Whenever we buy a new games console, there's always the excitement at wondering just how far developers will be able to push the hardware long-term, to pull off technical feats so outrageous we actually wonder how they did it at all.

And while we're still a ways away from seeing current-gen consoles reach their full mind-melting potential, the pantheon of gaming history is scattered with games that pushed their hardware so damn hard it seems damn-near impossible that they made it work.

That's absolutely true of these eight video games, each of which pushed their respective systems to the sure limit, enough that each remains a high watermark for the hardware in question all these years later.

As for how they got the job done? More often than not it required ingenious programming tricks, crafty sleights of hand behind the scenes, and a clever engagement with the bespoke characteristics of each console.

However it all happened, these games should've been absolutely impossible to deliver on paper, but with enough under-the-hood finessing they took full advantage of their platforms of choice...

Let's kick this list off with a feat of video game engineering so ridiculous it's still a massive pain in the ass to emulate an entire 25 years later.

Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader was a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube and received rave reviews from critics, most of whom deemed it a must-own title for the platform, while also serving as a stunning audio-visual showcase for the system.

Many highlighted the impressive number of ships on-screen at once, combined with dynamic lighting and highly detailed explosions, all while maintaining a largely smooth 60fps.

This was down to the absolute wizards working at developer Factor 5, who had an acute, intimate understanding of the GameCube's system architecture and built the game around it from the ground-up.

And with the game being a GameCube exclusive, Factor 5 were able to tailor it precisely to the system without needing to worry about ports to other platforms, allowing them to further optimise their process.

This is all the more impressive considering the game was created and released within a span of just nine months, and even by the end of the GameCube's life cycle it was still held up as one of its most technically awe-striking offerings.

Jack Pooley

Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.

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