Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night for the Nintendo DS started from a good idea. The game’s FAQ states, “Barnyard Blast is an upcoming 2D action shooting game for the Nintendo DS. It is a parodic tribute to famous old-school horror titles. In Barnyard Blast, you control Robert Belmart, the Swine of the Night. Through 6 levels, you kill zombies, exterminate monsters, slash ghouls, and more.”

Just like some good ideas, Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night lacked in the execution department. This is the developer’s first game and it shows. They made a supposed fun filled game into a nightmare. This game is too difficult for the casual gamer but hardcore gamers can enjoy the challenge it imposes. As for replay value, I don’t see any of it here.

What saves the game is its humor. Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night’s cut scenes are funny enough to elicit a few laughs. The game’s protagonist is a cowboy pig armed with a shotgun named Robert, who has Julia as wife. I wonder who inspired the game’s developers. (Wink, wink.) The adventure begins when their son, Cliffy was kidnapped by creatures from an old mansion while he was tp-ing the place. Robert has decided to save his son from the evil forces residing at the old mansion. To quote a line from the game: “is he a bad enough dude to save his son?”

Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night could have been a nice action game for the Nintendo DS. If only the game has different level of difficulty then gamers of all types could have brought home the bacon.