Barnyard Blaster

Barnyard Blaster is a shooting game released by Atari Corporation for the Atari 7800 and Atari 8-bit computers. Designed for use with the Atari XG-1 Light Gun, the game has players shooting various targets around a farm to earn points.

The goal in Barnyard Blaster is to rid a farm of vermin by shooting targets in several different areas. Players begin each round with a limited amount of ammo and need to successfully shoot a required percentage of targets in order to move on to the next round. The game features three different screens along with an additional bonus round after each one is completed:

• The Barnyard: The simplest of the three rounds, the barnyard provides several stationary targets in the form of cans and bottles lines up along a fence.
• The Cornfield: The second round takes place in a cornfield and offers both stationary and moving targets. First, players need to shoot several watermelons and pumpkins and then a variety of critters appear including crows and rabbits.
• The Barn: The toughest of the three rounds, the barn has all moving targets. Rabbits, owls, mice, crows, and other critters appear here.
• Gramps' Bonus Screen: Gramps will throw 10 bottles into the air; players need to shoot the bottles for bonus points before they disappear off of the screen. The quicker the bottles are shot, the more points are earned. If players accidentally shoot Gramps, the round is over. The bonus round appears after each of the other rounds are completed.

After players complete all of the rounds successfully, the game repeats with a higher level of difficulty. On any of the rounds, a gopher may occasionally appear; shooting the gopher earns bonus points however it's not required to complete the round. Points in the game are earned for each target shot; the amount of points awarded can vary with smaller, faster targets earning more points and additional points earned the quicker a target is shot. When the game ends, players are provided one of thirteen possible ranks based on the number of screens completed.