That's a wonderful example! As a kid, it really blew my mind that these simple consoles -- even including something primitive like the Atari 2600 -- could none

That's a wonderful example! As a kid, it really blew my mind that these simple consoles -- even including something primitive like the Atari 2600 -- could nonetheless display a pretty good simulation of a pseudo-2D roadway or landscape. Why were they so good at that particular trick, yet clearly lacked the graphics horsepower to pull off other tricks? As I got older it was fascinating to learn how it was done.