160x200x2 still comes to 8 kB for a full-screen bitmap. So those 40 kB would allow for just five full screens worth of graphics/frames if stored naively. I'd say that still required some very clever programming to get that amount of scenery and animation in there, along with all the music and code.
There's a reason why only few games of that time felt as mind-blowing as The Last Ninja. Even getting a basic text adventure or Pac-Man clone in those machines took some skill, but with a game like The Last Ninja, I think a lot of devs wouldn't even have known where to start to make something like it possible.
There's a reason why only few games of that time felt as mind-blowing as The Last Ninja. Even getting a basic text adventure or Pac-Man clone in those machines took some skill, but with a game like The Last Ninja, I think a lot of devs wouldn't even have known where to start to make something like it possible.