Arcade game machines of the 1970s-1990s employed ingenious techniques to create dynamic lighting effects despite hardware limitations. The primary display technology—CRT monitors—naturally produced vibrant colors and slight bloom effects that enhanced visual intensity. Programmers used color cycling to simulate pulsating lights by rapidly changing palette colors, creating the illusion of neon signs or exploding sparks. Some games utilized sprite overlays, where semi-transparent sprites would be layered over backgrounds to simulate light beams or glows. Hardware-based approaches included dedicated light controllers that could manipulate RGB values in real-time for effects like flashing warning lights. Racing games often employed pre-rendered gradient maps that shifted based on player position to simulate headlight beams. The limited color palettes forced developers to use dithering patterns and alternating pixels to create perceived brightness variations. These clever workarounds established foundational techniques that would later evolve into modern dynamic lighting systems in video games.