier, this is a very inconvenient way to find the box's location. The player can also tell if the box is in the MPL room by looking through the upper left window in the Lobby.
In Ascension, the location of the box is shown by a TV above the box locations and the blue beam of light marking it in the sky.
In Shangri-La, there are 4 different locations the box will move to after obtaining the bear. In the waterfall, in the room with AK74u, directly across from the power switches, and in the spawn area near the back window. The starting place for the box, unlike other maps, is either two locations; the waterfall or the AK74u room, both on opposite sides of each other.
The chances of the Teddy Bear appearing in the box increase depending on how many times the box has been used in its current location. The Teddy Bear will NEVER appear on the first three uses of the box. The fourth through seventh uses have a 15% chance of choosing the Teddy Bear. Uses in the range of eighth to twelfth have a 30% chance, and any rolls after that have a 50% chance. When the box is in the starting location, however, the Teddy Bear will always appear after eight uses.
The early name for the Mystery Box was possibly the "Treasure Chest", judging by the model name mtl_treasure_chest .
In Nacht der Untoten, there is a higher chance of getting the Ray Gun in the Mystery Box in earlier rounds than other maps.
In Shi No Numa, there are several footlockers that look exactly like the Mystery Box that can be found on top of the shelves and crates in the starting room.
In Verrückt, there is writing on the stairs on to the barrier downstairs warning that if the Mystery Box is used too often, it will move. Its exact words are "Wish too often and your wishing well will run".
In Vendetta, when Reznov opens the door after the player kills the sniper across the river, the player can hear the first two notes from the Mystery Box.
Black Ops
On the pre-order poster for Black Ops, there is a phone number that when dialed plays a song that is similar to a Mystery Box song (this tune played backwards is the real Mystery Box tune).
In Black Ops, weapons that are bought off the wall do not appear in the Mystery Box, unlike in World at War (except on the Wii version, where an AUG is available on the wall and the Mystery Box).
Xbox LIVE players can purchase a Mystery Box for their avatar.
The spawn point of the Mystery Box is marked by a pile of boxes with a Teddy Bear on top, except in Verrückt, in which it is indicated by a pile of rubble with a Teddy Bear on top, and Nacht der Untoten, in which the box does not move.
In Moon, if the player hacks a Mystery Box location and then later gets a Fire Sale (but still in the same round) the Mystery Box cannot be hacked in that location again.
In Moon, a Box spawn can be hacked for 1200 points to have one roll at that area. If the player does not like the weapon, they can hack for a re-roll for only 600 points. If a re-roll is hacked, it glows blue and can be picked up by any player, as well as refunding 950 points. This can be seen in this video.
In Kino Der Toten, if the box is in the fire-trap room and the door has been un-opened, it is possible to see the light through the window upstairs The light can barely be seen.
Mystery Box Theme 
