Classic arcade game developers employed ingenious optimization techniques to overcome severe hardware limitations. They wrote highly efficient assembly code that maximized every CPU cycle, often achieving miracles with processors running below 1MHz. Memory constraints were addressed through clever compression algorithms and reuse of graphical elements. Developers implemented sprite rotation instead of full redraws, used palette swapping to create multiple enemies from single sprites, and employed parallax scrolling to simulate depth without overloading the hardware. Sound was optimized through simple waveforms and clever programming that produced memorable music with minimal hardware. These programmers deeply understood their hardware's architecture, sometimes rewriting entire rendering engines to shave off precious milliseconds. The result was incredibly smooth gameplay that pushed far beyond what the specifications suggested was possible, creating timeless classics that remain impressive decades later.